Dear Alibaba Cloud SMS users,
According to the latest policies of China Unicom, starting June 30, 2025, China Unicom is expected to implement new control measures on SMS delivery. After the new policies take effect, SMS templates that are not registered and messages that include referral information, such as outbound links and contact information, will be at risk of being blocked.
Solution:
Alibaba Cloud is autonomously submitting registrations for your recently used templates per carrier requirements. However, there are still impacts that require your attention:
Following China Telecom (see China Telecom restrictions on SMS content containing URLs, IP addresses, and contact information), China Unicom also steps up control on templates that contain referral information. We recommend that you avoid such information, including outbound links and contact information, in your SMS content.
Due to limitations in the carrier's system capabilities, policy changes, and other factors, the platform cannot obtain template registration results. After the new policies take effect, if your templates are not approved, SMS delivery to China Telecom users using these templates will be affected.
Alibaba Cloud will continue to follow up and provide timely updates. We also kindly request that you prepare relevant response measures in advance.
Other relevant announcements:
FAQ:
Do all three major carriers in China require SMS template registration?
Currently, only China Telecom and China Unicom have clearly stated SMS template registration requirements. However, as regulations continue to tighten, we cannot rule out the possibility of China Mobile implementing similar policies.
When does the policy take effect? Is there any official document?
Based on the current information, China Unicom may implement this policy starting June 30, 2025. However, the actual enforcement intensity and timing depend on the carrier's actual implementation.
How do I register an SMS template? What information do I need to provide?
Alibaba Cloud has reviewed templates in response to the carrier's new policies and will submit applications for your recently used templates on your behalf. However, we cannot obtain the results, because the carrier does not provide any query methods.
How long does the registration take? How can I get the results?
Currently, neither Alibaba Cloud nor China Unicom has provided query methods for template status and registration results. The timeframe is difficult to estimate. We recommend testing SMS delivery success rates to check whether your templates are approved.
If my signature has passed real-name registration but the template is not registered, will it affect SMS delivery?
According to the control policies on unregistered SMS templates from China Telecom and China Unicom, even if your signature has been approved, templates that have not been registered or contain referral information still face the risk of being blocked. The actual policy enforcement depends on the carriers.