Understanding The FCC's New SMS Opt-Out Rule

This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Please consult your own counsel before making decisions about your SMS opt-out practices.

In April 2025, the FCC dramatically expanded consumers’ ability to opt out of SMS marketing by requiring brands sending to US subscribers to recognize opt outs made by "any reasonable means.” This change required brands to opt-out consumers who responded with a standard keyword response like STOP in addition to individuals who replied with phrases like, for example, "please stop texting me", “don’t contact me again” or “Remove me”.

Starting November 25, 2026, the FCC is amending the rule to give brands more certainty over what is and isn’t an opt-out request. Brands will be able to designate an exclusive way to opt out, like replying STOP, as long as that method is disclosed in every text it sends.

What actually changed

Under the new rule, a brand can designate one of the following methods as the exclusive way to opt out of SMS marketing:

• Replying to a text with one of seven standard words: stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel, or unsubscribe. The FCC requires brands to honor all seven of these standard keywords regardless of the one you select as the exclusive means (e.g., brands designating “STOP” will still need to honor QUIT, END, REVOKE, etc. as opt out requests).
• A website or phone number the brand sets up to process opt-outs

A brand that designates an exclusive method does not have to process opt-outs made any other way.

While this change gives brands sending to US subscribers more certainty, the FCC’s rule requires the designated method to be clearly and conspicuously disclosed in each text message––not just a welcome series message. This means brands wanting to designate an exclusive means will have to include opt-out disclosure language, such as “STOP to Opt Out” at the end of every SMS to US

What hasn't changed

The new option sits on top of the existing rules. Brands that decline to designate an exclusive means of opting out will continue to be required to recognize opt outs made by “any reasonable means”.

Klaviyo’s compliance options

Brands can choose to take advantage of the new rule or continue recognizing opt-outs made by any reasonable means. For brands using Klaviyo's default SMS settings, the opt-out disclosure needed to take advantage of the new rule is already included in every message.

Designating STOP as your exclusive opt-out method.

Klaviyo adds opt-out language to every SMS campaign and flow message by default. Unless you’ve edited it, that language reads “Text STOP to opt-out,” so brands that leave the default on already include a disclosure in each text. Brands that want to rely on the new rule should keep that language on for every message.

Klaviyo also recognizes all seven standard keywords as opt-outs for US English, and they can’t be removed, so brands designating STOP don’t need to set anything up to honor QUIT, END, REVOKE and the rest.

Relying on unsubscribe detection.

For brands sensitive to adding disclosure language to every text due to character concerns, Klaviyo's unsubscribe detection feature will continue to monitor incoming replies and unsubscribe people when it recognizes an opt-out, including misspellings and many plain-language requests.

Unsubscribe detection is a helpful tool that gives each inbound message an intent label and a confidence score, and it only removes consent when it’s confident enough that the subscriber asked to opt out. Replies with lower scores may get opt-out instructions or no action at all. We recommend regularly reviewing replies the feature flagged as possible opt-outs but didn’t unsubscribe and removing consent where you determine that the subscriber is trying to opt out. Our help center has more detail.

Klaviyo's ongoing work

Klaviyo's legal and compliance teams are following the FCC's next steps and other state-level SMS laws. We'll keep sharing updates and product guidance as things develop.

If you have questions about your SMS opt-out setup, reach out to our support team or your Klaviyo account representative.