Getting your SMS short code production-ready with AWS End User Messaging
Messaging & Targeting Blog
This article provides a 12-step operational readiness guide for configuring AWS End User Messaging SMS short codes for production use, covering compliance, monitoring, throughput planning, and phased traffic migration.
- Verify short code is Active and test message delivery end-to-end
- Configure HELP and STOP keywords and ensure message compliance with carrier requirements
- Create configuration sets with event destinations for CloudWatch, SNS, or Firehose monitoring
- Create pools and associate short codes to control routing and opt-out enforcement
- Request throughput (MPS) and spending limit increases before production launch
- Restrict destination countries to prevent SMS pumping fraud attacks
- Set up CloudWatch alarms for delivery success rates, spend thresholds, and failures
- Track OTP verification success rates for authentication use cases
- Enable cost visibility with AWS Cost Explorer and Budgets for spend tracking
- Execute phased traffic migration: canary (5-10%), ramp (50%), then full production
- Validate production readiness with six final checks before going live
Following these 12 steps ensures SMS short codes are compliant, monitored, protected from fraud, and ready for reliable production messaging at scale.
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