Entity ID, Sender ID & Content Template ID

All three DLT IDs

Before any Bulk SMS campaign in India, operators check that your Principal Entity, sender header and message template are registered and linked. Missing or mismatched IDs usually mean the message is blocked by DLT — not by wowsms billing.

1. Principal Entity ID (PE ID / Entity ID)

The Principal Entity ID is the unique registration number for your business on a TRAI DLT portal. Entities with an approved PE ID are authorised to send commercial SMS under TRAI guidelines. All of your Headers and Templates sit under this entity.

Official DLT portals

You register once on any authorised operator DLT platform. Steps below use Jio Trueconnect as a concrete example; Airtel, Vi and BSNL flows are similar (KYC → wait for approval → receive PE ID).

• Jio Trueconnect — Common Principal Entity registration portal
• VIL (Vi) DLT — Vodafone Idea DLT platform
• Airtel DLT — Airtel commercial communication / DLT
• BSNL DLT — BSNL UCC / DLT portal

How to get a PE ID on Jio Trueconnect

1. Open trueconnect.jio.com and choose Register Now.
2. Select Principal Entity (not Telemarketer, unless that is your role).
3. If this is your first DLT registration, choose No when asked if you already have an Entity ID, then fill organisation details.
4. Pick organisation type, KYC document type and number. Upload KYC and PAN/TAN (usually under 5 MB).
5. Enter email, password, mobile and organisation address → Submit. Verify the OTP sent to your mobile.
6. Wait for processing (often 2–3 working days). You receive email when the request is received, then again when approved — with login details and your PE / Entity ID.
7. Log in to the DLT dashboard and confirm the Entity ID shown at the top / profile section.

2. Sender ID (Header)

A Header (still often called Sender ID) is the short name customers see as the SMS sender. It must be registered under your PE ID before you can use it on any Bulk SMS route — including wowsms.

• Transactional / service headers — usually 6 alphabetic characters (no digits). Used for OTPs, alerts and service messages (rules depend on route: Service Implicit / Explicit, etc.).
• Promotional headers — typically numeric only. Promotional traffic is restricted (for example non-DND numbers and permitted hours on many routes).

Example header: WOWSMS

How to register a Header on Jio DLT

1. Log in to your Jio DLT account → open Header SMS → Header SMS Registration.
2. Choose Header Type: Promotional, or Others (Transactional / Service Explicit / Service Implicit) based on your content.
3. Select the closest Header Category for your industry (or Others).
4. Create the Header name following portal rules (6 letters for most service / transactional headers; numeric for promotional). Submit the request.
5. If the name is already taken, pick another. Approval commonly takes 3–7 working days. Track status under Header SMS Details (Pending / Rejected / Registered).

3. Content Template ID

Every distinct message format needs its own Template ID — a code assigned after the DLT team approves your content. If you send five different message layouts, you need five Template IDs. Variables (for OTP, name, amount, etc.) are allowed where the portal permits {var} placeholders.

Example Template ID: 1122334455667788990

Common communication types

• Transactional — typically reserved for banking / similar regulated use.
• Promotional — marketing; usually non-DND only and time-window restricted; numeric header.
• Service Explicit — service messages with consent rules; often alphabetical header; often non-DND only.
• Service Implicit / Inferred — informative / service content under portal rules (promotional content is not allowed on this route).

How to get a Template ID on Jio DLT

1. Log in → Template → Content Template Registration.
2. Keep Template Type as SMS (unless you are registering another channel type supported by that portal).
3. Choose Type of Communication, enter the exact template text (with variables if needed), and submit.
4. Track status under Content Template Details. When Registered, copy the Template ID.
5. Pass that Template ID (and matching message text) when you send SMS through wowsms — via the dashboard API or /api/v1/sms/send.

TRAI rules — what gets checked

• Every commercial SMS must carry PE / Entity ID, Header (Sender ID) and Template ID.
• DLT checks that the PE ID is registered.
• DLT checks that the Header is registered under that PE ID.
• DLT checks that the Template ID is approved for that PE ID.
• The actual message body must match the approved template (including variable structure).
• If anything fails — wrong PE ID, unregistered header, missing template, content mismatch — the message is blocked.

How this works with wowsms

wowsms does not replace the TRAI DLT portal. You register Entity, Headers and Templates with an operator DLT platform first. Then you connect them here so sending is unlocked and routed correctly.

1. Complete PE ID, Header and Template registration on your DLT portal.
2. In Dashboard → DLT & Senders, submit your Entity ID (with approval screenshot) and your Sender / Header (with screenshot).
3. Wait until both show APPROVED. SMS sending stays locked until then.
4. Buy credits, then send with your approved sender, entity and template ID — see API docs.

Common FAQs

Where are the three DLT IDs displayed?

PE / Entity ID appears in your DLT approval email and usually at the top of the DLT dashboard. Headers are under the Header section. Template IDs appear on approved templates in the Template section.

Do I need all three IDs to send SMS?

Yes. Entity ID, Sender ID (Header) and Template ID are all required for DLT-compliant Bulk SMS.

Can I use another business’s PE ID?

No. You must register your own business on a DLT portal. Using someone else’s PE ID is not allowed and will fail checks.

How many Template IDs do I need?

One Template ID for every distinct message format. Shared variables are fine; a completely different sentence structure needs a new template.

What happens if I send without DLT IDs?

Operators block the traffic. On wowsms, the send API also rejects requests until your Entity and SMS Sender are approved in the portal.

Does wowsms help with DLT?

Yes. We guide Entity and Sender onboarding in the dashboard, review submissions, and sync approved details for sending. Template registration still happens on your DLT portal — then you pass the Template ID when sending.