Templates

You cannot send arbitrary text. Every message is an approved template with values filled into its variables, and the delivered text must match the approved wording exactly.

What a template is#

A template is the exact wording of a message, with the changing parts marked as variables. You register it on a DLT portal, it is approved, and you get a 19-digit Content Template ID.

Your OTP is {#var#}. Valid for {#var#} minutes. Do not share it with anyone.

At send time you supply the values, in order, and we produce the final text. Everything outside the variables must match the registered wording character for character, including punctuation and spacing.

Variable rules#

Registering one#

1. Write the message you actually want to send

   Including the sender's name if you use one. Changing it later means registering a new template.

2. Replace the changing parts with {#var#}

   Names, amounts, order numbers, OTPs, times. Anything that is the same in every send should stay as literal text.

3. Register it on your DLT portal, under the right category

   Promotional, service or transactional. See How SMS and DLT works for what each allows.

4. Wait for approval

   The portal reviews the wording. Turnaround varies by operator and is usually measured in hours.

5. Add the approved template to the panel

   Paste the 19-digit template ID, the exact approved body and the category. We check that what you entered matches what you registered.

Review in the panel#

After you add a template it goes into review here. Most are approved within 24 hours.

This second check is not a duplicate of the DLT portal's. The portal decides whether the wording is acceptable; our review confirms that the body you pasted matches the ID you gave, that the variable count is consistent, and that the category matches the header you attached it to. A mismatch caught here costs you nothing. The same mismatch caught at the operator costs a whole campaign.

If a template is rejected here, the reason says what to fix and you can correct and resubmit. A rejection is about the details of what you entered, not a judgement of your message.

Why a template stops working#

A previously fine template can start failing:

• The registered wording changed. Editing a template on the DLT portal issues new terms; the panel copy must be updated to match.
• A variable value is too long. Thirty characters is the limit, and a customer with a long name can cross it where earlier ones did not.
• A variable contains characters that change the message shape. Values are substituted literally, so an unusual character in a name can push the message into a different alphabet and a different length. See Message parts and encoding.
• The category no longer matches how you are using it. A service template used for marketing is a compliance problem, and operators do notice.

Practical advice#

• Register one template per real message, rather than one heavily variabled template you bend to every purpose. Portals reject the latter and operators scrutinise it.
• Keep the variable values short. Names and amounts are fine; addresses usually are not.
• Test each new template with a single send to your own number before using it on a list. One message is a cheap way to find a mismatch.