Stay Compliant with CTA Whitelisting: Key Changes for SMS Messaging

As of October 1st, 2024, the latest directive from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding Call-to-Action (CTA) Whitelisting is now in effect.

This new regulation focuses on ensuring that only pre-approved URLs and links are allowed in SMS content to enhance security and prevent misuse.

If you're a business or entity that uses SMS as part of your communication strategy, it is important to understand the key implications of this change.

Key Implications of CTA Whitelisting:
Non-whitelisted URLs/CTAs are Being Scrubbed

Any message containing URLs that have not been whitelisted will fail to deliver or will be scrubbed by the operator.

This means that businesses need to ensure that all their URLs, APKs, and OTT links are properly whitelisted before they can be used in SMS messages.

Only Whitelisted URLs/OTT Links/APKs are Allowed

Moving forward, only those URLs that have been whitelisted will be permitted in your messaging.

This ensures compliance with TRAI guidelines and smooth delivery of your messages.

Monitor Delivery Failures

Delivery failures due to non-whitelisted URLs will be mapped to error code 555 in TextGuru's systems.

You can track these errors by reviewing your delivery reports/MIS and take corrective action accordingly.

Steps to Ensure Compliance:

To maintain seamless messaging and ensure your messages are delivered without any issues, it is essential to whitelist the following components:

Whitelist Your URLs/APKs/OTT Links
Ensure that all URLs, APK files, OTT platform links, and callback numbers that will be used in the SMS content are whitelisted. Businesses can whitelist either the complete URL or just the dynamic domain name, depending on how they structure their message content.

Handling Static and Dynamic URLs
For URLs that contain both static and dynamic parts, register the static part of the URL. This allows the operator to whitelist the essential portion of the URL while still allowing dynamic parts to vary across messages.

Short Code Whitelisting
You can also whitelist short codes ranging from 3 to 6 digits. For example, short codes like "1829," "111," or "231" can now be registered and used in your messaging.

URL Shortening Services
If your business uses URL shortening in its messages, the URL shortening service must be registered, and the shortened URL must be whitelisted along with a header. For example:

https://gi9.in/VFURLS/ where VFURLS is the registered header

https://bit.ly/UNIMOB/ where UNIMOB is the registered header

Operator CTA Whitelisting Manuals:
Each operator has provided a User Manual to guide you through the process of whitelisting your URLs:

User Manual for CTA Whitelisting VI
User Manual for CTA Whitelisting Vcon
User Manual for CTA Whitelisting Airtel
User Manual for CTA Whitelisting JIO
User Manual for CTA Whitelisting TATA

These manuals provide detailed instructions to help businesses navigate the whitelisting process and ensure full compliance.

Examples of Whitelisting Short URLs:
Short Domain Sample Header / Sender Final URL in Handset
https://gi9.in/ ABCXYZ https://gi9.in/ABCXYZ/XXXXXX
http://gi9.in/ ABCXYZ http://gi9.in/ABCXYZ/XXXXXX
https://infn.in/ ABCXYZ https://infn.in/ABCXYZ/XXXXXX
http://infn.in/ ABCXYZ http://infn.in/ABCXYZ/XXXXXX
https://d.gi9.in/ ABCXYZ https://d.gi9.in/ABCXYZ/XXXXXX
Important Considerations:

SMS Length Increase
After the implementation of these rules, the length of your SMS may increase due to the mandatory inclusion of the protocol and header in the URLs. Please verify that your variables and message structure can accommodate this increase without issues.

TextGuru Short URL Whitelisting
If you're using TextGuru's URL shortening services, you don't need to whitelist the short URLs listed above. However, if you're using other services, follow the whitelisting procedure.

In Conclusion:
The whitelisting process is critical to ensure uninterrupted and compliant SMS communication.

By following the guidelines laid out by TRAI and your operators, you can avoid delivery failures and ensure that your messages reach their intended recipients.

For any questions or further assistance regarding CTA whitelisting, you can reach out to the team at [email protected] We appreciate your cooperation in implementing these changes smoothly.