Strong communication builds strong schools. Keep families and staff informed, engaged, and prepared whether when sending out routine updates or urgent alerts. Use the instructions and templates below to help your community understand where messages are coming from and how to manage subscriptions with confidence.
Let’s make sure everyone receives the messages that matter most.
This article exists to provide District Administrators, School Administrators, and Principals with everything they need to understand how to manage Messages XR Enterprise on behalf of their teachers and staff.
Step 1: Identify your messaging type: Short Code or 10DLC
Determine whether your school or district is using short codes or 10-digit long codes (10DLC) for Outreach messages.
- Messages coming from the 5-digit number 97178 are an outreach short code.
- Messages coming from a 10-digit local number are 10-digit long codes (10DLC).
- Emergency messages always come from the shared short code 53291, regardless of your Outreach setup.
- Tipline notifications come from 54968.
Step 2: Recognize your message sources
For schools using 10DLC:
- Outreach messages will come from your unique 10-digit number.
- Emergency messages will still come from 53291.
For schools using short codes:
- Outreach messages will come from 97178.
- Emergency messages will come from 53291.
These codes are standardized across all buildings in your school community.
Step 3 (for 10DLC users): Request your KeyCode (UID)
For schools and districts migrating to 10DLC, a KeyCode is automatically included. This is a unique 2–8 character alphanumeric prefix attached to the beginning of every SMS message.
Carrier compliance: Mobile carriers now require a non-numeric identifier to verify the sender. To meet these guidelines, KeyCodes must be alphanumeric (containing at least one letter) and cannot be numbers only.
Global uniqueness & safety: Every KeyCode must be unique within the Messages XR Enterprise system. This prevents "opt-out conflicts"—ensuring that if a parent unsubscribes from one school, they aren't accidentally blocked from a different institution using a similar code.
Instant identification: A custom prefix (e.g.,
CENTHS) allows parents to instantly know which school is contacting them before they even open the message.
KeyCode (UID) prefix requirements and examples
Length: Must be between 2 and 8 characters.
Format: Must be Alphanumeric (must include at least one letter; cannot be all numbers).
Style: Use capital letters, no spaces, and no special characters.
Availability: Must be globally unique (not already in use by another school).
| Format | Status | Example | Compliance Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letters Only | ✅ Yes | CENTHS |
Meets alphanumeric standards and allows for unique opt-out tracking. |
| Letters + Numbers | ✅ Yes | FSD101 |
Recommended. Combines branding with a unique identifier. |
| Numbers Only | ❌ No | 12345 |
Strictly Prohibited. Carriers will block these as "spoofed" or invalid IDs. |
⚠️ Compliance and availability
KeyCodes act as unique routing addresses. If two schools share a code, an opt-out (like "STOP") for one could accidentally blacklist a parent from the other.
This uniqueness ensures TCPA compliance and prevents carrier spam filtering. Since codes are assigned first-come, first-served, we will help you find an effective alternative if your first choice is already in use.
✅ Ready to set your KeyCode?
- If you are currently migrating to 10DLC, your KeyCode and 10-digit numbers are prepared in advance by the migration team. You will receive advanced visibility on these details during your scheduled migration window.
- Once you have selected a prefix that meets the requirements above, contact Finalsite support to set the 2-8 digit alphanumeric prefix for your organization(s).
Step 4: Share with your community
Announce your new messaging numbers using the following templates:
Subject: Important Update: New SMS number for urgent communications
Dear [Community Name],
We have a new number specifically for emergency text messages.
Starting today, you’ll receive:
- Emergency text messages from 53291
- General/outreach messages from 97178
This change allows us to maintain message deliverability while returning to the familiar setup of separate numbers for emergency and general messages.
We encourage you to save both numbers in your contacts so you can quickly recognize messages from our school.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[District Name]
[Contact Information]
[School/Dist Name] We have a new number for emergency alerts. You’ll now get urgent texts from 53291 and general messages from 97178. Please save both to your contacts!