Audit opt-outs and consent before anyone gets a message

Why it matters

A reactivation campaign goes to people who have not heard from you in a long time. That is exactly when opt-outs get forgotten and consent gets assumed. One message to someone who said STOP can mean a carrier block on your number, a complaint, or a lawsuit.

Step by step

1. 01

   Learn the three rulebooks

   Channel	Main rules	What it means for your database
   Text (marketing)	TCPA, CTIA guidance, carrier A2P 10DLC rules	Automated marketing texts need prior express written consent. Carriers expect documented opt-in for promotional texts and a STOP option. Purchased or shared lists are not allowed.
   Email (marketing)	CAN-SPAM	No prior consent required, but honest From and subject lines, your physical postal address, a working unsubscribe, and opt-outs honored within 10 business days.
   Calls (marketing)	TCPA, FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule	Calls between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. the contact's local time. Numbers on the National DNC Registry need an established business relationship (18 months after a transaction, 3 months after an inquiry) or written permission. Keep your own internal do-not-call list.

   Opt-outs: since April 11, 2025, the FCC rules let people revoke consent by any reasonable means (STOP, QUIT, END, REVOKE, OPT OUT, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE are all reasonable), and you must honor it within 10 business days. Treat a reply like "please stop texting me" the same as STOP.

   Check: You can say, for each channel, what you need on file before sending.

2. 02

   HighLevel: build the Suppressed Smart List

   HighLevel stores opt-outs as Do Not Disturb (DND) per channel. Replies like STOP turn on SMS DND automatically. Build a list with these filters, joined with + Add Filter (OR) so a contact matching any one is included:

   Smart List name: Reactivation | Suppressed
   Filter group (OR):
     DND all            is  Enabled
     SMS DND            is  Enabled
     Email DND          is  Enabled
     Calls & Voicemails DND is Enabled
     Tags               Is any of  do-not-contact
   Save as: Reactivation | Suppressed

   Copy

   Per-channel DND does not ban every channel: a contact with only Email DND may still receive texts if they consented. Chapter 5's workbook handles that per channel. This list is for review: anyone here needs a check before any campaign.

   Check: The list count is above zero if you have ever had a STOP reply, and opening a few records shows DND on.

3. 03

   Follow Up Boss: find texting and email opt-outs

   In Follow Up Boss, a STOP reply (STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT) blocks all texts from every number on the account; the phone shows orange on the profile. An email unsubscribe shows the email orange, adds an unsubscribe pill and adds an unsubscribed tag. It blocks Action Plan and Batch emails only; one-to-one email still sends.

   Save the filter with + New List as Reactivation | Suppressed. Follow Up Boss has no Do Not Contact field, so add a do-not-contact tag for anyone who asked you to stop all contact, and include it in this list.

   Check: A contact you know unsubscribed appears in the saved list.

4. 04

   Record a consent source for everyone you plan to text

   For each contact, fill SMS Consent (Yes, No, Unknown) and Consent Source. CTIA guidance says to keep consent records: when, how, what language they agreed to, and the number. A good Consent Source reads like evidence:

   • Website form, checkbox v2, 2025-03-04 (your form shows the exact wording)
   • Texted us first from open house sign, 2026-05-10 (conversational, keep replies on topic)
   • Signed buyer agreement with SMS clause, 2024-06-01

   "Unknown" is a valid, honest answer. Unknown means email only until you get consent, for example by an email that invites them to text you.

   Check: Every contact with SMS Consent = Yes has a non-blank Consent Source.

5. 05

   Decide calls: established relationship or DNC scrub

   Under the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule you may call a number on the National Do Not Call Registry if you have an established business relationship: up to 18 months after their last transaction with you, or 3 months after their inquiry. Past clients who closed more than 18 months ago and old leads usually fall outside that window.

   1. Set Phone DNC Check = Clear only after you scrub that number against the registry (at least every 31 days) and your internal list.
   2. Set it to Listed if it is on either list. Do not cold call Listed numbers.
   3. Leave Not checked otherwise. The workbook will not suggest a call for Not checked numbers.

   Check: No contact is marked Clear without a DNC Checked Date in the last 31 days.

6. 06

   Write your channel rule and save it in the CRM

   The rule the reactivation workbook applies, in plain words: no channel at all if DND all is on; text only with SMS Consent = Yes; email unless they unsubscribed; call only when Phone DNC Check = Clear. Paste the rule below into a pinned note or your team handbook.

   Check: Everyone who sends messages for you can repeat the rule without looking.

Copyable templates

# Reactivation channel rule (Coastal Key Realty example)

1. DND all = on, or tag do-not-contact: no messages on any channel. Ever.
2. Text: only if SMS Consent = Yes AND Consent Source is filled. First text names us and says "Reply STOP to opt out."
3. Email: allowed unless unsubscribed / Email DND. Every marketing email carries our postal address and an unsubscribe link.
4. Call: only if Phone DNC Check = Clear (scrubbed in the last 31 days) or an established business relationship applies. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. their local time.
5. Anyone who says stop in any words: set DND (HighLevel) or tag + note (Follow Up Boss) the same day. Legal limit is 10 business days; ours is same day.
6. When unsure, email or do nothing.

Try it

How to test it

1. Text STOP from your own phone to your CRM number. Confirm the contact shows SMS DND (HighLevel) or an orange number (Follow Up Boss) and lands in your Suppressed list.
2. Unsubscribe from one of your own marketing emails. Confirm the flag appears.
3. Pick 10 random contacts with SMS Consent = Yes and read their Consent Source aloud. Each should answer "how did you get my number?"

Troubleshooting

Advanced technical details

Optional. You can follow every step above without these.