Short code
A five- or six-digit number leased for high-volume, carrier-approved SMS campaigns.
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A five- or six-digit number leased for high-volume, carrier-approved SMS campaigns.
A short code is a shortened phone number, five or six digits in the US, leased specifically for messaging. They are the numbers behind "Text JOIN to 12345" style campaigns.
Short codes offer very high throughput and strong deliverability because each one is vetted and approved by the carriers before it goes live. That approval process takes weeks and the lease costs substantially more than a standard long code.
They are best suited to high-volume, single-purpose messaging where throughput matters. For lower volumes, or where a recognisable local number helps, a registered 10DLC long code is usually the more sensible choice.
Related terms
- 10DLC — The US carrier framework for sending registered application-to-person SMS from a 10-digit local number.
- A2P messaging — Application-to-person SMS — messages sent by software to a person, rather than between two people.
- Toll-free number — A number, such as an 800 or 888 prefix, where the recipient rather than the caller pays for the call.