# SMS consent and number blocking

Recognise SMS consent and help keywords, and block contact with selected phone numbers.

*Release 3.3 · admin, operator, visitor*

**Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Phone Numbers** · **Settings › Text/SMS › Text/SMS Blacklist**

## 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

1. INSIDE compares the whole incoming text with the configured keyword lists. Capitalisation and spaces at the beginning or end do not affect matching.
2. An opt-out match takes priority over opt-in, followed by help if a word appears in more than one list.
3. 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.
4. 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, on request | 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, on request | 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, on request | 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, on request | 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, on request | 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, on request | 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, on request | 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

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [SMS number and channel setup](CHN-022.md): SMS accounts supply the receiving number, language and message transport.
- **Configured in** [Roles and permissions](ADM-008.md): Roles control access to the SMS blacklist screen.
- **Related** [Contact opt-in and blocking](CRM-007.md): SMS keywords update contact consent, while blacklist entries remain separate.

### Used by

- **Configures** [SMS number and channel setup](CHN-022.md): Account keywords, consent replies and blocklists affect SMS handling.
- **Enhances** [Contact opt-in and blocking](CRM-007.md): SMS consent keywords update the contact mobile opt-in, while number blocking applies separately.
- **Enhances** [Social messaging and SMS reports](REP-012.md): Text Summary includes customer STOP requests.
- **Related** [Spam review and blocking](CHAT-020.md): Check the SMS blacklist when a phone sender remains blocked after a spam correction.
- **Related** [Visitor tracking consent and communication opt-ins](VX-012.md): SMS keywords let contacts change text opt-in separately from pre-chat choices.

## 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.