DLT Registration Guide

What Is DLT?

DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) is TRAI’s regulatory framework for commercial SMS in India. All businesses sending transactional or promotional SMS must register on a DLT platform. OTP messages via StartMessaging’s non-DLT route are exempt.

DLT Registration Steps

Step 1: Register Your Entity

1. Choose a DLT operator: Jio DLT, Airtel DLT, Vodafone Idea DLT, or BSNL DLT
2. Visit the operator’s DLT portal (e.g., Jio TruConnect)
3. Register as an Enterprise entity
4. Submit required documents:
   • Company PAN card
   • GST certificate
   • Certificate of Incorporation
   • Letter of Authorization (on company letterhead)
5. Wait for approval (typically 2–5 business days)

Step 2: Register Sender IDs (Headers)

After entity approval:

1. Go to Headers section in your DLT portal
2. Add your desired sender ID (6 alphabetic characters, e.g., MYCOMP)
3. Select the header type:
   • Transactional — for order updates, alerts, OTPs
   • Promotional — for marketing messages
   • Service Explicit — for opt-in service messages
   • Service Implicit — for existing customer communications
4. Submit for approval (1–3 business days)

Step 3: Register Message Templates

1. Go to Content Templates in your DLT portal
2. Create a new template with:
   • Template name: descriptive label
   • Template type: Transactional / Promotional / Service
   • Message body: with variables marked as {#var#}
   • Associated header: your registered sender ID

Example template:

Dear {#var#}, your order {#var#} has been shipped.
Track at {#var#}. - {#var#}

3. Submit for approval (1–2 business days)
4. Copy the Template ID (e.g., 1107161234567890) — you’ll need it when sending via API

Step 4: Link DLT to StartMessaging

1. In your StartMessaging dashboard, go to Settings → SMS → DLT Configuration
2. Enter your Entity ID and DLT Operator
3. Import your registered headers and templates (we auto-sync every 24h)
4. Map each template to a StartMessaging SMS template for easy use

DLT Template Variables

| DLT Variable | API Usage | |-------------|-----------| | {#var#} | Replaced with dynamic content at send time | | Fixed text | Must match exactly — no modifications allowed |

Important: The message you send via API must match the DLT template exactly, including spaces, punctuation, and variable positions. Any mismatch will cause the operator to reject the message.

Common DLT Rejection Reasons

| Reason | Fix | |--------|-----| | Entity documents not matching | Ensure PAN, GST, and CIN are for the same legal entity | | Header already registered | Another entity has that header; choose a different one | | Template too generic | Add specific brand/company context to the template | | Promotional content in transactional template | Move promotional text to a promotional template | | Missing opt-out instruction in promotional | Add “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” to promotional templates |

Testing DLT Templates

Before going live, test your DLT templates using the API:

curl -X POST https://api.startmessaging.com/otp/send \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: sm_live_your_api_key_here" \
  -d '{
    "phoneNumber": "+919876543210",
    "templateId": "1107161234567890",
    "variables": {
      "otp": "123456",
      "appName": "MyCompany"
    }
  }'

FAQ