# What is an SMS short code?

> A short code is a special 3-8 digit number, shorter than a full phone number, leased for high-throughput A2P and P2A SMS — marketing campaigns, keyword opt-ins, and two-way programmes. Short codes are provisioned per country, approved by operators, and carry the highest send rates and best deliverability, but cost more and take weeks to activate. See the fuller comparison at /answers/what-is-short-code-vs-long-code and /answers/what-is-long-code.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-short-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 a long code?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-long-code)
- [What is an SMS keyword campaign?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-a-keyword-campaign)
- [Short code vs long code — when to use each](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-short-code-vs-long-code)
- [What is a sender ID?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-sender-id)
- [What is A2P SMS?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-a2p-sms)
- [Bulk SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/bulk-sms)
- [Two-way SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/two-way-sms)