Declared HELP support must have a help message behind it
The requirementstatement
A campaign declaring HELP keywords must supply the help reply that will be sent.
- Severityseverity
- BlockingBLOCKINGBreaking this rule gets the submission rejected. There is no partial credit.
- When it bitesphase
- Gates approvalapprovalGet this wrong and the brand or campaign is refused at registration.
- What is checkedobject
- campaign.help_keywords + campaign.help_message
- Where it liveslayer
- Consent flowCONSENT_FLOW
- How Ekas settles itdetectability
- DeterministicDETERMINISTIC
- Settled in code from the values you submitted. No model involved, no judgement call, same answer every time.
- What the fix involvesfailureClass
- Fix the fieldRETRY_FIELD
- A better value in the form fixes it. Ekas can rewrite it and re-check.
- Who requires itauthorities
- TCRCTIATwilio
- When it appliesapplicabilityText
- Applies to every 10DLC registration.
Why this rule existsrationale
Declaring HELP support without configuring a reply produces the worst possible outcome: a consumer asks who is texting them and gets silence or an error. CTIA requires HELP to always produce a response, whether or not the requester is even subscribed.
How to fix itremediation
Write the HELP auto-reply, naming the brand and giving a real support contact a person can actually reach.
A compliant exampleexample
Acme Coffee: for help, email support@acmecoffee.com or call 415-555-0134. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
Rules you will hit next
Other consent flow rules at the same severity. A registration is judged as a whole, not rule by rule.
CON-008The live CTA and the declared message flow must say the same thingBlockingBLOCKINGCON-010The three subscriber-management attributes must be declared trueBlockingBLOCKINGCON-013Subscriber attributes must agree with the message bodies suppliedBlockingBLOCKINGCON-023Evidence URLs must resolve without a loginBlockingBLOCKINGCON-024The opt-in URL must serve a certificate that verifiesBlockingBLOCKINGCON-027The opt-in URL must land on a page that carries the opt-inBlockingBLOCKING
CON-HELP-BACKED is one of 101 consent flow rules in the 915-rule 10DLC registry. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0.