Get the SMS add-on and brand vetting done before the campaign
SMS in Marketing Cloud Next needs the Message Credits SMS add-on and, since Spring '25, brand vetting. Start both early so the campaign is not blocked.
Spring '25 expanded SMS in Marketing Cloud Growth and Advanced Editions to additional countries through local carrier partnerships and introduced brand vetting for SMS, a sender-verification step the release notes compare to DKIM and SPF for email. The notes also state that the Salesforce Message Credits - SMS add-on is required. Neither the add-on nor the vetting is something a marketer can do the week the campaign is due.
- Product
- Marketing Cloud Next
- Edition
- Advanced and Growth
- Topic
- Setup
- Confidence
- Medium - shown in a credible source
- Last verified
Who this applies to
- Teams planning their first SMS campaign in Marketing Cloud Next, or adding a new country
- Both editions: the Spring '25 notes cover Growth and Advanced
- Whoever owns the Salesforce contract (for the add-on) and whoever can speak for the brand (for vetting)
Why it matters
SMS projects stall on paperwork, not on the platform. The add-on is a commercial step and brand vetting is a verification step with the carriers behind it, and both sit outside the marketing team's control. Every week they start late is a week the campaign slips, usually right before the season it was meant for.
Try it
- Confirm on your order form that the Salesforce Message Credits SMS add-on is included. If it is not, raise it with your account team now; it is required.
- Start brand vetting as soon as the add-on is in place. Gather the brand details the process asks for in your org and submit them well ahead of the first planned send. The source does not state how long vetting takes, so assume weeks, not days.
- Confirm each country you intend to message is covered by Salesforce's SMS carrier partnerships. Coverage has expanded release by release; check the current list for your countries in your org's setup rather than assuming.
- While vetting runs, build the consent capture. SMS consent is separate from email consent and is auditable in the marketing app.
- Set the blockout window before the first send (see the blockout windows tip) so the first campaign goes out inside sensible hours.
Example use case
A gym chain wants SMS class reminders live for January. In September the marketing lead confirms the SMS add-on is on the renewal, submits brand vetting in October, and uses November to wire consent capture into the join form. When the reminder campaign is built in December, the only thing left to test is the message.
Prerequisites, limitations and risks
- The Salesforce Message Credits SMS add-on. The Spring '25 notes state it is required; pricing is not in the source
- Brand vetting must be completed before sending. Duration and exact requirements are not stated in our source; confirm in your org
- Country coverage depends on Salesforce's carrier partnerships at the time. The list in the Spring '25 notes is not exhaustive for later releases
- SMS consent is required per recipient and is tracked separately from email consent
Documented behaviour above comes from the sources listed below. Availability varies by edition, SKU and region - confirm entitlements in your own org before you rely on a feature.
Sources
Stuck on this in your own org?
Blueport is a Sydney-based Certified Salesforce Consulting Partner with 100+ implementations since 2018. If a step above does not match what you see in Marketing Cloud Next, tell us - it is either an edition difference or a change worth knowing about, and we will find out which.
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