Why texts get filtered, and how to land every time
Sender reputation, link shorteners, and the small habits that keep your throughput high across carriers.
A text that doesn’t arrive can’t sell anything. Most delivery problems come down to a handful of habits carriers reward or punish. Here’s how to stay on the right side of them.
Sender reputation is everything
Carriers score the number you send from. New numbers start neutral and earn trust by sending consented, engaged traffic over time. Blasting a cold list from a brand-new number is the fastest way to get filtered - warm up gradually.
Register your sender
In many countries you now register your business and campaign types up front (in the US, that’s the 10DLC system). Registered traffic gets higher throughput and fewer blocks. SMSWorld walks you through registration as part of onboarding.
Watch your links
Public link shorteners are shared by spammers, so carriers treat them with suspicion. A branded link domain tied to your business looks trustworthy and keeps your messages moving.
Engagement signals matter
Replies and clicks tell carriers people want your texts. High opt-out and complaint rates do the opposite. Send to people who actually engage, prune the rest, and your delivery rate climbs.
The habits that keep you landing
- Only message consented, engaged contacts.
- Warm up new numbers slowly.
- Register your sender where required.
- Use a branded link domain.
- Prune unengaged contacts regularly.
Do these and a 98% delivery rate isn’t luck - it’s the default.