The Toll-Free Messaging Verification process allows Twilio customers to send more important business messages, and make sure your customers see them. Our users who adhere to their stated use case and all applicable rules (including Twilio's Messaging policy) should see greatly reduced message filtering on Toll-Free traffic towards all major networks in the US and Canada. To help aid customers in the Toll-Free registration process, we have created this comprehensive overview.
The following topics are covered in this guide:
- Who needs to verify?
- Is verification required for ISVs?
- Verification process
- Verification Status
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What happens if I don't complete Verification?
- What can I do if my Verification request is rejected?
- How can I check if my Toll-Free Number exceeds the new sending limits?
- What are the new Industry-wide thresholds for sending traffic over unverified Toll-Free numbers?
- Is an API available?
- How can I get higher-throughput Toll-Free Messaging?
Who needs to verify?
Toll-Free Verification is currently required in the US and Canada for best delivery. Users who don't verify risk being blocked (Canada), or increasing filtering and daily limits on sending traffic (US). For more information, see What happens if I don't complete Verification.
Notice: As of October 1, 2022, Twilio has applied a daily limit of 2,000 message segments per day for traffic sent over restricted (previously “Unverified”) Toll-Free phone numbers in the US. Beginning April 1, 2023, these limits will drop to 500 daily / 1,000 weekly / 2,000 monthly.
Submitting your completed verification form to the carrier places the Toll-Free number(s) in a Pending Verification status, which allows for higher volume limits (2,000 daily / 6,000 weekly / 10,000 monthly) and reduces the chances of filtering while waiting for final carrier approval.
Any traffic - restricted or pending - that exceeds the daily limit or is filtered for spam will see an Error 30032 response returned for both scenarios. To avoid this, we recommend submitting your number(s) for verification as soon as possible to get full approval.
Please note, these Toll-Free caps are maximum limits, (not a guaranteed daily minimum), so traffic could still experience message filtering even when well below the daily limits if not verified.
Is verification required for ISVs?
ISVs and aggregators are also required to verify Toll-Free numbers for best message delivery in the US and Canada. For full details, see Toll-Free Verification for ISVs.
Verification process
The Toll-Free message verification process consists of 3 parts:
- Users download and fully complete the verification template.
- Users submit their completed template via a Support request.
- Twilio reviews and processes your verification request.
Verification template
To get started, users must download and fully complete the verification template. Missing information will result in delays in processing your verification. This template asks for information about your business, use case(s), sample message content, and more. For a full explanation of the needed information, including examples and a link to the verification template, see Required Information for Toll-Free Verification.
Notice: Standard submissions are limited in the quantity of numbers that can be verified:
- US: Up to 5 numbers can be verified using this process. For businesses requesting 6 or more verifications, please include a detailed explanation of why you require additional verifications in the template under “Additional Supporting Documentation”.
- Canada: Toll-Free messaging campaigns are limited to 1 Toll-Free number per business, as outlined in the Canadian Code of Conduct guide.
Verification submission
Once your template is completed, please submit it via a Support Ticket request. Please include “Toll-Free Verification for (your business name or number)” in the ticket subject line.
Verification processing
Upon receipt of your submission, Twilio reviews and processes your verification request. Please allow approximately 2-3 weeks for this process.
At this point, Twilio will automatically move the numbers associated with your request into the Pending Verification status, which opens up sending with less filtering applied to your traffic while the verification is processed. Beginning April 1, 2023, Pending Verification numbers have the following limits:
- Daily limit: 2,000 message segments
- Weekly limit: 6,000 message segments
- Monthly limit: 10,000 message segments
Notice: These limits are the daily maximums, and are not guaranteed.
Be aware that if a duplicate request/submission for the same Toll-Free number is found, the older submission will be automatically canceled, and the new request will be worked. This could increase the resolution time for your verification, so we strongly recommend double-checking before providing any additional .csv forms.
Verification Status
Twilio’s Support team will communicate with you the status of your number verification(s) as they change during processing. Please see below for a full overview of each status.
Notice: Toll-Free number verification status is not currently available through the Console or API.
Restricted
Restricted (previously “Unverified”) status means that your Toll-Free number has not been submitted for verification or was not approved.
Restricted traffic that exceeds the daily limit or is filtered for spam will see a 30032 error code returned for both scenarios. To avoid this, we recommend submitting your number(s) for verification as soon as possible.
Pending Verification
Once we receive your verification submission, Twilio automatically moves your phone number(s) in a Pending Verification status, which allows for a higher daily volume and reduces the chances of filtering while waiting for final carrier approval.
Beginning April 1, 2023, Pending Verification numbers have the following limits:
- Daily limit: 2,000 message segments
- Weekly limit: 6,000 message segments
- Monthly limit: 10,000 message segments
Notice: These are upper daily limits, and are not guaranteed. If you start to see 30032 errors, but have not reached the posted limitations, you can assume that the messages are being filtered.
Verified
Upon a successful review of your verification submission and carrier approval, your number(s) will be moved to "Verified" status. Verified numbers have full access to A2P sending, and a greatly reduced risk for message filtering on Toll-Free traffic toward all major networks in the US and some in Canada, as long as you adhere to your stated use case and all applicable rules, such as Twilio's Messaging Policy.
Rejected
A rejected verification request can occur for a number of reasons and can affect your ability to send messaging traffic. For full details, see Why was my Toll-Free Verification Rejected.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What happens if I don't complete Verification?
On October 1, 2022, restricted (previously “unverified”) traffic was fully blocked in Canada, and increased filtering with lower daily limits were applied in the US. Beginning April 1, 2023, the thresholds for Toll-Free numbers in both Restricted and Pending states will have new limits applied (see below) and traffic to Canada will continue to be fully blocked until verified.
All restricted traffic filtered for these reasons will be blocked with error code 30032. Using additional Toll-Free numbers to exceed these limits or circumvent filtering isn’t allowed, and will result in the same block and error code. Verification is recommended for all customers regardless of volume.
What can I do if my Verification request is rejected?
If your Toll-Free verification request is rejected, you may be able to re-submit a corrected request. Rejections for content, or Acceptable Use Policy / Messaging Policy violations are ineligible, and can't be re-submitted. For full details, see Why Was My Toll-Free Verification Rejected.
How can I check if my Toll-Free Number exceeds the new sending limits?
To check your Toll-Free Number's message activity, please visit the Messaging Insights page in Twilio Console.
What are the Industry-wide thresholds for sending traffic over restricted (previously “unverified”) Toll-Free numbers?
As of October 1, 2022, Twilio applied the following industry-wide thresholds for messaging sent over Restricted Toll-Free numbers:
- Daily limit: 2,000 message segments
- Weekly limit: 12,000 message segments
- Monthly limit: 25,000 message segments
Beginning April 1, 2023, these thresholds are being lowered:
- Daily limit: 500 message segments
- Weekly limit: 1,000 message segments
- Monthly limit: 2,000 message segments
These thresholds are subject to change; we’ll let you know at least 30 days in advance before we make threshold changes.
Beginning April 1, 2023, Pending Verification numbers have the following limits:
- Daily limit: 2,000 message segments
- Weekly limit: 6,000 message segments
- Monthly limit: 10,000 message segments
These limits aren’t applicable when a Toll-Free number has completed verification.
Notice: These limits are the daily maximums, and are not guaranteed. If you start to see 30032 errors but have not reached the posted limitations, you can assume that the messages are being filtered, and should submit that Toll-Free number for verification as soon as possible.
Please complete the Verification process as soon as possible to avoid these daily limits. For more information, see What happens if I don't complete Verification.
Is an API available?
An API for Toll-Free Verification is currently in development for 2023. We will be updating this page with more information as soon as that's available.
How can I get higher-throughput Toll-Free Messaging?
If you need higher throughput than the standard 3 messages per second (MPS) on a Toll-Free number, Twilio offers High-Throughput Toll-Free messaging. Traffic verification is included as part of the High-Throughput setup process.
- For further information, see Toll-Free SMS and MMS messaging throughput (MPS).
- If you are interested in High-Throughput Toll-Free messaging, please talk to our Sales team.