#1 US Short Code Directory

How Does Our US Short Code Directory Work?

Shortcodes.info is the #1 free US short code directory for short codes and text messages. This website is made possible through people just like you, who take the time to report text messages that they receive. We have an extensive amount short code information and we are the #1 number search available online.

If we all do our part to share texts that we receive, we will help build a free and public directory of SMS text messages. This website exists to serve its community as a free and public text and cell phone directory. You’re welcome to use this website’s reverse cell phone lookup service whenever you receive a Short Code text. Stop wondering “who texted me” today!

What are SMS Short Codes?

A Short Code is a four, five, or six digit number used for sending and receiving texts. Businesses can use these short code numbers to text consumers using all major U.S. Wireless Providers. Short Code programs give each brand a means to send these texts to consumers. Our website has gathered information on brands that are sending texts from short code numbers.

Businesses Lease Short Code Numbers From the Short Code Registry

Short codes are either rented, or rather, are leased by businesses from the Short Code Registry or they are used through an intermediary company like a text marketing platform.

Brands use short codes for all sorts of things, but primarily texting consumers is related to:

• If the user needs to verify something related to their account
• Updates being sent to a customer after successful payment (also when payment information has been updated on an account)
• Shipping alerts for a user’s order that they will deliver
• Two factor authentication codes when trying to log into their account
• Subscribing users to a text marketing list for a brand by entering a keyword they heard on the radio (each word is programmatically setup beforehand)
• Submitting an answer to a question asked on a TV show (these answers are common for a game show audience)
• Filling out a form on a website to join a promotion and subscribe to an sms marketing list (users will often get discounts for signing up)

Short Codes Differ Depending on the Country of the Receiver

SMS short codes vary depending on the country that the recipient lives in. For example, a text received from the 787878 short code number in the United States will usually differ from the text that users will receive elsewhere in the world, like the United Kingdom. So if one customer and the business are not in the same country, their experience may differ from another customer who lives where the business is located.

What is the Short Code Administration?

Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) is the process of administering common short codes. A Common Short Code Administrator is essentially the mediator for U.S. wireless carriers and allow them access to use a common short code phone number.

Unlike toll free numbers, sms short code phone numbers can often incur costs and fees associated with sending texts to them or receiving texts from them. In addition to the consumers sometimes being charged to interact with sms short code numbers, the “short code owner” will also usually pay per sms short code text sent.

Short codes usually have two way communications in most countries

This means that a customer with a regular phone number can both send sms texts to and receive sms texts from the number.

Not every single sms provider will allow you to interact with sms short codes. Depending on the provider, some short codes won’t be able to send messages to your number and other providers won’t even let you contact a short code at all.

It is common for VOIP phone numbers to not be able to receive sms short code messages which can be a problem for users who need to receive two factor authentication texts but are unable to because of their wireless provider and are locked out of their account.

Many online products will send texts to users from short codes instead of phone calls and for a consumer whose mobile provider doesn’t have the ability to receive texts from short codes, they’re out of luck.

How To Use the US Short Code Directory

To begin, simply type a Short Code number into the search bar above to be taken to the corresponding listing for that text’s number. Short code details pages may contain various types information on the number that texted you. Some of the information available may be:

• The response text to the “help” keyword
• The names of the businesses that texted you
• The phone number
• The email address
• The website
• Any user submitted reports of customers that have received texts

Multiple businesses can use one single short code number to send texts. In cases where multiple companies are using the same short code number, there will always be one parent company renting the number from the Short Code Registry (the Short Code Administration).

One company might use a dedicated short code for themselves, but text messaging providers can create keywords for every business that pays to send texts from their number they received from the short code registry. This is why often you will see companies telling you to text a keyword to their short code number to enroll in their text message marketing.

An example of this would be “Text HUNGRY to 55555 for a 20% discount on your next meal”. In this scenario, the parent company has likely setup this keyword specifically for this secondary business to use for sending and receiving text messages with their short code.

The keywords allow multiple different businesses all to use one single short code number simultaneously for different text messaging services and campaigns.

Other names for companies that offer sms short code messaging services are:

• An SMS aggregator service
• Text message marketing providers
• An SMS provider service

A good way to see what business is sending these texts is to send the keyword “HELP” to the short code number. The business should send you a text back with additional information. Vanity short codes are usually easier to decipher with a help message because they will usually respond with the name of the business using the number and not a text service provider.

Who is sending me texts from sms short codes?

It is not uncommon to receive text messages that you did not give your consent for from an unknown number. Companies are supposed to follow regulation and honor consumer choices to prevent scams, but some companies do take advantage.

Aggressive marketing tactics and other unwanted activities do occur and when they do, you should have a right to speak up against it. You may use this website to lookup the number you received a text from and see what other members of the community have reported and what they note about their experience.

Report Spam Texts

In order for companies to send you automated marketing text messages, you usually must first give your consent. If a business is not following the rules, let the community know by leaving a report on that Short Code number’s page.

This not only notifies the community that this business isn’t playing by the rules, but it helps to hold these companies accountable by making it public knowledge. This pays it forward, allowing the next person to use our spy dialer to check the number and see what others have said.

You may also report spam text messages by forwarding the spam text to the number “7726” (this spells “SPAM” on a mobile phone). Information about the spam message will be sent to an industry wide reporting system and also to the consumer’s mobile phone carrier.
To Report Spam:

• Forward the spam text message that you receive to the Short Code number 7726. You will be asked to enter the sender’s number.
• Copy the sender’s number from the original spam message.
• Paste the number that you copied into the text message field to send to 7726 and send the message.
  
  Try out our free reverse sms short codes lookup today!