Configuring opt-out and opt-in keywords
Opt-out and opt-in keywords are switched on per Connect Account, in two fields on the account record. Until a keyword is selected there, customer replies like STOP do nothing on that account. This article enables the keywords, explains the choices, and walks through testing the whole loop with a real reply.
- A working Connect Account that can already send and receive messages on at least one channel.
- Edit access to Connect Account records (typically an admin — see Giving your team access).
- Ten minutes and a test phone (your own) reachable on the channel you're testing.
- Background reading: How opt-out works — what the keywords actually do.
Step 1 — Open the Connect Account
- From the App Launcher, open Connect Accounts and click the account your customers message.
- Click Edit (or edit the two fields inline).
Step 2 — Enable the keywords
Find the two multi-select fields and move values from Available to Chosen:
| Field | Available values | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Opt Out Keywords | STOP, BLOCK | Enable both |
| Opt In Keywords | START, UNBLOCK | Enable both |
These four are the only choices — the lists are fixed, and you can't add your own words. Enabling all shipped values is the sensible default: it costs nothing, and it maximises the chance that a customer's reply is recognised. There's rarely a reason to enable fewer.
- Click Save.
Expected result: the account record shows both keyword fields populated, e.g. STOP;BLOCK and START;UNBLOCK.
If you run multiple Connect Accounts, repeat this on each one — keywords are per account, but the resulting flag belongs to the linked Lead or Contact and channel. It also blocks new messages from other accounts to that same record on that channel.
Step 3 — Tell customers the exact word to use
One honest note before testing: REDA Connect recognises a keyword only when it is the customer's entire reply. STOP works (in any capitalisation); please stop does nothing. So your messages should name the exact word — not just invite people to "reply to opt out":
Put that line in the templates you use for outbound campaigns, especially bulk sends. It's both clearer for customers and, on SMS in many countries, an expected courtesy.
Step 4 — Test the loop end to end
Use a test Lead or Contact whose phone number is your own test phone.
- Send the test record a message from its Connect Feed on the channel you're testing — see Sending your first message.
- Reply from the phone with just
stop(lower-case on purpose — case doesn't matter, and this proves it). - Check the record: open the Lead or Contact and confirm the channel's checkbox is now ticked — Opt Out (REDA Connect - WhatsApp) or Opt Out (REDA Connect - SMS). If the fields aren't on your page layout, see Opt-out fields on Leads and Contacts.
- Try to message them again from the feed. Expected result: the send is blocked with, verbatim,
Recipient has opted out of receiving WhatsApp Messages.orRecipient has opted out of receiving SMS Messages. - Reply
STARTfrom the phone, confirm the checkbox clears, and send one more message — it should go through normally. Your loop works in both directions.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Replying STOP doesn't tick the flag | The keyword isn't enabled on the Connect Account that received the reply | Step 2 — check the Opt Out Keywords field on that account |
| Reply arrives but no flag on any record | The inbound message didn't match a Lead or Contact — opt-out tracking needs that link | Check inbound record matching and the phone number format |
| Customer wrote "please stop" and is still opted in | Sentences aren't recognised — only the bare keyword is | Tick the flag manually on their record; adjust your message footers to name the exact word |
| Flag ticked on WhatsApp but SMS still sends | By design — channels are tracked separately | Tick the SMS flag too if the customer wants out of both |
FAQ
Strongly recommended. Without START/UNBLOCK enabled, a customer who opted out by reply has no self-service way back in — re-adding them then always requires an admin to untick the flag.
Yes — the two fields live on each account. In practice, enabling all four values everywhere is simpler and avoids "STOP worked on one number but not the other" surprises.
Yes — it's an ordinary inbound message. You'll see the stop reply in the person's Connect Feed like any other message, alongside the now-ticked flag on their record.
Not out of the box — no confirmation is sent, and new messages to that person on that channel are blocked. An admin could build custom automation on the checkbox fields, keeping in mind the channel block applies to REDA Connect sends.
Where to go next
- How opt-out works — the exact matching rules and what the flags do.
- Opt-out fields on Leads and Contacts — see, set and filter the flags.
- Creating a template — add "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" to your outbound templates.