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In India, according to TRAI, all applications to people SMSes should be sent from a Sender-ID rather than a number. In the case of transactional SMS,  Sender ID is the name with which your outgoing SMS will be sent. Similarly, for Promotional SMS, it will be represented by a numeric ID. Sender ID is a fantastic way to remind your customer of your brand name, so you should take full advantage of it. You can learn all about the different types of SMSes here.



There are certain criteria that needs to be fulfilled for each of the type of Sender IDs mentioned. 


Transactional SMS Sender ID


Dos:

  • It must be 6 characters long (mandated by TRAI. Don't ask us why)
  • It is always capitalized
  • It must be reflective of your brand name and/or trademark.
  • It must tie in well with the content in the SMS. It could be campaign specific (See "How to change Sender ID")

Don'ts: 

  • Do not choose commonly used English words or phrases like "COFFEE" or "SMSFORU"
  • Do not use other company names or brands like "AIRTEL" or "LENOVO" 
  • Do not violate someone else's trademark
  • You cannot use numbers mixed with characters. For example: Avoid "BUY431". 




Promotional SMS Sender ID


It needs to be a 6 digit numeric sender id. The Header should start with the number that matches the category (as per DND Preferences) and should be unique. The categories are given below:


1- Banking/Insurance/Financial products/ credit cards:  e.g 110011

2- Real Estate:  e.g. 220022

3- Education:  e.g. 330033

4- Health: e.g. 440044

5- Consumer goods and automobiles: e.g. 550055

6- Communication/Broadcasting / Entertainment/IT: e.g. 660066

7- Tourism and Leisure: e.g. 770077

8- Food and Beverages: e.g. 880088


SMSes to India


With the latest TRAI Regulations in India, Effective from 1st June 2020, SENDER IDs (Headers) are first required to be approved on the DLT platform of operators for both Transactional and Promotional SMS. Our team may ask you for screenshots of the DLT platform with approved status against your SENDER ID.

Find out more information on the TRAI regulations update.


How to configure SENDER ID on Exotel?


Once approved on the DLT platform, you can edit an existing SENDER ID or assign it while adding a new ExoPhone like below via SMS Configuration Setting.


For promotional SMS,


For transactional SMS,


(Edit sender id via https://my.exotel.com/settings/site#senderid-settings if your account is created in SG stamp, else use https://my.mum1.exotel.com/settings/site#senderid-settings for MUM stamp)


Kindly note once you click on Ok, a request would be received to us for approval and you would in turn receive an email to submit the DLT approval screenshot for the sender ID request raised. Once the screenshot is received, we shall review the shared document and approve your request. The same shall reflect on your account 30 minutes post-approval.


How to send SMS using my SENDER ID?


Once approved on the DLT platform and configured on Exotel,


To send SMSvia API, use the 'From' Parameter in SEND SMS API to choose the SENDER ID for sending. It can be:

  • ExoPhone (Virtual Number) linked to the appropriate SENDER ID like 0804XXX4890

  • SENDER ID itself if already linked to an ExoPhone
    • For transactional, it will be 6 character alpha sender id like EXOTEL, DOMINO, etc.
    • For promotional, it will be a 6 digit numeric sender id like 600231, 443201 etc.


To send SMSes via Campaigns, select the correct sender id while creating the campaign like below:

  • For transactional content, you can select only 6 character alpha sender id like EXOTEL, DOMINO, etc.
  • For promotional content, you can select only  6 digit numeric sender id like 600231, 443201, etc.


NOTE:

The additional step of configuring SENDER IDs on Exotel is required to avoid any misuse. Exotel reserves the right to reject your Sender-ID request if it is not approved on the DLT platform OR finds it does not comply with these Dos and Don'ts. Having said that, we are here to make it easy for you to send your SMS, so we will give you our reasons and suggest alternatives. 



If you have any questions or concerns, please connect with us using the chat widget on your Exotel Dashboard or Whatsapp us on 08088919888.