What every opt-in needs
Whatever the method, the moment a customer agrees has to show:
- Your business name
- What kind of texts they will get: reminders, order updates, offers
- How often. "Message frequency varies" is fine if it does.
- "Msg & data rates may apply"
- How to get help and how to stop: "Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out"
- Links to your privacy policy and terms
If you send marketing, the opt-in has to say so. Consent to appointment reminders is not consent to promotions.
Web form checkbox
The most common setup. Put a checkbox next to the phone field. It can't be pre-checked, it can't be bundled with your general terms, and the form has to submit without it.
Yes, text me appointment reminders and account updates from Bright Smile Dental. Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out. Privacy Policy | Terms
Then describe the flow in your campaign:
Patients opt in by checking an optional, unchecked box on the appointment request form at [your website]/book. The checkbox text reads: [paste the exact wording]. Screenshot attached.
Text keyword
The customer texts a word like JOIN to your number. The sign, flyer, or webpage that tells them to do it carries the disclosure.
Text DEALS to (555) 010-0123 for weekly offers from Main Street Pizza. Up to 4 msgs/month. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out. Terms & privacy at [your website]/sms
Reviewers can't see your counter. Upload a photo of the sign or host it at a public link, and quote its text in your description.
Paper form or in person
An intake form or a front-desk sign-up works if you can prove it. Put the same disclosure on the form next to its own checkbox or signature line for texts. Keep the signed forms. In your description, say where the form is used and attach a photo or scan of a blank copy.
Verbal opt-in, at the counter or on the phone, is the hardest to get approved because there is nothing for a reviewer to look at. If you use it, write down the exact script your staff reads, say how you record the yes (a note in the customer record with the date), and send a confirmation text right away. Offering a web form or keyword alongside it helps.
The confirmation text
Send this the moment someone opts in. Reviewers often ask for it, and it doubles as your record that the customer signed up.
Bright Smile Dental: You're signed up for appointment reminders. Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out.
Opt-in mistakes that get rejected
- The SMS box is pre-checked, or the form won't submit without it
- Consent to texts is buried in your general terms of service
- The opt-in says reminders and your sample messages include promotions
- The form is behind a login and there is no screenshot
- The description just says "customers opt in on our website" with no detail
- Numbers came from a purchased list or another business, so they never agreed to hear from you
Common questions
Can the SMS consent checkbox be required?
No. The form should submit whether or not the box is checked. A required or pre-checked SMS box is a common rejection reason.
Do I need a screenshot of my opt-in?
Yes, if a reviewer can't see the opt-in on your public website. Forms behind a login, paper forms, and in-store signs all need a screenshot or photo at a public link.
Is verbal opt-in allowed for 10DLC?
It can be approved, but it is the hardest to prove. Describe the exact script, how you record consent, and send a confirmation text right away.
Can I text customers who gave me their number for something else?
Giving you a phone number for billing or a contact form is not the same as agreeing to texts. The opt-in should be specific to the texts you will send.