The Standard Opt-Out Keywords You Must Honor

If you run a text or SMS program, there is a short list of words a recipient can send that immediately end the conversation. The FCC has named specific phrases that must automatically trigger an opt-out obligation: stop, quit, revoke, end, opt out, cancel, and unsubscribe. When any of these come in, you treat it as a withdrawal of consent under the TCPA and stop messaging that number. This is not optional, and it is not something you can hide behind a menu. A DNC litigator who texts "stop" and then receives one more marketing message has the makings of a claim.

Processing keywords in VICIdial

The practical job is matching inbound text against the keyword list and acting fast. Match on the word regardless of case and ignore stray punctuation, so STOP, Stop, and stop. all count. A common mistake is requiring the message to contain only the keyword. Treat the keyword as a trigger even when it sits inside a longer sentence, because "please stop texting me" is obviously an opt-out. Once matched, write the number to your Internal DNC so it never re-enters a dialing or texting cycle, and add it to the broader DNC (do not call) block at the system level so a later list import cannot quietly resurrect it.

Keep a single confirmation reply, then go silent. One "you are unsubscribed" message after the keyword is fine and expected; a second marketing message is not. These seven words overlap with the wider revocation rule, where a consumer can pull consent by any reasonable means, so do not treat the list as exhaustive. For the full picture see our VICIdial compliance overview, and read the TCPA consent revocation rules for the requests that do not use a keyword at all.

Keyword decision path

flowchart TD
  A[Inbound text received] --> B{Contains stop quit end cancel unsubscribe revoke or opt out}
  B -->|No| C[Route to agent or auto reply]
  B -->|Yes| D[Add number to internal DNC]
  D --> E[Add to system wide DNC block]
  E --> F[Send one unsubscribe confirmation]
  F --> G[Stop all marketing messages]

The diagram is the whole rule in one shape: detect any of the seven words, block the number on your DNC lists, confirm once, then say nothing more.

VICIfast handles keyword opt-outs and DNC blocking out of the box, so your text program stays clean without custom scripting. Check pricing to see what is included.