SMS Compliance

Texting customers comes with rules set by US and Canadian carriers to protect consumers from spam. The good news: Mahana handles most of this automatically, so you can focus on running your business.

Why Compliance Matters

US and Canadian carriers require businesses to follow specific rules when sending text messages. These rules exist to protect consumers from unwanted messages and spam. Businesses that don’t follow them can have their messages blocked or their number suspended.

The most important rules involve how customers can opt out of texts, how they can get help, and how they gave consent to receive messages in the first place. Mahana is built to handle all of this for you behind the scenes.

Automatic Keyword Handling

When a customer texts certain words to your number, Mahana responds automatically and takes the appropriate action. You don’t need to do anything — it’s all handled for you.

Keyword(s)	What it does	Automatic response
STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT	Opts the customer out	“You have been unsubscribed. Reply START to resubscribe.”
START	Opts the customer back in	“You have been resubscribed. Reply STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for support.”
HELP, INFO	Sends your business contact info	“[Your business name]. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”

These keywords are case-insensitive and must be sent as a single word on their own. A message like “please stop texting me” will not trigger the opt-out — only the single word STOP will.

What Happens When Someone Opts Out

As soon as a customer texts STOP (or any of the other opt-out keywords), Mahana immediately unsubscribes them. Here’s what that means in practice:

No further texts will be sent to that customer.
Their conversation in your inbox will be marked as opted out, so you’ll always know their status at a glance.
Any messages they send while opted out are silently dropped — they won’t appear in your inbox and no response is sent.
If they text STARTat any time, they’re automatically resubscribed and the conversation resumes as normal.

You don’t need to manually manage any of this. It happens automatically the moment a keyword is received.

Your SMS Consent Page

Mahana automatically creates a branded consent page for your business. This page lets customers officially opt in to receiving texts from you — which is an important part of staying compliant and getting your toll-free number verified.

Your consent page is publicly accessible and displays your business name and branding. Customers who visit it can submit the form to opt in.

To find your consent page URL: Go to your Settings page and look for the “Your SMS consent page” link. Copy that URL and share it anywhere customers might find it — your website, social media profiles, email signature, or printed materials.

Your consent page URL is automatically included when Mahana submits toll-free verification on your behalf. See the Toll-Free Verification guide for more details on how verification works.

Best Practices

Mahana takes care of the technical compliance requirements, but a few habits on your end will keep your account in great standing:

Always mention the opt-out optionin relevant first interactions with a customer. A simple “Reply STOP to opt out” at the end of your first message goes a long way.
Only text customers who have reached out firstor have explicitly opted in through your consent page. Never send unsolicited outbound messages to people who haven’t contacted you.
Keep your consent page link accessible. Add it to your website footer, Google Business profile, or anywhere customers look you up online.
Respond promptly to customer messages. Customers who feel ignored are more likely to text STOP. Timely, helpful responses build trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to do anything for compliance?: For keyword handling, no — Mahana responds to STOP, START, HELP, and related keywords automatically. Just make sure the responses your knowledge base sends are professional, relevant, and helpful to customers.
What if a customer texts STOP by accident?: No problem. They can text START at any time to re-subscribe. Mahana will send them a confirmation and their conversation will resume as normal.
Do I need a privacy policy?: A privacy policy is not required for toll-free verification, but it’s recommended for any business that communicates with customers. It builds trust and demonstrates transparency about how you use their information.