You own every text message this agency sends.
As the A2P 10DLC specialist, your job is to get each client’s brand and campaign approved on the first submission, keep their messaging compliant after approval, and fix rejections fast. Carriers block unregistered 10DLC traffic in the US, so until your work is done, the client’s SMS doesn’t go out.
What you deliver
An approved brand, an approved campaign with the right use case, phone numbers attached, and a client whose website and forms can survive a carrier audit.
How you’re measured
First‑pass approval rate, days from intake to “live,” and money not wasted on resubmissions (each campaign review is a paid vetting fee).
Your golden rule
Never submit until the audit says ready. A slow, correct submission beats three fast rejections every time.
The workflow you’ll repeat for every client
- IntakeCollect the business facts exactly as they appear on official records.
- TriageDecide the brand type (Standard, Low‑Volume Standard or Sole Proprietor) and the campaign use case. This is where no‑EIN and no‑website clients get their path.
- WebsiteMake sure there is a live site with a compliant opt‑in form, privacy policy and terms. Build one in GHL if there isn’t.
- Campaign copyGenerate the description, sample messages, message flow and keyword replies.
- AuditRun the pre‑submission checklist. Fix everything red.
- Submit & monitorRegister the brand, submit the campaign, attach numbers, test and watch status.
- RejectionsRead the reason, fix the root cause, resubmit once.
On the phone with a client? Open the call script. It tells you what to say at each step, and every answer fills the intake for you.
Two registration tracks
1. A2P Local (10DLC)
Local area‑code numbers. Register a brand, then a campaign, then attach numbers. Every GHL client starts here.
2. A2P Toll‑Free
800‑style numbers. One verification per number, no brand or campaign. Run it after the local track when the client also wants a toll‑free number.
Your first day: read this page, skim the use case and pricing references, then run a fake client through Intake → Audit. Your progress and the current client’s details save in this browser, so you can stop and resume anytime.
On the call
A guided script for the client call. Read the Say lines, ask the questions and tap the answers. Everything you capture fills the intake and case plan as you go, and the script changes with each answer.
If they push back
Short, honest answers to the objections you’ll hear most.
Client intake
Get these facts from the client before touching GHL. Legal name and address must match official records character‑for‑character; most brand failures start here.
Ask for documents, not memory. For an EIN, request the IRS CP575 confirmation letter or a 147C verification letter. Copy the legal name and address from it, including “LLC,” “Inc.,” punctuation and suite numbers.
Triage & case plan
Built live from the intake. It picks the brand type and use case and lists exactly what to do before you submit.
The no‑EIN decision, explained
Path A: get a free EIN first
Any US sole proprietor or single‑member LLC can apply for an EIN for free on IRS.gov and usually receives it immediately. Then register as a Low‑Volume Standard or Standard brand.
Why it’s usually better: multiple campaigns, multiple numbers, higher throughput and fewer daily caps.
Watch out: brand verification checks IRS records, and a brand‑new EIN can fail until it propagates. If verification fails on a fresh EIN, wait a couple of weeks and retry rather than changing details. Never use a fake or someone else’s EIN.
Path B: Sole Proprietor brand
For a real individual business with no tax ID, in the US or Canada. Registered with the owner’s legal name, address, email and a personal mobile number.
Limits: one campaign, one phone number, low throughput with a small daily cap at T‑Mobile, and a fixed “Sole Proprietor” use case.
The step people miss: the owner’s mobile gets a verification text and must reply YES within the window (typically 24 hours) or the brand fails. Warn the client before you submit.
Not allowed if the business has an EIN. If they have one, they must use it.
Website & opt‑in
Reviewers visit the site to confirm the business is real and that consent is collected properly. No website, a “coming soon” page, or a social profile alone is a common rejection.
If the client has no website: build the minimum compliant site in GHL
- Get a domainBuy a cheap domain that matches the business name and connect it in GHL Sites. A branded domain verifies far better than a generic preview link.
- Home pageBusiness name (matching the brand), what they do, service area, and visible phone, email and address. No lorem ipsum, no “under construction.”
- Contact page with the opt‑in formName, email, phone, message, plus the SMS consent checkbox(es) below. The checkboxes must be unchecked by default and not required to submit.
- Privacy Policy pageInclude the SMS non‑sharing clause, word for word.
- Terms & Conditions pageInclude the SMS program terms.
- Link both policiesIn the footer of every page and directly under the form. Confirm everything loads over https in a private browser window.
Social‑only businesses get the same five‑page site. A Facebook or Instagram profile can’t host a compliant form or policies.
Verbal, paper or keyword opt‑in? Still host the privacy policy and terms on a live site. In the campaign, describe the exact script or form, and give a public link to a screenshot or photo of the paper form or keyword flyer so the reviewer can verify it.
Generated compliance copy
Filled in from the intake. Paste these into the GHL site and form.
Website studio
Every registration, local or toll‑free, depends on the client’s website. Review the site they already have, or build a new one that’s carrier‑ready from day one.
Review an existing siteRecommended
Paste their consent text, privacy policy and terms. Get an instant check, a deep review from Claude, and corrected text to paste back.
Build a new siteRecommended
An interactive website with a compliant opt‑in form, Privacy Policy and Terms. Edit it live, preview it on any device, then paste it into GHL.
What carriers check on every site
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Live over https, with a business name that matches the brand | The reviewer confirms the business is real |
| Phone, email or address visible | Shows a real, reachable business |
| Opt‑in form with unchecked, optional SMS checkboxes | Proves consent is the customer’s own choice |
| Full disclosure next to each checkbox | Brand, message types, frequency, rates, HELP and STOP |
| Privacy Policy with the SMS non‑sharing statement | Reviewers look for the exact wording |
| Terms with the SMS program terms | Frequency, rates, STOP, HELP and carrier liability |
| Policy links in the footer and under the form | The reviewer must find them in one click |
Review an existing site
Paste what’s on the client’s current site. The instant check runs as you type and flags what carriers reject. Claude’s deep review reads everything in context and writes corrected versions you can paste back into the site.
1. Business & goals
2. Opt‑in form
3. Privacy Policy
4. Terms & Conditions
5. The site itself
Deep review with Claude
Reads all of the above together, explains each problem and writes corrected text.
Corrected copy from the instant check
Their own text with the required pieces added and risky sentences removed. Every change is listed so you can explain it to the client.
Client site builder
Build the client’s website here. Edit on the left and the site updates on the right. Every site ships with a working opt‑in form, a full Privacy Policy and Terms that carriers look for, and live features customers can tap.
Campaign builder
Everything the GHL campaign form asks for, generated from the intake and the use case the triage picked. Edit to fit the client, but keep the structure.
Keep SMS in plain characters. Curly quotes, emojis and some symbols switch the message to Unicode, which cuts a segment from 160 to 70 characters and doubles cost. The generated messages use straight characters on purpose.
Pre‑submission audit
Check each item against the live site and the campaign draft. Submit only when every item passes.
Submit & monitor in GoHighLevel
Work inside the client’s sub‑account. Menu labels move occasionally; the A2P wizard lives in the sub‑account’s phone settings (Trust Center / A2P registration).
- Confirm LC Phone and a numberThe sub‑account needs LC Phone with a local 10DLC number purchased. For Sole Proprietor, only one number can be attached.
- Register the brandChoose the brand type from your case plan and enter legal name, EIN, address and contact exactly as intake recorded. For Sole Proprietor, tell the owner to watch their phone and reply YES to the verification text.
- Wait for brand approvalOften minutes to a few days. If it fails, fix the data mismatch before anything else. Don’t submit the campaign on a failed brand.
- Submit the campaignPaste from the campaign builder. Make the checkboxes for embedded links and phone numbers match your samples.
- Wait for campaign reviewTypically several business days, sometimes longer at peak times. Don’t edit the site while it’s under review.
- Attach numbers and testOnce approved, confirm numbers are attached. Text the number from a test phone: send STOP, then HELP, then START and check each reply.
- Hand off with hygiene rulesBrief the client on the rules below and log the approval date, use case and campaign ID.
After approval: rules the client must follow
Sending promotions on a Customer Care campaign gets traffic filtered or the campaign suspended. New message types need a new or updated campaign.
No purchased, rented or scraped lists. Old contacts with no recorded consent need a fresh opt‑in by other means.
GHL handles STOP keywords and DND; never remove DND manually to re‑message someone who opted out.
Send roughly 8 a.m.–9 p.m. recipient local time, and stricter where state law requires. Use GHL’s quiet‑hours settings in workflows.
Identify the brand in messages, avoid public link shorteners, avoid ALL CAPS and spammy phrasing, ramp volume gradually and watch opt‑out and error rates.
Carriers can re‑audit. If the domain lapses or the policies disappear, the campaign is at risk.
A2P Toll‑Free: when and why
Toll‑free numbers (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888) must be verified before they can text US and Canadian phones. There’s no brand or campaign: each toll‑free number gets its own verification. It uses the same intake, website and consent rules as the local track.
| A2P Local (10DLC) | A2P Toll‑Free | |
|---|---|---|
| What you register | A brand, then a campaign, then attach numbers | One verification per toll‑free number |
| No EIN? | Allowed as Sole Proprietor | Asks for a business registration number |
| Fees | Brand fee, campaign vetting per submission, monthly campaign fee | Typically no verification fee; number and message fees apply |
| Review time | Brand: minutes to days. Campaign: several business days | A few business days to a few weeks |
| Throughput | Depends on brand type and use case; low‑volume caps | Generally higher by default |
| Best for | Local businesses and one‑to‑one conversations | Nationwide audiences, bulk notifications, higher volume |
Order of operations
- Finish the local track firstGet the local number approved so the website, policies and consent flow are already proven.
- Confirm toll‑free adds valueNationwide customers, larger sends, or one number for every region.
- Reuse what you builtSame intake, same site and policies, same opt‑in form. Only the submission form is different.
- Verify every toll‑free numberEach number needs its own verification. Nothing sends from it until it shows Verified.
Toll‑free isn’t a workaround for a missing EIN. Verification asks for a business registration number. A no‑EIN business stays on local 10DLC as a Sole Proprietor, or gets a free EIN first.
Unverified toll‑free traffic is blocked. Tell the client not to schedule sends from the number while it’s pending.
Toll‑free verification builder
Every field the verification form asks for, filled in from the intake. GHL’s labels may be worded a little differently; match by meaning.
The opt‑in image decides most toll‑free reviews. Screenshot the live form showing the unchecked checkbox, its full disclosure and the policy links. Host it at a public URL, such as a public file link from the GHL media library, and open it in a private window to confirm it loads without a login. Private Google Drive or Dropbox links get rejected.
Toll‑free audit
Check each item against the live site and your draft. Submit only when every item passes.
Submit toll‑free verification in GoHighLevel
Work inside the client’s sub‑account. Toll‑free verification lives with the number in the sub‑account’s phone settings (Trust Center / phone numbers).
- Buy the toll‑free numberPurchase it in the client’s sub‑account on LC Phone, not in the agency account.
- Open its verification formStart toll‑free verification for that specific number.
- Paste from the builderBusiness details, registration number, use case categories, summary, production messages, opt‑in type and the public opt‑in image URL.
- Submit and leave it aloneStatus moves from pending to Verified or Rejected. Don’t edit the website or form while it’s in review, and don’t send from the number.
- If rejected, fix and resubmitRead the reason, fix the root cause (the Rejection fixer has toll‑free entries), and resubmit the same number.
- Test once verifiedFrom a test phone, send STOP, HELP and START to the toll‑free number and check each reply.
- Repeat per numberEvery additional toll‑free number needs its own verification. Log each number, its status and its verification date.
After verification, the same rules as local apply: stay within the declared use case, text only opted‑in contacts, honor STOP immediately and respect quiet hours.
Rejection fixer
Find the reason from the rejection notice, fix the root cause, then resubmit once. Every resubmission costs another vetting fee, so fix everything you can see, not just the item named.
Use case guide
Pick the use case that matches every message the client will send. If they send more than one type, use a mixed use case.
| Use case | Pick it when | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low Volume Mixed Most common | Small business sending a mix (reminders, replies, some promos) at low volume. | The default for most GHL clients with an EIN. Lower monthly fee; volume and throughput caps apply. |
| Mixed | Multiple message types at higher volume. | Standard brand. Samples must show every type you list. |
| Marketing | Only promotional content. | Opt‑in must explicitly mention marketing messages. |
| Customer Care | Only support and conversation replies. | No promotions at all. |
| Account Notification | Only account, appointment or status updates. | No promotions at all. |
| 2FA | One‑time passcodes and login verification. | Samples must show codes; nothing else. |
| Delivery Notification | Shipping and delivery status. | Transactional only. |
| Security Alert | Notices about possible account compromise. | Transactional only. |
| Polling & Voting | Surveys and non‑political polls. | Not for political campaigns. |
| Public Service Announcement | Informational public messages. | No sales content. |
| Sole Proprietor | Fixed use case for Sole Proprietor brands. | Only option for a no‑EIN brand. One campaign, one number. |
| Special use cases Extra vetting | Charity, political, emergency, K‑12, sweepstakes, agents/franchises, and similar. | Additional verification and longer review. Escalate before promising timelines. |
Industries to stop and escalate
| Industry | Status | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabis, CBD, kratom, tobacco, vape | Prohibited | Don’t submit. Explain SMS isn’t available for this content. |
| High‑risk financial: payday or short‑term loans, debt relief, credit repair, third‑party debt collection | Prohibited | Don’t submit. |
| Gambling, adult content, firearms | Prohibited | Don’t submit. |
| Lead generation that shares or sells consent | Prohibited | Consent must be for one named business only. |
| Alcohol | Restricted | Needs age gating on the site and in messaging; high rejection risk. Escalate. |
| Healthcare | Careful | Allowed; keep protected health information out of texts. |
Pricing & timelines
Carrier fees pass through LC Phone and change periodically. Use these as orientation, and quote clients from the current GHL pricing article.
| Item | Typical fee | When it’s charged |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Proprietor or Low‑Volume Standard brand | About $4 | One‑time per brand registration |
| Standard brand (with secondary vetting) | About $44 | One‑time per brand registration |
| Campaign vetting | About $15 | Every campaign submission, including each resubmission |
| Campaign monthly fee | About $1.50–$10/month | Monthly, varies by use case (Low Volume Mixed is lowest) |
| Message and carrier fees | Per segment | Ongoing usage |
| Toll‑free verification | Typically no verification fee | Check the toll‑free guide; carrier fees can change |
| Toll‑free number | Monthly number fee | Per number, plus per‑segment messaging |
Timelines to set with clients
| Stage | Typical | What slows it down |
|---|---|---|
| Building a missing website | 1–2 days | Domain connection, client sign‑off |
| Brand approval | Minutes to a few days | Name/EIN mismatch, new EIN not propagated, Sole Proprietor YES not sent |
| Campaign review | Several business days, can be longer | Queue volume, special use cases, rejections |
| Toll‑free verification | A few business days to a few weeks | Opt‑in image not public, vague summary, business info mismatch |
Set expectations up front: “Plan on one to three weeks from intake to live texting. A rejection adds another review cycle.”
Source library
The official GHL / LeadConnector articles this playbook follows. When a rule here and an article disagree, the article wins. Check them when carriers change requirements.