Apply for a signature

Procedure

1. Log on to the Short Message Service console.

2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Messages in Chinese Mainland > Signature Management.

3. On the Signature Management tab, click Add Signature and complete the Basic Information and Other sections.

   • Associated Qualification Purpose:

     • For personal use: Select this option if the enterprise or individual information for the signature source matches your Alibaba Cloud account's real-name verification information.

     • For third-party use: Select this option if the enterprise or individual information for the signature source does not match your Alibaba Cloud account's real-name verification information.

       • Letter of authorization: If you select for third-party use for Associated Qualification Purpose, you must associate a letter of authorization. The system automatically filters and displays a list of valid letters of authorization that match the selected Qualification Information. You can select one from the list. If no letter of authorization is available, click Add Letter of Authorization to add one. For more information, see Instructions for filling out the letter of authorization.

         Note

         The system extracts approved but unnamed letters of authorization from previous qualifications for third-party use. You can select these historical letters when applying for a signature. These extracted letters of authorization are named in the format Authorizer Enterprise NameVVersion Number.

         For example, if the authorizer in a previously submitted letter of authorization was Cainiao Network Technology Co., Ltd., the default name is Cainiao Network Technology Co., Ltd.V1.

   • Associated Qualification Name: From the drop-down list, select the associated qualification. To prevent review failure, we recommend selecting an already-approved qualification. If no qualification is available, apply for a qualification first.

   • Signature source: Your signature must have a clear source to prove its ownership. The signature name must be related to the signature source you select. For example, if the signature source is Enterprise or public institution name, the signature name must be the full or abbreviated name of the enterprise or public institution. The available signature sources vary for users with individual and enterprise verifications. Select a signature source based on your business needs.

     Note

     • If your desired signature source is not available, note that signatures for personal use applied for by users with an individual verification will fail the carrier's real-name filing. You must apply for and associate a qualification for third-party use, or change your individual verification to an enterprise verification.

     • If your business is in the development or testing phase, we recommend using the Quick Learn & Test feature in the Short Message Service console or waiting until your service is officially launched to apply for a signature.

     • For government agencies, we recommend selecting Enterprise or public institution name as the signature source. You can evaluate your specific situation and choose the most suitable source.

     • If the signature source is Enterprise or public institution name, using an abbreviated name as the signature name must comply with the following rules:

       • Geographic requirement: The abbreviation must include a geographic location such as a province, city, or district (for example, "Beijing XX Tech"). Omitting the geographic prefix is not supported and may cause carrier real-name filing to fail or reduce message delivery rates.

       • Composition rule: The abbreviation must be a contiguous substring of the full enterprise name, created by extracting characters sequentially from left to right. Skipping characters, reordering, adding characters, or over-simplifying is not allowed.

       • Uniqueness recommendation: The abbreviation should uniquely identify the enterprise. We recommend using a name with more than four characters. If multiple entities share the same name, add distinguishing information to the signature name or use the full enterprise name.

     • A registered trademark name must be a trademark owned by the enterprise, verifiable on the China Trademark Office website, and meet the following requirements:

       • Name consistency: The signature name must be identical to the name on the trademark registration certificate, including both Chinese and English characters. Adding, removing, or using only part of the name is not allowed. Signatures for trademarks that are entirely in English are not supported.

       • Uniqueness: The trademark must be unique across the internet. If multiple entities have registered the same trademark name, it may cause carrier real-name filing to fail. We recommend adding distinguishing enterprise information to the signature name or using the enterprise or public institution name as the source instead.

       • Status requirement: Only trademarks with a "Trademark Registration Certificate" are supported. A "Trademark Application Acceptance Notice" or a proof of transfer that is not yet complete is not acceptable. You must wait for the trademark transfer to be completed before applying.

       • Graphical trademarks: Purely graphical trademarks are not supported. Only trademarks containing text are allowed.

       • Registration category: There are no specific requirements for the trademark's registration category, as long as the name matches the signature.

     • Signature source is Registered trademark name:

       • Screenshot of trademark details: If you select "Registered trademark name" as the signature source, you must upload a screenshot of the trademark details. See Steps to take a screenshot of trademark details and Requirements for the screenshot of trademark details.

     • Signature source is Launched app (no longer supported by carriers, click to view policy details):

   • Signature name: Enter the signature name. Do not enter brackets such as []. When a message is sent, the system automatically adds brackets [] and places the signature at the beginning of the message content. The signature name must be the sender's full name, abbreviation, or legally registered trademark that can genuinely and clearly identify the sender. Vague, generic, or unidentifiable signatures are not supported. For detailed rules, see Signature specifications.

     The signature name must also meet the following restrictions:

     • Length limit: The signature name must be 2 to 12 characters long. This limit cannot be changed. If your full enterprise name exceeds 12 characters, we recommend using a compliant abbreviation (which must include geographic information and not skip characters) or applying for a corresponding trademark to use as the signature source.

     • Special character limit: The signature name cannot contain parentheses (either full-width or half-width), spaces, [], "test", or other special symbols. If your enterprise name includes parentheses, we recommend removing them or using an abbreviation for the application.

     • English language limit: Signatures entirely in English are not supported. For trademark-based signatures containing both Chinese and English, the name must be identical to the one on the trademark registration certificate and not exceed 12 characters in total length.

     Important

     If the Associated Qualification Type you select is Qualification for third-party use (which involves third-party authorization), the signature name here must be within the scope of signatures authorized in the Power of Attorney that you uploaded.

   • Scenario description: Provide a detailed description to give reviewers context about your business scenario, which helps improve review efficiency.

     • You can describe a use case for a live service and provide relevant links, such as an app store download link.

     • You can provide a complete sample message that demonstrates your business scenario.

     • If the signature is for a government agency or public institution, provide a landline phone number for the organization.

     • For login scenarios, provide a screenshot of the website or system after a user logs in.

   • Additional materials: Uploading supplementary materials, such as screenshots of login pages or backend systems that include a URL, software copyrights, or supplementary agreements, can help reviewers better understand your business.

     Note

     If your signature or its associated qualification entity is related to the following industries, provide the relevant additional materials:

     • Gaming industry: In the Additional materials section, upload one of the following special qualifications: a Network Culture Operation License, a game version number approval from the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), or a game filing record.

     • Logistics industry: In the Additional materials section, upload an Express Delivery Business Operation Permit or ensure that the business scope on your associated business license includes logistics services, freight transportation, or similar activities. Only one is required.

4. Click Submit. The signature enters the review process. You can view the Review Status on the Change Review Records tab.

Signature review

Alibaba Cloud typically reviews signatures within 2 hours of submission. Reviews are conducted daily from 9:00 to 21:00, but are postponed during public holidays.

• The signature's review status depends on whether the associated qualification has been approved. If your signature is approved but the associated qualification is not, the signature will remain in the "reviewing" state.

• Applications involving government, procuratorate, or judicial clients require a landline number for verification. If your application has not been reviewed after several business days, please verify that the provided landline number is correct.

• You can activate the exclusive DingTalk group for Short Message Service to receive signature review notifications, configure alert pushes, and perform other quick operations.

• You can use a signature only after it is approved. Check the signature review details in the Short Message Service console or by calling the GetSmsSign API.

Next steps

• Complete the real-name filing with carriers. This process takes 5 to 7 business days on average, but can take 7 to 10 business days or longer for some carriers. Carriers do not guarantee this timeline.

• After your signature application is approved, you must also apply for a message template before you can send messages.

• If you have already applied for a message template, you can use batch messaging in the console or call the SendSms or SendBatchSms API to send messages.

• If you still have questions about the necessity of review and related operations, see Review Specifications.

Appendix

FAQ

If you have questions while filling out or modifying a signature application, see Signature FAQ.