Carrier Filtering

Hello, @Jkennedy! We can help with your carrier filtering question.

Carrier filtering is the practice of carriers to block the delivery of some or all of the messaging from a specific number or business. To provide the best messaging solution for your customers, you must understand how and when carrier filtering occurs. The following are some main reasons for filtering:

1. To comply with the carrier's policies, or with state, local, or country-specific regulations. Compliance can relate to the message’s content or frequency.
2. To enforce rules and regulations that protect mobile subscribers from unwanted or unsolicited messaging, such as SPAM and messages that are abusive, fraudulent, or of questionable content.
3. To prevent P2P messages from being sent through A2P streams, and to prevent A2P messages from using P2P routes. Incorrect routing can affect the line of business (carrier and subscriber) indicated by number type.
4. To reduce the potential for dissatisfied customers who file complaints, take legal action, seek damages, or switch to another carrier for loss of business.

To prevent a carrier from mistaking your message for spam, send content to small lists. In addition to preventing carrier filtering, small lists empower your teams to send targeted messages, which will likely elicit a favorable response from recipients.

Also, make sure your messages have an opt-out notice. Any subscription messages that don’t use opt-out notices (example: reply STOP to unsubscribe) are likely to be blocked.

Let us know if this helps, and thank you for contacting the AT&T Community Forums.

Rachel, AT&T Community Specialist