Your Contacts can unsubscribe from messages by sending a single-word unsubscribe command to your Textline number(s). They will no longer receive any SMS messages from you. If your customer sends you an unsubscribe command, they will be unsubscribed from receiving messages from all your Textline departments. Unsubscribe / opt-out commands are STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, and QUIT. A contact who has blocked your texts can resume receiving messages from Textline by sending a single-word SMS message with the command START. It’s important to note that opt-out keywords like "cancel" only work when sent by the contacts themselves and not by team members. This distinction ensures accidental opt-outs are avoided during regular conversations. These keywords are governed by carrier regulations and cannot be customized or removed to ensure compliance with industry standards.
If a Contact unsubscribes, you will see the error message Customer Unreachable by SMS, and the message box within their Conversation History will be greyed out. Any other messages (Announcements, individual texts, etc.) that you attempt to send to them will not go through. Additionally, a "Unreachable by SMS" banner may appear in Textline to indicate the contact’s unsubscribed status. Opt-out keywords such as "cancel" are specific triggers defined by telecom carriers and cannot be customized or removed due to regulatory compliance.
The contact will receive the final message, "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe."
Agents can also unsubscribe a contact in the contact sidebar in the Conversation dashboard or multiple contacts at once in the Address Book.
To unsubscribe contacts in the contact sidebar in the Conversation dashboard, click on the arrow to show the collapsible sidebar > three dots > Unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe contacts in the Address Book, head to the Address Book > Contacts > check the box next to the contacts you want to unsubscribe > Actions > Unsubscribe.
If a Contact is unsubscribed in this manner, agents can resubscribe them by going to the Contact’s profile in the Address Book and clicking the Actions then Resubscribe button at the top right.
Best Practices for Managing Opt-Outs
To avoid unintended opt-outs and effectively manage your contact list, consider the following:
Ensure your contacts are fully informed about how and why opt-out keywords like "cancel" function.
Use clear, precise messaging to minimize instances where a contact might unintentionally send an opt-out keyword.
Regularly check for "unreachable" contacts in your system and, where appropriate, reach out through alternative communication methods to confirm their opt-out intent.