10DLC brand registration for recruiters: what it is and how to complete it

What brand registration is and why carriers require it

10DLC brand registration for recruiters is the step where you identify the business that sends texts from a standard local phone number. Carriers use it to tell legitimate business senders apart from spam. If your texts are blocked, filtered or stuck as pending, an incomplete or rejected brand is a common reason.

Recruiting texts count as business messaging, even when one recruiter types them by hand. Industry guidelines say that when the sender is a business, or someone acting on its behalf, the messaging is treated as Non-Consumer. Those guidelines also expect business senders to get consent before texting people and to explain how to opt out.

Likely causes of a delayed or rejected brand

• The legal business name does not exactly match your tax records.
• The tax ID belongs to a parent company or a different entity.
• The website is missing, under construction or does not match the business name.
• The address or contact details are incomplete or inconsistent.
• The wrong brand type was chosen for the business.
• A staffing agency registered under a client's name instead of its own.

Information you will need

Gather this before you start. Your messaging provider's form will confirm which fields are required.

• Legal business name, written exactly as it appears on tax documents
• Business tax ID and the type of organization
• Registered business address
• A working public website that names the business
• A contact person with a business email and phone number
• A short description of what you text candidates about, such as interview reminders and application updates

Sole proprietor vs standard brand

Check which brand types your provider offers. In general, the choice depends on whether you are registering as an individual or as a business.

For 10DLC brand registration, a staffing agency should register its own legal entity. Register under the business that actually sends the texts and appears in them.

How to complete brand registration

1. 1 Confirm your legal entity Pull your tax documents. Copy the legal name and tax ID exactly. Do not use a trade name or abbreviation in the legal name field.
2. 2 Check your website Make sure the site is live and shows the same business name. Include a privacy policy and a way to contact you.
3. 3 Pick the brand type Choose standard if you have a business tax ID. Choose sole proprietor only if you are an individual and your provider offers it.
4. 4 Describe your messages honestly State that you text applicants and candidates about jobs, interviews and onboarding. Keep it specific.
5. 5 Prepare consent and opt-out wording Collect consent where candidates give you their number, and include opt-out instructions in your messages. Store approved wording in a shared library of recruiting message templates so every recruiter uses it.
6. 6 Submit and wait for review Submit through your messaging provider. Avoid sending large volumes until the brand and campaign are approved.

Hi [First name], this is [Recruiter name] from [Company legal or brand name] about your application for [Job title]. Reply STOP to opt out of texts.

How to confirm it worked

• Check the brand status with your messaging provider. Approved means you can move on to campaign registration if it is not already done.
• Send a test text to a phone you control and confirm it arrives.
• Watch delivery over the first few days of normal sending, especially before you text large candidate lists in bulk.

When to contact support

Contact ATS Mako support if your brand is approved but candidate texts sent from ATS Mako's native SMS still fail, or if you are unsure which business details to use for a multi-location setup. Have the business name you registered and an example of a failed message ready. If you are still evaluating texting for high-volume hiring, you can book a demo to see how SMS fits into the workflow.