Opt-Out Guidance

Based on current industry best practices and carrier expectations, here is a more detailed breakdown to confirm and clarify:

During Opt-In and Privacy Policy Creation

• Opt-out instructions (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”) should be clearly stated wherever users are prompted to opt in to receive SMS messages.
• Your privacy policy should also describe how users can opt out.

Initial Message to End User

The first message sent to a user must include opt-out language. This is often monitored by carriers during campaign review and is key to passing compliance checks.

Ongoing Messaging (for Recurring or High-Frequency Messaging)

Opt-out instructions do not need to appear in every message, but they should be included periodically—especially if you send messages on a recurring basis. A good rule of thumb is to include opt-out language at least once every 3 to 5 messages, or within every 30-day window, depending on your use case and volume.

Additional Recommendations

Keep the language simple and standard, such as:

“Reply STOP to unsubscribe.” Avoid using non-standard keywords (like “UNSUB” or “END”) unless your campaign explicitly supports and handles them.