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Short Codes vs Long Codes for SMS in Brazil: ANATEL Regulations and Best Practices

RC

Rafael Costa

CEO, Bulk SMS

10 min read
Short Codes vs Long Codes for SMS in Brazil: ANATEL Regulations and Best Practices
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TL;DR — Executive Summary

Understand the technical and legal differences between dispatching campaigns using approved Short Codes or Long Codes under ANATEL rules.

ANATEL outlines strict instructions on how A2P SMS traffic must be handled by operators inside Brazil. The choice between Short Codes and Long Codes affects conversion and compliance.

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1. Short Codes (5 or 6 digit numbers)

  • Routing: Official carrier A2P lines.
  • Best For: Bank notifications, OTP codes, and high-volume sales alerts.
  • Benefit: High throughput, carrier-level priority, and zero spam-filter block risks.

2. Long Codes (Standard Virtual Numbers)

  • Routing: Primarily used for lower-volume, interactive dialogs.
  • ANATEL Restriction: Utilizing long codes for mass bulk promotions without registration violates compliance guidelines, resulting in instant network blocks.

Review legal details and SMS parameters on Compliance LGPD and SMS API.

#short code#long code#anatel#compliance#sms
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RC

Rafael Costa

CEO, Bulk SMS

Senior specialist in mobile telecommunications infrastructure, high-performance enterprise messaging, and LGPD compliance for smart communication platforms and APIs in Brazil.

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