Opt-out keyword handling
UpdatedPeople can opt-out of SMS messages by sending an opt-out keyword to your Twilio sender number—like STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE. In Customer.io, we’ll respect your users’ preferences and show you which senders people have opted-out of, so you can see whether or not they’re eligible to receive your messages.
How it works
While Customer.io doesn’t receive SMS replies directly, we capture opt-in and opt-out information from Twilio so that we respect your audience’s preferences and show you which numbers people have opted out of.
We show a list of opt-outs in the SMS Opt-outs section of any person’s profile. This list updates in near real-time as people opt out or back into SMS messaging for a given phone number.
This list only shows explicit opt-outs for a given phone number. While it updates if someone opts out or into SMS messaging for a given phone number, it doesn’t show the numbers people have opted into.
sender in the past?} a-->|Yes|b{Has user sent an opt-out
keyword to this sender?} b-->|Yes|c(Number is on the
opt-outs list) a-..->|No: user won't get SMS
from this number|d(Number doesn't appear
on the opt-outs list) b-.->|No: user can still get
SMS from this number|d
This feature does not handle other opt-out or opt-in methods
This feature only reflects opt-out keywords sent to Twilio. It doesn’t handle other opt-out methods, like if you change someone’s opt-in status manually in the Twilio console. Learn more
Override an opt-out
You might want to remove someone from the list if they were mistakenly marked as opted out or if you change their opt-in status manually in Twilio.
Note that removing an opt-out entry only removes the opt-out from the person in Customer.io; it doesn’t change their opt-out status in Twilio. If a person is still opted out of messages in Twilio and you try to send that person a message, Twilio will block your message and their opt-out will re-appear in Customer.io.
To override an opt-out:
- Go to the People page.
- Select the person whose opt-out you want to override.
- Scroll to the SMS Opt-outs section and click Manage.
- Click Remove next to the number you want to override.
FAQ
What if someone opts out without using a keyword?
Imagine someone wants to opt out of SMS, but they tell you via phone call, email, or another channel. In this case, you’ll need to manually update their status in Twilio.
This will not automatically update their opt-out status in Customer.io until you attempt to send them a message. That’s when we’ll check Twilio for opt-out information.
A user opted-out but I don’t see them on the opt-outs list
In general, this probably means that the opt-out wasn’t triggered by a keyword.
But we also rely on Twilio to tell us about opt-outs. If someone sends an opt-out keyword but it isn’t reflected in Customer.io, it’s possible that there was an interruption in the service we use to capture opt-out information from Twilio.
