SMS Content Standards - Updated 8-23

SMS and Email carriers will update their standards at various times.  These are at the discretion of the SMS companies, and beyond our ability to influence.  Due to this, we will strive to make the changes known, as they become updated and this information is released to us.  Currently, SMS systems have chosen a list of words (or word series) that are considered banned, and will cause your messages to fail.  Please review the list below and update any SMS messages in your IntakeQ/PracticeQ account.

Please note that since these are hard requirements by the SMS carriers, we are actively reviewing and blocking these messages before they're sent, to help prevent errors with sending.  Our system will catch these messages before sending, when possible.

SMS Messages to Update, and How to do this

The messages in the system you will want to review are as follows:

1. Booking Settings > Settings > Appointment Reminders - Make sure to consider your location name, address, and service name if using placeholders:  SMS Appointment Reminders
2. Booking Settings > Messages > Scheduled SMS Messages:  Again, consider your location name, address, and service name if using placeholders:  Sending Scheduled SMS
3. More > Settings > SMS (Form Invitation SMS Templates):  Consider your form name, and practitioner name, if using placeholders:  Sending Forms via SMS

Other messages, such as secure document sharing and 2FA are system defined, and won't need to be adjusted.  

Words to Remove and Etiquette to Follow with the New Guidelines in Place

These are the words you will want to remove, as any of these words will prevent your messages from sending (with examples added for context):

• Marijuana
• Cannabis
• CBD
• Weed
• Drugs
• Gambling
• Beer
• Alcohol
• Any shaft content (mentioning the word shaft, as a basic example)
• Any adult content (any mention of words such as porn/pron/etc)
• Any phishing messages - Brand name not associated with the traffic
• Operator name in content (Such as mentioning the SMS carrier, like saying AT&T or other SMS carriers)
• Suspension
• Suspended
• Use of numeric characters instead of letters. (E.g, h!, Th!s is al gr8)
• Incorrect opt out format. (E.g, Text No to stop these messages right away.) - This is NOT how a client would Opt out, they should reply 'STOP' to the message.
• pypl
• vzvz
• appl inc
• applinc
• amazon security
• credlt sc0re
• p@ypal
• package.online
• fuck
• Dope
• Vape
• Sheesha
• Sheesh
• Pot
• Grass
• Ganja
• Hash
• Herb
• Herb dispensary