Use SMS double opt-in in ActiveCampaign

SMS double opt-in adds a confirmation step before a contact joins your SMS marketing list. The contact submits your form or texts your keyword, then replies to a text message to confirm. You cannot send them SMS messages until they confirm. This article explains how the confirmation works and how to turn it on or off for each form and keyword.

Take note

• You must purchase the SMS add-on to use ActiveCampaign's SMS feature.
• Double opt-in is turned on by default for new SMS forms and new SMS keywords.
• Double opt-in is not turned on for forms and keywords you created before this feature was released.
• The confirmation text message uses SMS credits.
• Contacts added by import, API, or bulk edit do not go through double opt-in.

How SMS double opt-in works

Double opt-in for SMS works the same way as double opt-in for email. Your contact takes two steps instead of one. You get a clear record that they agreed to hear from you.

Here is what your contact experiences:

1. Your contact submits your form or texts your keyword.
2. ActiveCampaign sends them a text message that asks them to confirm.
3. Their status on your SMS list is Unconfirmed. You cannot send them SMS messages yet.
4. Your contact replies 1 to confirm.
5. Their status changes to Active. You can now send them SMS messages.
6. ActiveCampaign sends them your subscription confirmation message.

The text message asks your contact to reply 1. Replies of Y and YES also work. Replies are not case sensitive.

Contacts can confirm at any time. There is no deadline.

Two messages, two jobs

Your contact receives up to two text messages. They do different things, and you can edit only one of them.

• Opt-in message This message asks your contact to confirm. You cannot edit it. Carriers require specific wording so contacts know exactly what to reply, so ActiveCampaign sets this message for you.
• Subscription confirmation message ActiveCampaign sends this message after your contact confirms. You can edit it. Use it to welcome your contact and set expectations.

Turn SMS double opt-in on or off for a form

Double opt-in is already on for any SMS form you create from now on. Use these steps to check the setting, choose a sender name, or turn double opt-in off.

1. Click Website > Forms on the left menu.
2. Click the pencil icon next to the form you want to edit.
3. Click the "Subscribe to SMS list" action.
4. Click the double opt-in toggle to turn the setting on or off.
5. Under "Opt-in Message," click the sender name dropdown and select a sender name. Select "Don't use a sender name" to send no name.
6. Review the opt-in message. This message is read only.
7. Edit the subscription confirmation message. Your contact receives this message after they confirm.
8. Click the "Save" button.

The phone preview shows how both messages look to your contact, including the sender name you selected.

Turn on double opt-in for an older form

Forms you created before this feature was released still use single opt-in. Contacts already on your SMS lists are not affected, and their status does not change.

To switch an older form to double opt-in, open the form and follow the steps above. The setting saves for that form only.

Turn SMS double opt-in on or off for a keyword

1. Click SMS > Keywords on the left menu.
2. Click the "Create a keyword" button, or click an existing keyword to edit it.
3. Select an SMS list.
4. Click the "Phone only" toggle to turn it on. The double opt-in settings appear only for phone-only keywords.
5. Click the double opt-in toggle to turn the setting on or off.
6. Under "Opt-in Message," select a sender name, or select "Don't use a sender name."
7. Edit the subscription confirmation message.
8. Click the "Save" button.

Keywords you created before this feature was released still use single opt-in until you turn double opt-in on.

What happens while a contact is unconfirmed

A contact who has not replied stays Unconfirmed on that SMS list. Nothing removes them, and nothing confirms them for you.

While a contact is unconfirmed, the following apply:

• They do not receive your broadcast SMS messages.
• They do not receive SMS messages from your automations.
• They do not start automations that use the "Subscribes to an SMS list" or "Submits a form" triggers.

Those triggers run when your contact confirms, not when they submit your form. If you have an SMS welcome automation, expect it to start later than it used to.

You can filter your contacts by the Unconfirmed status to see who has not replied yet. You can also resend the confirmation message to one contact at a time from the contact row menu.

Contacts who replied STOP

SMS works differently from email here. Most accounts send from one phone number, and carriers require strict handling of opt-outs. When a contact replies STOP, ActiveCampaign adds them to an account-level SMS exclusion list.

While a contact is on that list, you cannot send them any SMS messages from your account. This applies no matter which lists they belong to.

A contact on the exclusion list cannot rejoin by submitting your form or texting your keyword again. They take two steps:

1. Your contact gets a message prompting them to reply START. This removes them from the exclusion list. It does not subscribe them to anything.
2. Then the contact continues with the normal double opt-in flow.

Ways to add SMS contacts that skip double opt-in

Double opt-in applies to forms and keywords only. These methods still add contacts to SMS lists as Active:

• CSV import
• API
• Bulk edit
• Adding a contact by hand from the Contacts page
• The "Subscribe to a list" automation action

You are responsible for holding valid consent for contacts you add these ways. Read an overview of SMS requirements to learn what counts as consent.

SMS credits

The opt-in message uses SMS credits, because ActiveCampaign sends it from your number. Plan for this when you estimate credit use for a campaign that drives new signups.

Common questions

My contact did not get the opt-in message. Why? Check that your contact is not on your SMS exclusion list. Check that your contact is not marked as Bounced on the list. Bounced contacts do not receive an opt-in message, and their status does not change. Contact our Customer Experience team to review a bounced contact.

My contact is unconfirmed on two SMS lists. What does their reply confirm? Their reply confirms the most recent list only. Your contact confirms each list separately.

Can I turn double opt-in off for my whole account? No. The setting lives on each form and each keyword.