What is a Messaging Short Code?
What is a Messaging Short Code?
Section titled “What is a Messaging Short Code?”A short code is a 5 or 6-digit phone number designed to send and receive SMS (and MMS) messages to and from mobile phones at high volume. Short codes are the preferred channel for high-volume application-to-person (A2P) messaging use cases, such as marketing campaigns, alerts, and two-factor authentication at scale.
Types of Short Codes
Section titled “Types of Short Codes”Short codes come in two varieties:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Vanity short code | A specific number you choose (e.g., a number that spells out a word or is easy to remember) |
| Random short code | A number assigned to you at random — you cannot review or select it in advance |
Short codes are country-specific. To send messages in both Canada and the US, you need two separate short codes — one registered per country.
Why Use a Short Code?
Section titled “Why Use a Short Code?”| Feature | Short Code | Long Code |
|---|---|---|
| Default throughput | 100 segments/second | 1 segment/second |
| Carrier filtering | None (when compliant with approved use case) | Subject to filtering |
| Voice calls | Not supported | Supported |
| Best for | High-volume A2P messaging | Conversational and transactional |
Does SIPSTACK Offer Short Code Phone Numbers?
Section titled “Does SIPSTACK Offer Short Code Phone Numbers?”No. SIPSTACK does not currently offer short code phone numbers. For high-volume messaging needs, SIPSTACK supports toll-free numbers (which offer reduced filtering and increased throughput) and A2P 10DLC-registered long code numbers.
Contact SIPSTACK Support to discuss messaging solutions for high-volume use cases.