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Why was my 10DLC campaign rejected for prohibited or disallowed content?

Quick answer

Carriers ban some content outright and restrict other content. SHAFT (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco), cannabis and CBD, gambling, third-party lead generation, debt collection and relief, credit repair, and high-risk lending are the usual triggers. Reviewers check your website too. If your business model is banned, editing the wording will not fix it.

This rejection is different from most. A missing privacy policy or an unclear opt-in can be fixed in an afternoon. A disallowed-content rejection is about what your business sells or how it uses customer data. Read this page before you pay another vetting fee.

This page summarizes carrier and provider policies as published at the time of writing (Updated September 2026). It is not legal advice. 10DLC Site is not affiliated with any carrier or provider.

What does this rejection mean?

It means a reviewer decided your campaign, your samples, or your business falls into a category carriers do not allow. Twilio's error 30897 lists high-risk financial services, third-party debt collection, debt reduction, credit repair, lead generation, gambling, sweepstakes, and federally illegal substances. Twilio says these campaigns are permanently ineligible and should not be resubmitted.

A related Twilio code, 30900, means the use case you chose is not eligible for your brand. That one can sometimes be fixed by picking a different use case or finishing extra verification.

What content is banned or restricted?

These categories come from the carriers' own codes of conduct, CTIA, and provider policies. "Banned" means no normal approval path. "Restricted" means a narrow path, usually with extra controls or a written carrier exception.

Category Status What the sources say
Sex (adult content) Banned or age-gated Telnyx lists adult content as forbidden. T-Mobile requires a date-of-birth age gate for sexual content.
Hate Banned T-Mobile bans profanity or hate speech. CTIA says to prevent content that incites harm or discrimination.
Alcohol Restricted Bandwidth says it may be supported with robust age-gating. Telnyx notes carrier policies vary.
Firearms Restricted or banned T-Mobile lists firearms among content that needs an age gate. Bandwidth lists firearms with no age-gate exception.
Tobacco and vaping Restricted Bandwidth allows it only with age-gating. Telnyx includes vaping and e-cigarettes.
Cannabis and CBD Banned T-Mobile lists cannabis as disallowed. Bandwidth lists CBD and cannabis with no age-gate exception.
Gambling Banned without a carrier exception T-Mobile lists gambling as disallowed. Telnyx notes limited exceptions only for approved short code programs.
Third-party lead generation Banned T-Mobile and AT&T ban lead generation that shares data with third parties. AT&T also bans affiliate lead and commission generation.
Debt collection, consolidation, relief, credit repair Banned without a carrier exception T-Mobile disallows all of these. AT&T bans credit repair and debt relief.
High-risk lending Banned or narrow T-Mobile disallows payday loans and non-direct lenders. AT&T allows loan ads only from direct lenders for secured loans.
Work from home, risky investments, MLM Banned T-Mobile and AT&T list work-from-home offers. T-Mobile adds risky investment opportunities. AWS lists pyramid and multi-level marketing.
Phishing, fraud, deceptive marketing Banned Every source bans these. CTIA points senders to FTC truth-in-advertising rules.

Two more rules sit under every category. T-Mobile says content must be legal in all 50 states, so a state-legal product can still be banned. And both T-Mobile and CTIA say consent cannot be bought, sold, rented, or shared.

Why does it happen?

  1. The business is in a banned category. No sample wording changes that.
  2. The website shows banned products. Bandwidth says reviewers look up your website even if you did not submit it. If prohibited content appears anywhere on it, the campaign is rejected. A spa that sells CBD oil on one page is a common example.
  3. The business lends money, but the form said it does not. Bandwidth says the direct lending question must be "Yes" if the brand lends, even when the texts are about something else.
  4. Age-gated content was not declared. Bandwidth says the age-gated content attribute must be set to "Yes" if any content is age-restricted.
  5. The opt-in shares data. A form that says partners or "marketing affiliates" may contact the person reads as third-party lead generation.
  6. Wording looks like a banned offer. Telnyx lists misleading financial offers and "guaranteed" returns as deceptive content, so samples like that can trip review even for a legal business.

How do I fix it?

  1. Decide which case you are in. If the core business is banned, 10DLC is not the right channel. Ask your provider about other options, and know that the same lists apply to toll-free and short code.
  2. Clean the website. Remove banned products, affiliate offers, and partner-sharing language from every page. See privacy policy.
  3. Answer the content attributes honestly. Mark lending and age-gated content correctly. A hidden answer that a reviewer finds later is worse.
  4. Add a real age gate if you sell alcohol or tobacco and your provider supports it. T-Mobile says a yes or no question is not acceptable. It expects date-of-birth verification at opt-in.
  5. Remove third-party sharing. Your opt-in form should name only your business. The consent should not cover partners.
  6. Rewrite samples to match a plain, allowed use case. See sample messages mismatch.

How do I resubmit?

It depends on the reason. For a true disallowed-content rejection, Twilio says not to resubmit the same campaign. Fix the business or site, then create a new compliant campaign, or contact support if you think the flag was wrong. For most other rejection reasons, Twilio advises editing the rejected campaign instead of deleting it. Other providers charge per review. Bandwidth says a rejected campaign is charged the $15 fee and must be resubmitted. See the full rejection triage.

Carriers can also act after approval. Bandwidth lists T-Mobile fines of $500 for violations that include SHAFT, $1,000 for illegal content, and $2,000 for phishing. Getting approved and then sending banned content is the costliest path.

What error code will I see?

Code What it points to
Twilio 30897 Disallowed content. Twilio says do not resubmit this campaign.
Twilio 30900 Use case not eligible for your brand
Twilio 30007 A message was filtered after approval
Other providers A reason such as "prohibited content," "SHAFT," or "disallowed use case"

Sources

We build websites for businesses whose use case is allowed. If your business is in a banned category, a new website will not change that. For everyone else, compare your site with the checklist or see pricing.

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Frequently asked questions

What does SHAFT mean in 10DLC?

SHAFT stands for sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, and tobacco. Bandwidth uses SHAFT-C, which adds cannabis and CBD. These categories are banned or restricted for business texting, and some can run only with a real age gate and carrier approval.

Can I text about alcohol or tobacco on 10DLC?

Sometimes. Bandwidth says alcohol and tobacco may be supported with robust age-gating and proper opt-in. T-Mobile's Code of Conduct requires an age gate that checks date of birth at opt-in and says a yes or no question is not enough.

Is CBD allowed if it is legal in my state?

No. T-Mobile lists cannabis as disallowed and says content must be legal across all 50 states. Bandwidth lists CBD and cannabis as prohibited, with no age-gate exception, and says they cannot appear on your website at all, even if your texts are about something else.

Is lead generation banned on 10DLC?

Lead generation that shares or sells collected data to third parties is. T-Mobile and AT&T both prohibit it, and AT&T also bans affiliate lead and commission generation. CTIA says senders should not use opt-in lists that were rented, sold, or shared.

Can I resubmit a campaign rejected for disallowed content?

Usually not as is. Twilio's error 30897 says a campaign rejected for disallowed content should not be resubmitted. If the business itself is in a banned category, no wording change will fix it. If the flag was a mistake, contact your provider.

Can a lender or debt company use 10DLC?

It is limited. AT&T allows loan ads only from direct lenders for secured loans and bans credit repair and debt relief. T-Mobile disallows payday loans, non-direct lenders, debt collection, and debt consolidation unless T-Mobile grants a written exception.

Why was I rejected when my texts never mention the banned product?

Reviewers look at your whole business, not just the samples. Bandwidth says reviewers search for your website and reject the campaign if prohibited content appears anywhere on it. Remove the product from the site or register a brand that does not sell it.

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