SMS signature guidelines-Short Message Service(SMS)-阿里云帮助中心

A signature identifies the sender of an SMS message. When you apply for a signature, you must comply with the signature guidelines.

Important

To comply with the latest real-name management requirements from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), carriers have tightened their control over SMS signatures.

Signatures from unapproved sources have a high risk of delivery failure. To ensure reliable delivery, deactivate these signatures and apply for new ones.

Currently, signature reviews by Alibaba Cloud are expected to be completed within 2 hours during business hours. The real-name registration process with carriers takes an average of 5-7 business days. Based on recent observations, the process for some carriers requires 7-10 business days. However, carriers do not guarantee this time frame, and the process may actually take longer.

What is an SMS signature?

A signature is an attribute that identifies the message sender, and a complete text message is composed of a signature and message content. The signature is placed within [ ] before the message content and is used to identify a company, product, or service.

As shown in the example on the right, if the signature is Alibaba Cloud, the system automatically encloses it in brackets [] and places it at the beginning of the message content before sending.

Usage notes

Before you apply for a signature, complete the qualification application according to the qualification material instructions.
If a signature involves a third party, set the signature purpose to for other's use and provide a power of attorney. To avoid having to resubmit the power of attorney for subsequent applications, we recommend authorizing all potential signatures in a single document.
You can use a signature only after the application is submitted and approved.
To significantly increase the approval rate of your signature application, follow these two practices:
1. Ensure the signature you are applying for meets all content, length, and format requirements.
2. Choose an appropriate signature source and submit detailed supporting information or materials, including but not limited to ID information, website links, and screenshots of business functions.

Signature guidelines

Category	Guideline
Signature content	As an identifier for the sender, a signature must clearly identify the sending company, product, or service. Vague or neutral signatures are not supported. You must set the signature to your enterprise or public institution name or a registered trademark name. Incorrect examples: "Customer Service Notice", "Hello Customer", "Service Notification", "Friendly Reminder", "Service Alert". Personal names are not allowed. Signatures containing words like "test" or "testing" are not supported. When you apply for a signature, enter the signature name directly. Do not add symbols such as 【】, (), or []. When an SMS message is sent, the system automatically adds brackets to the signature. For example, if the signature is `Alibaba Cloud`, the system automatically adds `【】` to change it to `【Alibaba Cloud】`.
Signature length	Must be 2 to 12 characters long. This limit cannot be extended. Each Chinese character, English letter, or digit counts as one character.
Signature format	For messages sent to the Chinese mainland, signatures must contain Chinese characters. Signatures consisting of only English letters, only digits, or a combination of only English letters and digits are not supported. Special characters (including spaces) are supported, such as `_※→`. Traditional Chinese characters are not supported. Signatures consisting only of initials are not supported. Signature names are case-sensitive. For example, "Aliyun Communications" and "aliyun communications" are treated as two different signatures.
Restricted business for signature applications	Signatures for content that is illegal, non-compliant, or infringes on the rights of others are prohibited. Sending messages related to the following content is prohibited: pornography, gambling, drugs, party and government affairs, betting, match-fixing, lotteries, violence, threats, smuggling, chess-and-card gambling, adult products, selling personal information, contraband, door-to-door debt collection, score guessing, crowdfunding, charitable donations, religion, superstition (such as fortune-telling, divination, and feng shui), stocks, private equity, crude oil futures, virtual currencies, seal engraving, counterfeit goods, tobacco and alcohol, invoice issuance, agent registration, document processing, annual inspection services, bookkeeping services, invitations to join groups or add contacts on QQ or WeChat, customer service contact requests, delivery confirmations, carrier-related business (such as value-added services, carrier stores, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, China Broadnet, "King Card", bulk messaging, and 4G/5G), ghostwriting for papers or journals, click farming, task-based rewards, empty package logistics, digital collectibles, equipment rentals, legal rights protection, mediation, trademark registration, studying abroad, immigration, loans, payment reminders, credit limit increases, investment and wealth management, prize notifications, lucky draws, one-dollar purchases, flash sales, one-dollar cloud purchases, second-class e-commerce, Taobao commands, zero-dollar purchases, cosmetic surgery, medical aesthetics, fur products, cash rebates, funeral services, requests for positive reviews, point redemptions, professional training, surveys, home renovation (including building materials and furniture), POS machines, in-home massage, part-time jobs, app download or promotion links, game promotions, dating promotions, financial promotions (for banks, insurance, lending, and installments), exhibition promotions, recruitment promotions, enrollment promotions, data ranking, lead generation, SEO keyword search, agent promotions (for intellectual property, patents, and software copyrights), real estate promotions, registration invitations, bidding promotions, franchise promotions, user acquisition, and user reactivation.

Note

Signature guidelines may change based on the latest requirements from the MIIT and carriers. The final approval is determined by the actual review.

After reviewing the signature guidelines, refer to the following examples of signatures with high and low approval rates to better understand the rules.

Review result		Signature example	Reason
High approval rate	Approved	`Alibaba Cloud`	A registered trademark name that is searchable and registered on the China Trademark Office website. The trademark registrant is the same as the entity associated with the signature's qualification.
High approval rate	Approved	`Hangzhou Alibaba Cloud Network Technology`, `Zhang San Photography Studio`	The full or abbreviated name of an enterprise. An abbreviated name must not omit the location or skip characters, and must match the name on the business license.
Low approval rate	Rejected	`Good Deals`, `Latest News`	Vague or neutral signature that fails to identify the sender or its business.
	Rejected	`Taobao`	Traditional Chinese characters are not supported for messages sent to the Chinese mainland.
	Rejected	`2025`, `T_Mall`, `VIP0123456789`	Signatures cannot be numbers-only or contain unsupported special characters, and must be 2 to 12 characters long.
	Rejected	`Zhang San`, `For Testing`	Personal names and signatures containing the word "test" are not allowed.

Signature purpose

When applying for a signature in the console, you must select the signature purpose as "for own use" or "for other's use", and associate it with your qualification information.

For own use: Select this if the qualification information matches the logged-in Alibaba Cloud account holder.
For other's use: Select this if the qualification is for a third party (an enterprise or public institution) whose information does not match the account holder. You must upload a power of attorney from the third party.

Account type	Signature purpose	Available signature sources
Individual user	For own use	Cannot pass the real-name verification filing for signatures. Please apply for a qualification for other's use or upgrade your Alibaba Cloud account to an enterprise account.
Individual user	For other's use	Enterprise or public institution name (highly recommended), registered trademark name
Enterprise user	For own use
Enterprise user	For other's use

Signature sources and application requirements

The signature name you are applying for must be relevant to your selected signature source, and you must submit supporting information or materials. The required information varies depending on the signature source you choose.

For example, if you apply with your enterprise or public institution name as the source, you can use your company name as the signature name.

Important

Signatures sourced from "Official Account or Mini Program", "e-commerce platform store name", "ICP-filed website", "published app", "for testing or learning", or "for online trial" have a high risk of delivery failure. We recommend using one of the compliant sources listed below.

Signature source	Description
Alibaba Cloud recommendation: Prioritize using an "enterprise or public institution name" (full name or abbreviation) as the signature source. This significantly increases the success rate of signature filing.
Enterprise or public institution name	A signature sourced from an "enterprise or public institution name" must be the full name or a compliant abbreviation of the enterprise name. Full name: The full name must exactly match the name on the enterprise or organization's license/certificate. Abbreviation: The abbreviation must be a continuous substring of the full name on the business license. It must include the brand name and uniquely identify the entity. A compliant abbreviation must meet all four of the following rules: Mandatory location information: The abbreviation must include a location name such as a province, city, or district. You cannot omit location information. Compliant example: Beijing Qiyin Technology (includes the location "Beijing") Non-compliant example: Qiyin Technology (missing location information) Character continuity: The abbreviation must be a continuous substring of the full name on the business license. Do not skip characters, change the order, or add extra characters. Compliant example: Hangzhou Alibaba Cloud Network Technology (a continuous substring of the full name "Hangzhou Alibaba Cloud Network Technology Co., Ltd.") Non-compliant examples: Hangli Network (skips characters); Qishangrui Shenzhen (incorrect order); Hangzhou Ali Net (skips characters) Uniqueness and length requirements: The abbreviation should be at least 4 characters long and not be overly simplified, which could cause it to correspond to multiple enterprises or lack a unique identifier. Compliant example: Hangzhou Alibaba Cloud Network Technology (clearly identifies the enterprise) Non-compliant examples: Wancheng, Jieou (too simple, does not uniquely identify the enterprise); Ali (multiple "Ali" companies exist in different regions, lacks uniqueness) Handling parentheses: If the full enterprise name contains parentheses, we recommend removing them and keeping the text continuous when you apply for the signature.
Registered trademark name	The trademark must be searchable and registered on the China Trademark Office website. The trademark owner must be the same as the entity associated with the signature's qualification. Globally unique trademarks: If a trademark name is unambiguous, the signature must exactly match the trademark name, including case and language (Chinese/English). You cannot use a part of the name, add suffixes (like "Organizer" or "Member"), or change the format. Non-unique trademarks: If the same trademark is registered by multiple companies, the signature must include an abbreviated company name for differentiation. Note For example, if Company A and Company B both registered the trademark "XXX", when Company A applies for a trademark-based signature, the carrier may approve "XXX", "AXXX", or "Company A XXX". The final approved content depends on the carrier's review. You cannot apply for a signature directly with a trademark name in the following cases: Non-compliant format: For messages sent to the Chinese mainland, trademark-based signatures cannot be all-English, all-numeric, or a combination of only English and numbers. They must include Chinese characters. Exceeds length limit: The signature length is limited to 12 characters. If a trademark name exceeds 12 characters, it cannot be used directly. We recommend using the full or abbreviated enterprise name as the signature source instead. You must upload a screenshot of the trademark details.
Published app (Not supported)	Carriers no longer support signatures sourced from a published app, even with software copyrights. Existing signatures from this source have a high risk of delivery failure. We recommend deactivating them and reapplying with your enterprise or public institution name or registered trademark name.
Other high-risk sources	The following sources have a high risk of delivery failure: Official Account or Mini Program, e-commerce platform store name, ICP-filed website, for testing or learning, and for online trial. If your current signature uses one of these sources, we recommend deactivating it and applying for a new signature sourced from your enterprise or public institution name (full name or compliant abbreviation) or a registered trademark name to ensure normal message delivery.

If a "registered trademark name" is considered a "neutral signature" by carriers—meaning it does not reflect the enterprise's characteristics or uniqueness and cannot establish a clear connection to the real-name verified entity—it is non-compliant and the application will be rejected. We recommend using the full or abbreviated name of the real-name verified enterprise as the signature.

Non-compliant examples: "Meeting Assistant", "Service Reminder", etc.

Additional requirements for special industries

If your signature or its associated qualification is in one of the following industries, read these instructions carefully:

Industry	Description
Government and public institutions	Provide a power of attorney and the Organization Code Certificate or Unified Social Credit Code Certificate of the government agency or public institution. In the use case description, provide the fixed-line phone number of the government agency or public institution. Applications involving these entities require verification via a fixed-line phone. Provide the correct number to avoid review failure.
Gaming industry	In the Additional Materials section, please upload one of the following special qualification documents: an Online Culture Business Permit, a Game Publication Number, or a Game Filing record.
Logistics industry	To send logistics-related messages, such as pickup codes, you must meet the following requirements: Business scope on the business license: Must include one of the following categories: domestic express delivery, international express delivery, delivery services, road freight transport, or freight transport agency. More information: You must upload an "Express Delivery Business Permit".
Financial industry	Signatures with the purpose "for other's use" are not supported.

Signature types and limits

Except for the complimentary signature provided by the system, all subsequent signatures you apply for are official signatures (universal signatures). The number of official signatures you can apply for varies based on your Alibaba Cloud account verification type.

Type

Usage limits

Application limit

Official signature

(universal signature)

Official signatures have no usage restrictions, but there are rate limits on sending frequency. For details, see SMS sending frequency limits.

Individual users: You can apply for one signature per day for each Alibaba Cloud account, either through the Short Message Service console or by calling the CreateSmsSign API.
Enterprise users: There is currently no limit on the number of applications.

Complimentary signature

No application is required. After your qualification is approved, the system automatically provides a signature corresponding to the enterprise name or abbreviation in your qualification.

Signature application

Go to the Add Signature page in the console to apply for a signature. For instructions, see Apply for an SMS signature.

Review time: After you submit a signature application, the review is typically completed within two hours. The review may take longer during system upgrades or outside of business hours. Please wait for the result.

Review business hours: 9:00 to 21:00, Monday to Sunday (service may be delayed during public holidays).

Reasons for abnormal signature status

Note

To see specific recommendations for an abnormal status, hover over the signature status for detailed information:

For example, if you see the status Abnormal signature materials, it may affect the delivery success rate, and you should edit the signature to re-initiate the filing. If the status is Signature name does not match qualification, the signature name and its source failed verification; check the association and edit the signature. For Abnormal real-name verification filing for signature, the carrier filing is incomplete; check the status and take appropriate action.

Why is a previously approved signature now marked as "Available - Abnormal" or failing to send messages?

Due to the recent tightening of real-name verification controls by the MIIT and carriers, existing signatures are being re-evaluated for compliance. If your original signature does not meet the latest standards (for example, an abbreviated company name missing location information, an oversimplified abbreviation, or a signature sourced from a published app or another unsupported source), it may be marked Available - Abnormal or blocked, even if previously approved. Follow the system prompts to edit these signatures. To ensure business continuity, reapply with a signature sourced from your enterprise or public institution name or a registered trademark name.

Reasons for "Available - Abnormal" status

The following are common reasons for an "Available - Abnormal" signature status:

Abnormality type	Update timing	Reason
Abnormal signature source	Real-time	The signature source is non-compliant and is not a carrier-supported source (enterprise or public institution name, or registered trademark name).
Signature not associated with a qualification	Real-time	The signature is not associated with real-name qualification information.
Signature name does not match qualification	Real-time	The signature name does not match the name or trademark of the associated enterprise.
Carrier compliance check for signature failed	Real-time	The carrier determined that the signature is non-compliant.
Incomplete information in associated qualification	Real-time	The six required elements for the associated qualification are incomplete (enterprise name, unified social credit code, legal representative's name, legal representative's ID number, administrator's name, and administrator's ID number).
Abnormal qualification status	Real-time	The associated qualification is being changed (status is Pending Review, In Review, Withdrawn, or Rejected).
One person, multiple enterprises	Real-time	The enterprise administrator is associated with multiple enterprises.
Inaccurate qualification information	Real-time	The associated qualification does not meet the enterprise verification rules.
Expired legal representative ID for qualification	Not real-time (T+1)	The ID of the legal representative in the associated qualification has expired.
Expired administrator ID for qualification	Not real-time (T+1)	The ID of the administrator in the associated qualification has expired.
Expired signature power of attorney	Not real-time (T+1)	The power of attorney associated with the signature has expired.
Abnormal real-name verification filing for signature	Real-time	The real-name verification filing for the signature is incomplete. The status for any carrier network is Not Filed, Filing, Filing Failed, or Filing Expired.
Abnormal signature sending	Not real-time (T+1)	The filed signature has an abnormal message delivery success rate. Check the sending records to analyze the reason for failure.
Abnormal sending for unfiled signature	Not real-time (T+1)	The signature is not filed (Not Filed, Filing, Filing Failed, or Filing Expired) and has an abnormal recent delivery success rate. You must complete the filing process.
Signature unused for a long time	Not real-time (T+1)	The signature has not been used to send messages in the last 170 days, and its information has not been updated.
Signature not used recently	Not real-time (T+1)	The signature has not been used to send messages in the last n days, and its information has not been updated.

Reasons for "Unavailable" status

The following are common reasons for an "Unavailable" signature status:

Unavailable type	Update timing	Reason
Approval rejected	Real-time	The signature was newly created and has no history of being approved.
Disabled	Real-time	The signature is disabled due to a security penalty.
Frozen - By platform	Real-time	The signature was frozen by the platform.
Frozen - By customer	Real-time	The signature was frozen by the customer.

FAQ

Why do some signatures not require location?

Signatures like Alibaba Cloud use a registered trademark name as their source. Globally unique trademarks can omit location information. However, signatures sourced from an enterprise or public institution name must include a location to meet the carrier's uniqueness requirements for real-name verification filing. If your enterprise does not have a corresponding registered trademark, you must apply for a signature with location information according to the enterprise name guidelines.

How to share a signature for multiple apps

To use a single signature for multiple apps or business lines under one entity, use your enterprise or public institution name (full name or compliant abbreviation) as a unified signature. Differentiate services within the message content of your templates. Using a combination like "Enterprise Name + Product Name" or adding the app name to the signature is not supported.

Why are my messages with links blocked?

Carriers have a very high probability of blocking messages that contain links (including shortened links), contact information, IP addresses, or other redirection information. This is independent of signature compliance, and changing the signature will not solve the problem. We recommend that you:

Avoid including any form of link (including shortened links), contact information, or IP addresses in the message body.
Guide users to obtain information through your official public accounts, mini programs, or apps.
If you must include contact information, the delivery success rate depends on the carrier's dynamic risk control policies. There is no special solution to unblock these messages.