Text messaging is one of the highest-engagement channels in Aesthetix CRM, but it only works when your contacts have consented to hear from you and can easily stop marketing messages without losing important touchpoints like appointment reminders. This article covers the marketing-operations side of SMS consent: how opt-in and opt-out work, how to honor STOP requests, how to build a smarter marketing-only opt-out, the restricted terms and prescription-drug rules that keep your texts deliverable, and the international sending rules you need to know.
This is the day-to-day operational view. For the legal and regulatory background — TCPA, express written consent requirements, and record-keeping obligations — see the Compliance collection, which covers the underlying rules in depth. This article focuses on how to put those rules into practice inside Aesthetix CRM.
Before you can text a contact for marketing purposes, they must opt in — that is, give consent to receive promotional messages. Opt-in is typically collected when a contact submits a form, checks a consent box at booking, replies to an initial message, or otherwise agrees to receive texts from your practice.
Every marketing SMS you send should make it easy for the contact to stop receiving messages. At a minimum, each message must include carrier-required opt-out language such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." This keeps your sending compliant and protects your number's reputation with carriers.
For the full legal requirements around what counts as valid consent and how long you must retain proof of it, refer to the Compliance collection.
When a contact replies STOP to an SMS, Aesthetix CRM automatically enables Do Not Disturb (DND) for all SMS on that contact. This is a carrier-level requirement — once STOP is received, the contact will no longer receive any texts, including appointment reminders and confirmations.
This all-or-nothing behavior is exactly what carrier compliance requires, but it can be a problem for marketing operations: a contact who only wanted to stop promotional texts ends up losing every transactional message too. To keep those important touchpoints, you can offer a separate marketing-only opt-out alongside the required STOP option.
Rather than relying solely on STOP (which triggers full DND), you can offer contacts a custom opt-out phrase in your marketing messages that routes them into a separate workflow. This tags the contact as opted out of marketing while keeping them active for appointment-related texts, and removes them only from marketing/promotional SMS workflows.
Include a custom opt-out phrase in your marketing messages that gives contacts a way to stop marketing texts without triggering the platform-level STOP that blocks all SMS.
Step 1: Add a custom opt-out line to every marketing SMS, for example:
"Reply MKTG STOP to opt out of promotional messages only."
This lets contacts leave your promotional list while still receiving appointment reminders and confirmations.
Important: You must still include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" as required by carrier compliance. The custom phrase is an additional option you offer on top of that — never a replacement for it.
Before building the workflow, create the tag you'll use to filter contacts out of marketing sends.
Step 2: Go to Contacts in the left menu.
Step 3: Open any contact record and click + Add Tag.
Step 4: Type "Marketing Opt-Out" and save. This creates the tag in the system.
Step 5: Use this tag as an exclusion filter in all marketing workflows so tagged contacts are dropped from promotional sends.
This workflow fires when a contact replies with your custom keyword and tags them — without enabling full DND.
Step 6: Go to Automations → Workflows → + Create Workflow → Start from Scratch.
Step 7: Name it "SMS Marketing Opt-Out."
Step 8: Click + Add New Trigger and select Inbound SMS.
Step 9: Add a filter — Message contains → type MKTG STOP (or whatever phrase you chose).
Step 10: Click Save Trigger.
Step 11: Add an action — + Action → Add Tag → select Marketing Opt-Out.
Step 12: Add an action — + Action → Send SMS to send a confirmation message, for example:
"You've been removed from our promotional messages. You'll still receive appointment reminders and confirmations from us. Reply START if you'd like to re-subscribe."
Step 13: Publish and Save the workflow.
Wireless carriers actively filter messages containing prescription drug names to combat spam and protect consumers. To comply with carrier regulations and avoid message filtering or account suspension, the following prescription drug names and medical product terms cannot be used in bulk SMS messages. Messages containing these terms may be blocked, and repeated violations can result in your sending number being suspended or blacklisted.
Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, Saxenda, Victoza, Trulicity, Rybelsus, Zepbound, Phentermine, Adipex, Qsymia, Contrave, Xenical, Orlistat, Lomaira, Bontril, Didrex, Tenuate, Plenity
Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau, Daxxify, Botulinum, Onabotulinumtoxin, Abobotulinumtoxin, Incobotulinumtoxin, Prabotulinumtoxin, Daxibotulinumtoxin
Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, Sculptra, Belotero, Versa, Revanesse, RHA Collection, Kysse, Voluma, Vollure, Volbella, Defyne, Refyne, Lyft, Contour, Silk, Galderma, Teoxane, Stylage
Kybella, Deoxycholic, Aqualyx, Lipodissolve
Latisse, Bimatoprost, Tretinoin, Retin-A, Hydroquinone, Kligman, Obagi, SkinMedica
Testosterone, Estrogen, Progesterone, Estradiol, Sermorelin, Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, BPC-157, Thymosin, PT-141, Melanotan, HGH, Human Growth Hormone, Somatropin, Kisspeptin, Gonadorelin, Tesamorelin
Ketamine, Spravato, Esketamine, Lidocaine, Benzocaine
NAD+, NAD, Glutathione, Myers Cocktail
Viagra, Cialis, Sildenafil, Tadalafil, Vardenafil, Levitra, Stendra, Avanafil, Trimix, Caverject
Finasteride, Propecia, Minoxidil, Rogaine, Dutasteride, Avodart, Spironolactone
Accutane, Isotretinoin, Metformin, Naltrexone, Prednisone, Cortisone, Triamcinolone, Kenalog
All bulk SMS messages must include opt-out language. Acceptable phrases include:
Reply STOP to unsubscribe
Text STOP to opt out
Msg STOP to unsubscribe
Send STOP to unsubscribe
Best Practice: Focus your SMS messages on appointment reminders, promotions for non-prescription services, and general practice updates. Save medication-specific communications for email or in-person consultations, where content restrictions are far less strict.
What happens when a contact replies STOP?
Aesthetix CRM automatically enables Do Not Disturb for all SMS on that contact. This is a carrier-level requirement, and it stops every text — including appointment reminders — not just marketing messages. To let contacts opt out of marketing only, offer a custom opt-out phrase and workflow as described above.
Can I offer a marketing-only opt-out instead of STOP?
You can offer a custom marketing-only opt-out phrase (such as "MKTG STOP") in addition to STOP, but never instead of it. Carrier compliance requires that every message include a standard STOP option; the custom phrase is an extra convenience layered on top.
Why can't I use prescription drug names in bulk SMS?
Wireless carriers filter messages containing prescription drug names to combat spam and protect consumers. Messages with these terms may be blocked, and repeated violations can lead to your sending number being suspended or blacklisted. Move medication-specific messaging to email or in-person consultations.
Where do I find the legal requirements for consent?
This article covers the operational side of opt-in and opt-out. For the legal and regulatory background — including TCPA, express written consent, and record-keeping obligations — see the Compliance collection.
