# What is a long code?

> A long code is a standard-length E.164 phone number — a virtual mobile or geographic number — used to send and receive SMS. Unlike a short code it supports two-way conversational messaging and is quick and cheap to provision, but has lower throughput and, on unregistered routes, weaker deliverability. In the United States, A2P long-code traffic must be registered as 10DLC. See /answers/what-is-short-code and /answers/what-is-short-code-vs-long-code.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-long-code
- Language: en
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-22
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

## Related

- [All answers](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [Glossary](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [What is an SMS short code?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-short-code)
- [What is toll-free SMS?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-toll-free-sms)
- [Short code vs long code — when to use each](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-short-code-vs-long-code)
- [What is a DID (Direct Inward Dialing) number?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-did)
- [What is a sender ID?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-sender-id)
- [Two-way SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/two-way-sms)
- [Bulk SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/bulk-sms)
