Why your business texts aren't getting delivered

By Steve Clune, Back Office Bot · Updated November 14, 2026

What the letters mean

• A2P: application-to-person. Texts sent by software, like reminders, missed-call text back or marketing.
• 10DLC: 10-digit long code. A normal local phone number, like an 816 or 913 number.

Why it exists

Carriers got tired of spam. Now any business sending texts through software from a local number has to register who it is and what kind of messages it sends. Registered traffic gets delivered. Unregistered traffic gets filtered, and the major carriers block most of it outright.

Signs you have this problem

• Customers say they never got your appointment reminder or text back.
• Your texting tool shows messages as sent, but replies never come.
• You set up text back yourself and never filled out a brand or campaign registration.

How registration works

1. Brand: your legal business name, EIN, address and contact. Sole proprietors have a separate, simpler path.
2. Campaign: what you send (customer care, appointment reminders, marketing), sample messages, and how people opt in.
3. Number: your phone number gets attached to the approved campaign.

Approval usually takes days to a few weeks. Rejections are common when the website is missing a privacy policy or opt-in language, or when sample messages don't match what you described.

What we do for clients

Every Back Office Bot client's number is registered before we send a single text. We write the campaign description and sample messages, make sure your website has the right privacy and SMS terms, and include an opt-out in every first message. See missed-call text back.