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Managing SMS opt-outs and shared family numbers

A guide to understanding how Spark handles SMS opt-outs at the phone number level, what happens when family members share a number, and best practices for managing opt-outs and re-engagement.

Written by David Spark

Managing SMS opt-outs and shared family numbers

If a contact has opted out and is no longer receiving messages, this article explains what happened, what you can and cannot do in Spark to fix it, and how to avoid the problem in the future.

Section 1 — How to re-add a contact after they have opted out

When a contact opts out by texting STOP, the opt-out is applied in two places:

  • At the carrier level — the phone number itself is blocked from receiving messages from your Spark SMS number. This affects all contacts in Spark that share that phone number.

  • In Spark — the individual contact record is also marked as unsubscribed, which you will see as the SMS Subscribed checkbox being unchecked under Edit Contact on that contact's profile.

If a contact was manually unsubscribed in Spark by unchecking the SMS Subscribed box — without ever texting STOP — only that individual contact is affected. Other contacts sharing the same phone number will still receive messages normally.

Because a STOP opt-out applies to both places, re-enabling SMS requires action in both places. The correct process is:

  1. The recipient must text START from their phone number to your Spark SMS number. This re-opts the number in at the carrier level.

  2. Once they have texted START, you must manually re-enable SMS in Spark: go to their contact profile, click Edit Contact, scroll down to the SMS Subscribed checkbox, check it on, then scroll to the bottom and save.

Note: Each contact that replied STOP must be re-enabled individually in Spark. Reenabling a single contact's SMS Subscription doesn't apply to everybody with the phone number.

Section 2 — How Spark handles opt-outs at the phone number level

There are two ways a contact can become unsubscribed, and they behave differently:

  • Texting STOP — This triggers a carrier-level block on the phone number. All contacts in Spark sharing that number will fail to receive messages until the number is re-opted in via START.

  • Manually unchecking SMS Subscribed in Spark — This only affects the individual contact record. Other contacts sharing the same phone number are not affected and will continue to receive messages normally.

Section 3 — What happens when multiple family members share one phone number

If your studio has families where multiple members share the same phone number, a single STOP reply from anyone on that number will block SMS for all contacts attached to it in Spark. So if a parent texts STOP and you try to send a message to their child's profile, it will still fail — even if the child's contact looks completely fine.

The SMS Subscribed checkbox will only appear unchecked on whichever contact the STOP was received on. Other profiles sharing that number may still look subscribed, which can make this tricky to spot.

If messages are failing and everything looks fine on the contact you're checking, look for other contacts in your system with the same phone number — that's likely where the STOP came from.

Note: If a contact was manually unsubscribed in Spark rather than texting STOP, this does not affect other contacts sharing the same number. Messages to those contacts will continue to go through normally.

Section 4 — How to view opt-out status for a contact or phone number

There are two ways to check whether a contact is currently opted out:

Option 1 — Check via the contact's profile (recommended for a single contact)

  1. Go to the contact's profile.

  2. Click Edit Contact.

  3. Scroll down to the SMS Subscribed checkbox. If it is unchecked, the contact is opted out.

Remember: The checkbox only reflects the status of the contact you are viewing. If a STOP came in on a different contact sharing the same number, this checkbox may still appear checked even though messages will fail. Always check the SMS log for failed message errors if you suspect a number is opted out.

Option 2 — Check via the Subscribers list (for a broader view)

  1. Go to Left Side Menu Bar > Communication Center > SMS Logs & Templates > SMS Unsubscribers.

  2. This section lists all contacts who have unsubscribed. It is most useful for getting a full picture of opt-outs across your account, though Option 1 is quicker when checking a single contact.

Section 5 — Compliance implications of re-engaging an opted-out number

Re-engaging a previously opted-out number without proper consent is a compliance risk under carrier rules and applicable law (TCPA). Carriers monitor for this behavior and repeated violations can result in your sending number being flagged, filtered, or permanently blocked.

Key rules to follow:

  • Do not manually re-check the SMS Subscribed box and resume sending without first confirming the recipient has texted START.

  • Do not send messages to an opted-out number based on verbal consent alone — the recipient must text START from their number.

  • If you are unsure whether a number is properly re-opted in, look through the contacts SMS logs on their profile to view if they replied START on any profile with the same phone number.

Section 6 — Best practice: collect separate phone numbers per family member at intake

The most effective way to avoid shared number opt-out issues is to collect a unique phone number for each family member at the point of signup.

Recommended intake practices:

  • Ask for each member's individual mobile number rather than a shared family number.

  • For minors, collect the parent's number and note that communications will go to the parent.

  • If a family insists on using one number, make them aware that a STOP reply from that number will affect all associated contacts in Spark.

  • Periodically audit your contacts for duplicate phone numbers to identify accounts that may be at risk of shared opt-out issues.

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