CNAM (Caller ID Name)
CNAM puts your name on the voice caller ID of your texting number. Register it so the same number that texts professionally does not call as 'Spam Likely.'
CNAM is voice-side infrastructure: when your number calls a consumer, their carrier queries a CNAM database and displays the registered name (15-character limit). It does not change how SMS displays — but it matters to texting programs anyway.
Why: most 10DLC numbers also place calls (missed-call follow-ups, sales callbacks), and an unregistered number showing "Unknown" or "Spam Likely" poisons the trust your texts are building. Registering CNAM, plus STIR/SHAKEN attestation through your provider and Free Caller Registry-class listings with analytics companies, keeps the voice identity consistent with the SMS identity.
Operationally it is cheap: most providers (Twilio, Telnyx, Bandwidth) offer CNAM registration on owned numbers for a small fee, with propagation across carrier databases taking days to weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Related glossary terms
Sender ID is the identifier recipients see as a message's source. The US requires numeric senders (10DLC numbers, toll-free, short codes); alphanumeric sender IDs like 'ACMECO' exist in many other countries but are not supported on US routes.
10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is the US carrier-mandated framework for sending Application-to-Person SMS from local 10-digit numbers, requiring brand and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry.
A long code is a standard 10-digit phone number. Businesses may only send A2P SMS from long codes after 10DLC registration; unregistered long-code traffic is filtered by US carriers.