Header Approval in Airtel DLT portal

Once your Entity ID is approved on the DLT platform, the next step is to get your Header (also known as Sender ID) approved.

A Header is the name or code that shows up when your customer receives your SMS. For example, when you get an SMS from a brand like DM-ABCDEF, “ABCDEF” is the header.

There are two types of headers:

  • Promotional ( Numerical Sender Id Only) – for offers, ads – uses numbers
  • Others (Transactional/Service )( Alphabet )- for OTPs, alerts uses 6 letter words like your brand name

This step is important because without an approved header, you won’t be able to send any SMS—even if your entity is registered.

Use Case

A business named Star Retail wants to send SMS like order updates and offers. To show the sender name as “STARRT”, they must get it approved as a header. Without header approval, their SMS will not be delivered to customers.

Learn More

Process Video

Step by Step Guide

Step 1: Access Airtel DLT Panel & Download Header Format

  1. Log in to your Airtel DLT panel.
  2. Download the header format and get it sealed and signed.

Step 2: Request for Header in Airtel DLT Panel

  1. Click on “Manage Header” from the left menu.
  2. Request a header.

Step 3: Register Header in Airtel DLT Panel

  1. Click on “Header Registration” to begin.

Step 4: Select Entity & Mode of Communication

  1. Select your entity from “Registration Entity”.
  2. Choose “SMS” under “Mode of Communication”.

Step 5: Select Communication Type

  1. Transactional – for banks.
  2. Promotional – for marketing campaigns.
  3. Service Explicit – semi-promotional SMS.
  4. Service Implicit – OTP and transactional SMS.

Step 6: Select Entity Category

  1. Choose the appropriate category for your entity.

Step 7: Add SMS Header

  1. Type your desired header.
  2. Click “Add SMS Header”.

Step 8: Add Promotional Numerical Header

  1. Select “Promotional” under Communication Type.
  2. Choose the correct category.
  3. Use the correct starting number based on the industry.
  4. Click “Add SMS Header”.

Step 9: Submit Header Request

  1. A maximum of 10 headers can be added.
  2. Click “Submit”.

Step 10: Upload Header Authorization Letter

  1. Download the sample letter.
  2. Upload the signed and sealed letter.
  3. Click “Submit”.

Step 11: Save Reference ID & Check Status

  1. Save the Reference ID.
  2. Click “Check Status” to review your request.

Step 12: Check Header Status

  1. Review details and ensure processing is complete.

FAQs

Q. What is a header in SMS?
Ans. A header (also known as Sender ID) is the name or code that appears as the sender when a customer receives your SMS. For example, when you receive an SMS from “VM-HDFCBK”, HDFCBK is the header representing HDFC Bank.

Q. What is the header approval process?

Ans. The header approval process is the step where you register and get permission to use your sender name (header) through the DLT platform. Only approved headers can be used to send SMS to customers.

Q. Can we add our business name in SMS?

Ans. Yes, you can include your business name as the header.

Q. Can I add more than one header in my SMS?

Ans. No, you can use only one header per SMS message. However, you can register multiple headers under your entity and use different ones for different types of messages (e.g., promotions, alerts).

Q. What is header type?

Ans. Header type defines the purpose and format of the sender ID:

  • Promotional: Numeric headers used for marketing messages.
  • Others (Transactional/Service): Alphabetic headers (6 letters) used for alerts, OTPs, or informational messages.

Q. How long does it take to get header approval from Airtel?
Ans. Header approval usually takes between 3 to 24 hours, depending on the verification process.

Q. Why was my header rejected due to not being related to the entity name?
Ans. Headers must be directly related to your Entity/Business/Brand Name. If your chosen header does not align with your registered entity name, it is likely to be rejected.

Q. What is the letter that I need to submit in Airtel DLT?
Ans. Airtel provides a consent/authorization letter that you must download, fill, sign, and upload back to the Airtel DLT portal as part of the header approval process.