SMS Best Practices - How to Avoid the Spam Filter

Why Messages Get Blocked

Carriers and phone manufacturers actively filter SMS to protect users from spam. If your legitimate messages get caught in these filters, they never reach recipients.

Understanding what triggers spam filters helps you avoid them.

Common Spam Triggers

1. URL Shorteners

Avoid: bit.ly, tinyurl.com links

Better: Full URLs or your own domain

Best: No links, direct call-to-action

2. Excessive Capitals

Spam-like: "FREE MONEY NOW!!!"

Better: "Free offer available today"

3. Too Many Special Characters

Spam-like: "$$$ AMAZING DEAL $$$ !!!"

Better: "Special deal this weekend"

4. Certain Trigger Words

Watch out for overuse of:

Free, Winner, Cash, Prize

Urgent, Act Now, Limited Time

Guaranteed, No Cost, Congratulations

5. Sending Too Fast

Sending hundreds of messages in seconds looks like spam bots. Group SMS naturally paces messages to avoid this.

Best Practices

Write Like a Human

Use normal punctuation

Write conversational messages

Include your business name

Make it personal when possible

Identify Yourself Clearly

Recipients should immediately know who's texting:

"Hi from Joe's Cafe! Your loyalty reward is ready..."

Not:

"You have won a reward! Click here to claim..."

Include Clear Opt-Out

While Group SMS sends from your number so people can just ask to stop, it's good practice to mention it occasionally:

"Reply STOP to unsubscribe"

Time Your Messages Appropriately

Business hours are safest

Avoid weekends unless relevant

Never send between 9pm and 8am

Test Before Bulk Sending

Send a test message to yourself or colleagues first:

Does it read well?

Any typos?

Is it clear who sent it?

Message Templates That Work

Appointment Reminder

"Reminder: Your appointment at [Business] is tomorrow at 2pm. Reply YES to confirm or call 555-1234 to reschedule."

Promotion

"[Business Name]: 20% off this weekend only. Show this text at checkout. See you soon!"

Update/News

"[Business Name] Update: New hours starting Monday. Now open 9am-8pm daily. Same great service!"

Thank You

"Thanks for visiting [Business Name] today! We appreciate your business. See you next time."

What to Do If Messages Aren't Delivering

Check Your Message Content

Remove URLs if possible

Reduce special characters

Avoid spam trigger words

Reduce Sending Frequency

Don't send too many messages at once

Space out bulk sends

Limit to 2-4 messages per recipient per month

Verify Phone Numbers

Remove invalid numbers from your list

Update outdated contacts

Check for formatting issues

Conclusion

Good SMS practices benefit everyone. Your messages get delivered, recipients get useful information, and carriers don't have to block spam.

Follow these guidelines and your messages will reach their destination reliably.