Sample Missing Brand Name

Why This Rejection Happens

One or more of your sample messages failed to identify your business by name. The recipient must always know who the message is from.

Root Cause Analysis

The Fix

Add your Brand Name (or a clear abbreviation) to the start of every sample message.

✓ Correct Sample

"[MyBrand]: Your appointment is confirmed for Tuesday at 2pm."

✗ Incorrect Sample

"Your appointment is confirmed for Tuesday at 2pm." (Who is this?)

Related Rejection Codes

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What reviewers check for code 8101

Sample messages show reviewers what subscribers will actually receive. They must be realistic, identify the brand, match the declared use case, and include opt-out language in at least one sample (and in the first message of a marketing series). Placeholders such as [Name] are acceptable for variables, but generic text like "Test message" or content unrelated to the use case is rejected.

For code 8101 (Sample Missing Brand Name), the missing piece is the brand name. The brand name must appear so the subscriber knows exactly who is texting. Use the name consumers recognize, and keep it consistent with the registered brand; if you trade under a different name than the legal entity, use the trade name in messages and make sure the website shows the relationship.

Where code 8101 comes from

Code 8101 is a campaign review reason code used to report a specific deficiency found during manual campaign vetting. CSPs surface it in the rejection notice alongside any other codes found in the same review, so check for companion codes before resubmitting. It is marked High severity: it blocks approval, but it is fully fixable by correcting the submission and resubmitting.

Example: sample messages for a HVAC contractor

The example below uses a fictional HVAC contractor, Northline Heating & Air, to show the difference between a submission that triggers code 8101 and one that passes.

Rejected:

Your technician Sam is on the way, ETA 25 min. Reply STOP to opt out.

Approved:

Northline Heating & Air: Your technician Sam is on the way, ETA 25 min. Reply STOP to opt out.

Fix and verify before resubmitting

1. Write samples from real templates in your platform, not marketing copy written for the form.
2. Add the brand name where code 8101 flagged it, using the approved wording for Northline Heating & Air's program shown above.
3. Name the brand at the start of every sample.
4. Cover each message type the campaign will send (reminders, offers, alerts).
5. Include "Reply STOP to opt out" in at least one sample, and in all marketing samples.
6. Declare embedded links and phone numbers if any sample contains them.
7. Resubmit with a note that references code 8101 and quotes the corrected brand name.

Sample resubmission note

Many CSPs let you add a note for the reviewer when you resubmit. A short, specific note shows what changed and speeds up the second review. Example for Northline Heating & Air:

Northline Heating & Air corrected the deficiency reported as code 8101 (Sample Missing Brand Name). Changes made: write samples from real templates in your platform, not marketing copy written for the form; add the brand name where code 8101 flagged it, using the approved wording for Northline Heating & Air's program shown above; name the brand at the start of every sample. All URLs, keywords and auto-replies were re-tested from an external network before this resubmission, and the campaign text now matches the live opt-in exactly.

Common mistakes that keep code 8101 coming back

• Using a platform or agency name instead of the business the consumer signed up with.
• Mentioning the brand only in the website header but not in the consent text itself.
• Abbreviating the brand differently across the form, script and messages.
• Rewriting samples that no longer match the templates used in production.

Related rejection codes

• Code 2122: Verbal Script Missing Brand Name
• Code 6010: STOP Msg Missing Brand Name
• Code 6007: HELP Msg Missing Brand Name
• Code 6001: Opt-in Msg Missing Brand Name
• Code 8100: Sample Missing Opt-out Language
• Code 30893: Invalid Sample Messages

Frequently asked questions about code 8101

Does code 8101 mean the whole campaign is non-compliant?

No. Code 8101 points to one gap: the brand name in your sample messages. Fix that gap, check the rest of the submission against the same checklist, and resubmit. Reviewers often list only the first deficiency they find, so a full self-check prevents a second rejection.

Where exactly should the brand name appear?

Edit the sample message fields in the campaign so they mirror production templates. The brand name must appear so the subscriber knows exactly who is texting.

Do I fix my live sample messages or only the campaign text?

The campaign samples, and the production templates they represent, so live traffic matches what was approved.