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Build a compliant STOP / HELP footer.

Carriers expect every campaign to honor STOP and HELP, and a missing opt-out line can get your whole program filtered. Toggle the pieces you need, drop in your program name and help contact, and copy a clean footer — with a live count of the characters it adds.

Footer length
104 chars
Encoding
GSM-7
Adds to a message
+105 GSM slots
Your footer

Reply STOP to opt out. HELP or [email protected] for help. Msg&data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies

Tip: keep the footer to one line and reuse it. You don’t need the full disclosure on every message — STOP/HELP on each send, the fuller language on the opt-in and periodically after.

General information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by country, carrier and campaign type — confirm the exact wording with your messaging provider.

What belongs in a good footer

Five pieces cover almost every A2P campaign. Not all go on every message.

ElementWhyWhere
Reply STOP to opt outRequired opt-out keywordEvery message
Reply HELP for helpRequired help keyword + contactOpt-in + periodically
Msg & data rates may applyCost disclosureOpt-in + periodically
Message frequencySets expectationsOpt-in
Consent not a condition…Ties consent to a form/purchase cleanlyOpt-in form

The opt-out has to actually work

A footer is a promise. Make sure your sending platform (and any list you export) genuinely suppresses anyone who replies STOP — honoring it late or not at all is the fastest way to lose a number and draw complaints.

Getting consent in the first place is the other half of the job — see the opt-in language templates and the 10DLC registration checklist.

STOP / HELP FAQ

Do I legally have to include STOP and HELP?
In the US, honoring STOP and HELP is a carrier requirement for A2P (application-to-person) messaging, and clear opt-out language supports TCPA compliance. Carriers can filter or shut down a campaign that doesn’t. HELP must return contact info; STOP must stop the messages. The exact wording isn’t fixed, but the two keywords must work.
Does the footer have to be on every single message?
STOP/HELP instructions should appear on your opt-in confirmation and periodically thereafter — a common practice is to include a short “Reply STOP to opt out” on each message and the fuller disclosure (frequency, “Msg & data rates may apply”) on the first message and at least monthly. Use the “Per-message footer” mode for the short version and “Opt-in / first message” for the full one.
Why does the footer length matter?
Every character in the footer eats into your 160-character (GSM-7) segment. A long footer can push an otherwise single-segment message into two, doubling the per-recipient cost. The tool shows how many slots the footer adds so you can budget the rest of your message around it.
Do the carriers automatically handle STOP?
On US A2P routes the carrier intercepts STOP, START and HELP keywords and manages the opt-out list for you — but you still have to tell recipients the keywords exist, and your own system should respect the opt-out too. Outside the US, behavior varies by aggregator, so confirm with your provider.
Is this legal advice?
No. This generates common, sensible language, but requirements change and vary by country, carrier and campaign type. Always confirm the current rules with your messaging provider and, for anything high-stakes, a lawyer.