SMS with URLs generated from Firebase URL shortening service blocked by Verizon email-SMS gateway
maryc123
Newbie

My company uses the email to SMS gateway to send SMS alerts for traffic and travel events to several thousand subscribers per day. We include links to the traffic/travel event in the SMS alert so that people can view the event on a map and any other details that were not included in the original text.

We recently ended our bit.ly contract and implemented the free Firebase URL shortener service provided by Google. We found that Verizon blocks all SMS alerts that include a link generated by the Firebase URL shortening service.

Our systems show that the alert is successfully generated and accepted by Verizon, but it is never delivered. Can you please advise if there is anything we can do to prevent these alerts from being filtered? 

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Re: SMS with URLs generated from Firebase URL shortening service blocked by Verizon email-SMS gateway
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Thanks for your question, maryc123. I am happy to help you with the SMS URL shortener concern and would like to gather more information, so you are able to reach your customers without the SMS alerts being filtered. Can you tell me if this is strictly Verizon SMS texts being affected? Do you have a screenshot of any examples we can study?

 

Tina_VZW


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Re: SMS with URLs generated from Firebase URL shortening service blocked by Verizon email-SMS gateway
maryc123
Newbie

Hello,

Thank you for helping with this issue. Yes, this is strictly Verizon SMS alerts that are being affected. We've tested ATT and TMobile and have not experienced any issues.

I attached two files:

1. Picture of my ATT phone receiving SMS alerts with Firebase links from Iowa's staging environment. These texts were not received on our Verizon phone. I do not have a valid example of an Iowa production alert because I deleted them, but I can verify that my ATT phone received prod SMS alerts with Firebase links.

2. Picture of an email alert from Iowa's production environment showing the production alert link https://iacarsprod.page.link/qtCd. This alert would have also gone out via text to several hundred subscribers with this Firebase link. This was blocked for all Verizon subscribers.

Thanks,

MaryIowa+firebase+prod.png

Staging+iowa+firebase.jpg

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Re: SMS with URLs generated from Firebase URL shortening service blocked by Verizon email-SMS gateway
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

 We appreciate the response maryc123. We hit a little snag. Our staff is unable to open the links you shared in your post. I apologize for any inconvenience. Are you able to send screen shots? This would be more effective. Let's keep going.Bobby_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Re: SMS with URLs generated from Firebase URL shortening service blocked by Verizon email-SMS gateway
maryc123
Newbie

Hi Bobby,

I did include screen shots in my response and included a link. The link should have taken you here: Iowa Department of Transportation Traveler Information - Low Bandwidth Web - Road Reports .

The issue at hand is that all SMS messages that include a Firebase URL are not being received by Verizon customers. Could the structure of the Firebase URL be the problem (iacarsprod.page.link). My concern is that the structure is being flagged as spam by Verizon.

Mary

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Re: SMS with URLs generated from Firebase URL shortening service blocked by Verizon email-SMS gateway
Allthewerx
Newbie

Hi Mary,

Did you happen to find a solution for this?

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

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