Guides
SMS opt-outs: what STOP means and how to honor it
A plain-language guide to handling STOP replies so your texting stays welcome and compliant.
The Loxti Team · · 1 min read
When someone replies STOP to a text, they are telling you to stop. Honoring that quickly and completely protects your customers and your ability to keep texting at all.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules depend on your country, your industry and the kind of messages you send.
What counts as an opt-out
Carriers and messaging providers treat a handful of standard words as opt-outs, including STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT. People also reply in their own words ("please don't text me"), so it is worth checking replies for clear requests to stop.
What to do when it happens
- Stop sending to that number right away. Do not send "one last message" except the single confirmation your provider allows.
- Apply it everywhere. An opt-out should cover broadcasts, auto-replies and anything sent by another teammate.
- Keep a record. You may need to show when the person opted out.
- Make opting back in deliberate. A person who opts out should only receive messages again if they clearly ask to.
Make it hard to get wrong
The most common failures are manual: someone texts a customer from a personal phone, or a broadcast list was exported before the opt-out. The safest setup is one that enforces the opt-out for you.
Loxti handles STOP replies automatically, so the number is opted out for later sends from your workspace. See how it works on the security page, or start a free trial.