What is an SMS shortcode?
An SMS shortcode is a 5 digit number to which an SMS text message can be sent. Shortcodes are often used by businesses to allow  customers to opt-in to their SMS campaigns, alert services, or to enter SMS competitions.

A dedicated shortcode is provisioned to a specific company or organisation to enable the running of multiple campaigns or services. Any alphanumeric message sent to a dedicated shortcode will be received by the BulkSMS customer to whom the shortcode is allocated.A shared shortcode is pooled between multiple businesses or organisations. This means that two or more companies may share the same shortcode, but have different keywords. Each BulkSMS customer has a unique keyword which is sent to the shortcode. If for example you have chosen the keyword “School” on 10001, all messages coming in with the keyword “School” will come in to your BulkSMS inbox.