10DLC registration has two layers, and the word "campaign" means something different than you'd expect, which trips people up. You register a brand, then you register a campaign under it, and both are required before your texts deliver. Here's what each layer is and how they fit together.
What is a 10DLC brand?
The brand is the organization behind the messages, your committee, with its legal name, EIN, and identifying details. Registering the brand is telling the carriers who you are. It's the identity layer, and it's vetted once. In political texting, the brand is typically the committee, and Campaign Verify plugs in here to prove the political sender is legitimate.
What is a 10DLC campaign?
Confusingly, "campaign" in 10DLC doesn't mean your election campaign, it means a messaging use case registered under your brand. It describes what kind of texts you'll send, political outreach, with sample messages and opt-in language, and it's where you select the Political Special Use Case that unlocks higher throughput. One brand can have multiple 10DLC campaigns for different messaging purposes.
How do they fit together?
Brand first, then campaign under it. You register the brand (who you are), then register one or more campaigns (what you'll send) beneath it, and the carriers vet both. Your throughput, your deliverability, and your access to the political lane all depend on this two-layer registration being complete and accurate. Get the brand verified, register the political campaign use case, attach your Campaign Verify token, and you have the foundation for deliverable texts. Skip or misconfigure either layer, and messages get filtered. See the full 10DLC guide.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a 10DLC brand and campaign?
The brand is your organization's identity, name, EIN, details. The 10DLC campaign is a messaging use case registered under the brand describing what you'll send. You need both.
Does "campaign" in 10DLC mean my election campaign?
No, and it's a common confusion. In 10DLC, "campaign" means a registered messaging use case, like political outreach, not your electoral campaign. One brand can have several 10DLC campaigns.
Do you need both brand and campaign registration?
Yes. The brand establishes who you are and the campaign establishes what you send. Both must be registered and vetted before your political texts deliver at full throughput.
Keep reading: what 10DLC means for your campaign and Campaign Verify explained. For registration, see The Campaign Registry.