SMS Opt-Out STOP Keywords by Country

Which regional patterns matter most?

• Arabic-speaking markets: STOP together with ايقاف (Egypt: إيقاف). Put both in the line, for example "للإلغاء أرسل ايقاف / Reply STOP". Arabic text switches the SMS to Unicode, so mind the length.
• Latin America: STOP together with a local-language word (SAIR in Brazil; confirm the Spanish word with BroadNet for the other markets), one-step, applied across the operator.
• Europe and other STOP-only entries: STOP, honoured network-wide, one-step and irreversible until the recipient consents again. Germany's entry adds required wording in German without naming a word, so confirm it.
• United States and Canada: STOP is honoured immediately and confirmed once, and the entry says CTIA short-code monitoring audits compliance.
• Australia and New Zealand: STOP plus a clearly stated unsubscribe on every marketing send, honoured within 5 business days at most.
• DND-registry markets: STOP, plus automatic suppression against the registry and record retention per the regulator.

Do transactional and promotional messages differ?

Yes in practice, though our data speaks only about marketing and promotional traffic. The entries describe opt-out wording on marketing or promotional messages. They set no rule for transactional messages such as OTPs, receipts or delivery alerts, so do not add or remove obligations on that basis. Two habits help:

1. Keep promotional content out of transactional messages, and confirm with BroadNet how your destination treats a message that mixes both.
2. Route each type through the sender and registration your destination expects. See SMS marketing rules by country and quiet hours by country.

How do I handle STOP replies?

A STOP reply only reaches you if the sender can receive messages. Alphanumeric sender IDs cannot, as explained in SMS sender ID types. A two-way number can, as covered in the two-way SMS guide.

Procedure:

1. Check every inbound message for the opt-out keywords before any other logic, in each language you send.
2. Add the number to your suppression list immediately, with the date, the channel and the exact text received.
3. Send one short confirmation only if your market's rules expect it. The US entry in our data says STOP is "confirmed once".
4. Stop all scheduled sends to that number, including queued batches.
5. Keep the record for as long as your market requires it. The data says several markets require records to be retained per the regulator.

If you send promotions from an alphanumeric sender ID because the country requires it, give a route that does not depend on a reply: a short link to a preference page, or a registry where one exists. Whether that satisfies a market is a question for the regulator and your counsel.

How do I keep opt-out lines short?

The opt-out text competes with your message for space. "Reply STOP to opt out" is 21 characters. In GSM-7 text a single SMS holds 160 characters and a Unicode one only 70, so a bilingual Arabic and English line can push a message into a second segment. See SMS character limits and Unicode.

Tips:

• Put the opt-out last, in plain words: "Reply STOP to opt out."
• Use short links. See SMS link tracking.
• Write the Arabic line first when your audience reads Arabic, then add the Latin keyword.
• Count segments with the SMS character counter before sending.

How do I manage suppression lists across channels?

Treat opt-out as a property of the person, stored once. Use E.164 numbers as the key, as in E.164 phone number format, and check the list at send time, not only at import time.

For consent evidence, see opt-in and consent for multichannel campaigns.

What does WhatsApp say about opt-out?

WhatsApp opt-out is governed by Meta's policy, not by an SMS keyword table. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy says businesses must respect all requests, on or off WhatsApp, by a person to block, discontinue or otherwise opt out of communications, including removing the person from their contact list. It recommends clear instructions for how people can opt out of specific categories of messages, and clear, intuitive opt-in and opt-out flows.

In practice: treat words such as stop or unsubscribe in a WhatsApp chat as an opt-out, add a clear opt-out instruction to marketing templates, and suppress the number across channels. For wider sending practice, see sending without getting banned.

Worked example: a retailer launching in four markets

"Souq Rafiq" (synthetic) plans a promotional SMS to customers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Germany.

1. UAE and Saudi Arabia: the entries call for STOP or ايقاف on promotional SMS, so the message ends with "Reply STOP / ايقاف". It is sent from a sender that can receive replies, or with another opt-out route agreed during onboarding.
2. Brazil: the entry gives STOP / SAIR, so the line is in Portuguese and offers both words.
3. Germany: the entry mentions required wording in German, so the team confirms the exact wording with BroadNet before launch.
4. All four: replies feed one suppression list, checked before every send, and the same list is used for WhatsApp campaigns.

What are the common mistakes?

• Inventing a keyword for a country whose entry does not name one.
• Only English. In Arabic-speaking and Portuguese or Spanish-speaking markets, accept the local word as well as STOP.
• Alphanumeric sender with a STOP-by-reply line, which cannot work.
• Late suppression, where queued or scheduled sends go out after an opt-out.
• Channel silos, with SMS and WhatsApp lists that never meet.
• Treating this table as final. It is a summary of our data; regulators and operators change rules. Confirm with BroadNet during onboarding, and seek legal advice for your own case.

How OmniChannels.ai helps

OmniChannels.ai sends two-way SMS, bulk SMS and WhatsApp from one platform, with Arabic and Unicode support, duplicate filtering in campaigns and delivery reports. Replies appear in one shared inbox, and you can run channel fallback per use case. Our team prepares and files sender ID registrations with you and confirms each market's current requirements during onboarding. See the SMS channel, the sender ID pages and the shared inbox.