SMS consent and number blocking
Recognise SMS consent and help keywords, and block contact with selected phone numbers.
What it is
INSIDE recognises complete SMS messages such as STOP, START and HELP. Consent keywords update the contact's mobile opt-in state. Text/SMS Blacklist separately blocks selected phone numbers.
Who uses it and why
- Visitors send a keyword to change their SMS opt-in or request help.
- Operators check consent notices in the conversation and manage unwanted numbers with the Settings, Manager or Chat role.
- Administrators arrange the account's keyword and response wording with Powerfront.
Where to find it
Open Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Blacklist with the Settings, Manager or Chat role.
Powerfront manages the Messages options under Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers. Ask Powerfront to change the keywords, account language or acknowledgement wording.
How it works
- INSIDE compares the whole incoming text with the configured keyword lists. Capitalisation and spaces at the beginning or end do not affect matching.
- An opt-out match takes priority over opt-in, followed by help if a word appears in more than one list.
- Opt-in and opt-out update the sender's mobile consent. During an active conversation, INSIDE also adds a system notice and sends the configured response if it is not blank.
- A help keyword during a conversation adds a notice and sends Help Message if configured.
The account's settings and language take precedence over website fallback wording. A keyword alone does not need to create a new service conversation. Without an active conversation, opt-in and opt-out can still update consent, but the configured acknowledgements and help reply are not sent by this flow.
Configure it
Ask Powerfront to set Opt In Words, Opt Out Words and Help Words, separated by commas, and the corresponding messages in each required language.
To block a number, add an entry in Text/SMS Blacklist, enter Phone Number with its country dial code and save it. Use digits without spaces or punctuation. You can edit or delete a website entry later.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opt In Words | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | START when neither the account nor the website has a value | Powerfront | Sets comma-separated keywords that mark the sender's mobile number as opted in, with account-language wording. |
| Opt Out Words | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | STOP when neither the account nor the website has a value | Powerfront | Sets comma-separated keywords that mark the sender's mobile number as opted out. |
| Help Words | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | HELP when neither the account nor the website has a value | Powerfront | Sets comma-separated keywords that request the configured help response. |
| Opt In Message | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | Not set: inherits website opt-in wording, or website proactive wording if no opt-in wording is set; no acknowledgement if neither is set | Powerfront | Supplies the acknowledgement for an opt-in keyword during a conversation. |
| Opt Out Message | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | Not set: inherits website opt-out wording; no acknowledgement if that is also unset | Powerfront | Supplies the acknowledgement for an opt-out keyword during a conversation. |
| Help Message | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | Not set: inherits website help wording; no help reply if that is also unset | Powerfront | Supplies the help reply during a conversation. |
| Proactive Tagged Message | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers › Messages | channel | Not set: inherits website proactive wording; no consent wording is added if that is also unset | Powerfront | Adds configured consent wording to the proactive SMS flow. |
Fields
| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Number | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Blacklist | Yes | Identifies the number to block, including its country dial code. |
| Type | Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Blacklist | Yes | Uses Phone Number, the available SMS block type. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Access Text/SMS Blacklist. |
| Manager | Access Text/SMS Blacklist. |
| Chat | Access Text/SMS Blacklist. |
Limits and good to know
- Matching uses the complete message. A longer sentence containing STOP is not the same as the keyword STOP.
- Help does not itself change the mobile opt-in state.
- Consent and the blacklist are separate. Sending START does not remove a blacklist entry.
- Phone-number block comparisons ignore a leading plus sign. A shared block may also apply; ask Powerfront to investigate if the number is absent from your website list.
- Keyword handling is a product control. It does not determine which consent your business must obtain.
Depends on and works with
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Roles and permissionsConfigured by
Roles control access to the SMS blacklist screen.
- SMS number and channel setupRequires
SMS accounts supply the receiving number, language and message transport.
- Contact opt-in and blockingRelated
SMS keywords update contact consent, while blacklist entries remain separate.
Used by
- Spam review and blockingRelated
Check the SMS blacklist when a phone sender remains blocked after a spam correction.
- Visitor tracking consent and communication opt-insRelated
SMS keywords let contacts change text opt-in separately from pre-chat choices.
- SMS number and channel setupConfigured by
Account keywords, consent replies and blocklists affect SMS handling.
- Contact opt-in and blockingEnhances
SMS consent keywords update the contact mobile opt-in, while number blocking applies separately.
- Social messaging and SMS reportsEnhances
Text Summary includes customer STOP requests.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why did a sentence containing STOP not opt the visitor out?
The complete trimmed message must match one of Opt Out Words.
Why was there no acknowledgement?
The response may be blank, or there may be no active conversation. Ask Powerfront to check the account's language and message wording.
Why is a number still blocked after START?
Opt-in does not remove a Text/SMS Blacklist entry or a shared phone-number block.
Why did the same keyword behave differently on another business number?
Each SMS account can have its own keyword lists and language. Ask Powerfront to compare the two accounts.