Short Codes, Keywords and the SMS Gateway – What You Need to Know

What are a short code and a keyword in relation to an SMS gateway? Here’s what you need to know for informed decision making!

A short code , depending on which country you are using it in, can be anything between 4 and 6 numeric characters long. They are used in the stead of long numbers (12 – 16 characters) to make it easier for the average cell phone owner to partake in mobile competitions and campaigns, and are as such two-way numbers enabling companies to send and receive messages through the SMS gateway.

Perhaps one of the most well-known benefits of the short code is the revenue share model set up with the respective mobile operators for premium SMS campaigns. This means that content providers (companies that provide the value added service) are able to get a part of the profits generated by the campaigns, as per agreement with the various network providers.

In South Africa, short codes are 5 digits in length and can be used across the various mobile networks and do not depend on SMS gateway compatibility. There are essentially two types of short code – dedicated short codes and shared short codes.

• Dedicated short codes
  • You are the only one using the short code
  • You can use virtually any keyword of your choice
  • You own all the data transmitted via your short code
  • Keyword use optional

• Shared Short Codes
  • Short code cost is slightly less
  • Limitation on use of keywords
  • Short code operation subject to the conduct of other companies on the same short code
  • Keyword use necessary

So, what’s a keyword and how does it affect you sending or receiving messages through the SMS gateway?

A keyword is a routing mechanism. When an MO message (a message sent from a mobile device) is sent to the short code, the message is systematically inspected – if the first word of the message matches a designated keyword, the associated routing rule for that keyword will be applied.

‘Chocolate’ is a keyword. ‘Soccer’ is also a keyword. In fact, any word can be a keyword, as long as it adheres to keyword regulations, which seek to protect the average consumer from any form of harmful content. Keywords, in most cases, are used to identify the appropriate campaign or company an MO message is intended for on a short code, especially with regard to the shared short code – where more than one company is using the same short code, there must be some way to tell them apart when MO (mobile originated) messages are sent through the SMS gateway.

In addition to the above, there exists one other type of short code. Vanity codes are short codes where the number sequence of a short code can be translated to a name on the average cell phone keypad. A very famous example of a vanity code is ‘Obama’ that translates to numerical 62262.

It is important to note that short codes are not for international use. Should you wish to send international SMS messages through the SMS gateway, you’ll have to register a short code in each country where you would like to send to. Take care to note that certain countries have their own requirements for short code messaging and will also have different requirements in terms of how you obtain your contacts and what types of content you are allowed to send to them.

Should you wish to know more about short codes, both local and international, just navigate to our short code page . Alternatively, to find out about message transmission through the SMS gateway and the associated costs, read follow the links from our SMS Gateway page .

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