How to register the sender name that appears on your business SMS, and get it approved the first time.
In India, every business SMS must come from a DLT-registered header. Without one, operators block the message before it reaches the customer.
This guide covers header types, naming rules, the category suffixes added in 2025, the registration steps and why headers get rejected. If your business is not registered on DLT yet, start with the DLT registration guide.
The header is the sender name a customer sees on your SMS. On a phone it usually appears with a short operator prefix in front and a category suffix at the end, for example AD-METRCH-S, where "AD" is added by the network and "-S" shows the message category.
Your header is registered once under your Principal Entity and then linked to each SMS template you send with it.
| Header type | Used for | Typical format |
|---|---|---|
| Service / transactional header | OTPs, alerts, order and payment updates | Letters, usually 6 characters, reflecting your brand |
| Promotional header | Offers and marketing messages | Assigned or registered as the portal specifies for promotions |
| Government header | Government entities | As approved for exempted government senders |
Format rules are set by each operator portal and can change. Most businesses use a 6-character name; check the format your chosen portal accepts when you register.
Since 6 May 2025, under TRAI's amended commercial communication rules, operators add a suffix to the header shown on the customer's phone based on the template category:
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -P | Promotional |
| -S | Service |
| -T | Transactional |
| -G | Government |
You don't add the suffix yourself; the operator adds it from your DLT template category. Choosing the right template category therefore also decides what customers see.
Suffix details as reported by multiple DLT and SMS providers; check your operator portal for the current rules.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Name doesn't match the entity or brand | Choose a name closer to your company or brand, or attach brand proof |
| Generic or misleading word | Use a brand-specific name instead of a generic word |
| Looks like another brand, bank or government body | Pick a distinct name |
| Wrong header category | Register under the category that matches the messages you will send |
| Missing supporting document | Upload the trademark or brand proof the portal asks for |
Templates have their own rejection reasons; see the DLT template rejection guide.
It is the short sender name that appears on your business SMS, registered on a DLT portal under your Principal Entity and linked to your SMS templates.
Most businesses register a 6-character header. Format rules are set by each operator portal and can change, so check the format your chosen portal accepts when you register.
Since 6 May 2025, operators add a suffix based on the template category: -P for promotional, -S for service, -T for transactional and -G for government. The operator adds it; you do not.
No. You register your entity and header on one operator's DLT portal, and the registration is shared across the DLT ecosystem.
Common reasons are a name that doesn't match your entity or brand, a generic or misleading word, a name resembling another brand or government body, the wrong category, or a missing supporting document.
Yes. MetaReach helps its SMS customers with entity, header and template registration on DLT at no extra charge.
Send us the header names you are considering and the messages you plan to send. We'll check them against the portal rules before you submit.
General information based on TRAI's commercial communication rules and operator DLT portal requirements as of October 2026. Portal rules change; check your operator's DLT portal for current requirements.
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