DLT Sender ID Registration — SMS Header Guide

What is a Sender ID?

A Sender ID (also called a Header or Sender Name) is the 6-character alphanumeric name that appears as the sender when a recipient receives your SMS. For example, when SpringEdge sends a message, the recipient sees "SPEDGE" as the sender instead of a phone number.

The sender ID is the first thing a recipient notices when an SMS arrives on their phone. It identifies your brand and helps build trust — recipients are more likely to read messages from a recognized sender name than from an unknown number.

Under TRAI regulations, every SMS sent through Indian telecom operators must use a DLT-registered sender ID. Messages sent with unregistered or invalid headers are blocked at the operator level and will not be delivered.

Naming Rules and Guidelines

TRAI and the DLT platforms enforce strict naming conventions for sender IDs to prevent misuse and protect consumers. Follow these rules when choosing your header name:

• Must be exactly 6 characters in length
• Only alphabetic characters (A-Z) are allowed for transactional headers
• Should clearly represent your brand name or a recognizable abbreviation
• Cannot contain generic commercial words like "OFFERS", "SALE", or "ALERT" as standalone names
• Cannot impersonate government bodies, banks, or other companies
• Cannot contain offensive, misleading, or deceptive terms
• The header prefix (such as "TM-", "TD-", "BZ-") is assigned by the DLT platform based on the message category — you only choose the 6-character name

Header Naming Examples

Managing Multiple Sender IDs

You can register multiple sender IDs under a single DLT entity. There is no strict limit on the number of headers you can register — though each one goes through the same approval process.

Having multiple sender IDs is useful for:

• Companies with multiple brands: Register a separate header for each brand name so customers can easily identify the sender (e.g., BRANDA and BRANDB).
• Different departments: Use distinct headers for different business functions such as HR communications (HRMSGS), finance alerts (FINALR), and IT notifications (ITNOTI).
• Separating transactional and promotional messaging: Even if promotional headers are auto-assigned, having dedicated transactional headers for different use cases helps organize your communication channels.

To add more headers, simply repeat the registration process from your DLT portal. To deactivate a header you no longer use, submit a deactivation request on the DLT portal. Deactivated headers cannot be used for sending messages.

Troubleshooting Sender ID Issues

If you are experiencing problems with your sender ID, here are the most common issues and their solutions:

• Header rejected by DLT platform: This usually indicates a naming rule violation. Review the naming guidelines above, check if the name is already registered by another entity, and try alternative abbreviations of your brand name.
• Header approved but messages failing: This typically means there is a mismatch between the header and the templates associated with it, or the header is not properly linked to your Entity ID. Verify both associations on the DLT portal.
• Header working on some operators but not others: DLT blockchain synchronization between operators can take 24 to 48 hours after approval. If the issue persists beyond 48 hours, raise a support ticket on your DLT portal.
• Duplicate header conflict: If your chosen header name is already registered by another entity, you will not be able to register it. Choose an alternative abbreviation of your brand name.

For detailed troubleshooting of sender ID and other DLT issues, visit our comprehensive DLT Troubleshooting Guide.