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Glossary

Messaging & CPaaS Glossary

Plain-language definitions for the terms used across WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, and Voice messaging in India- from CPaaS and DLT to Verified Sender and DND. Written to be accurate, not to sell you anything.

25 terms defined · Grounded in how each term is actually used

Get Click Media operates across WhatsApp Business API, RCS, Bulk SMS, and Voice/IVR, so this glossary covers terms spanning all four channels- the compliance vocabulary of DLT and TRAI, the product terms of CPaaS and messaging platforms, and the channel-specific concepts unique to each. Each definition below reflects how the term is actually used in practice, with a link to a deeper page where one exists on this site.

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A

API (REST API for Messaging)
A REST API is how a business's own software sends messages programmatically instead of through a dashboard- an application calls the API to trigger a WhatsApp template, an RCS message, a bulk SMS, or a voice call, with delivery, read, and click events pushed back in real time through webhooks. Every channel on Get Click Media's platform- WhatsApp Business API, RCS, Bulk SMS, and Voice- is reachable through the same REST API.

B

Broadcast
A broadcast sends the same message, personalised per recipient, to a large list of contacts in a single campaign rather than as individual one-to-one replies. On WhatsApp this reaches opted-in customers with rich media and buttons attached; RCS and SMS follow the same one-to-many model, and Voice Broadcast (OBD) applies it to pre-recorded phone calls. WhatsApp Broadcast
BSP (Business Solution Provider)
A BSP is a company authorised by Meta to give other businesses access to the WhatsApp Business API- handling account setup, verification, template submission, and infrastructure, since Meta does not grant API access directly to individual businesses. Get Click Media is an official Meta BSP headquartered in Noida. WhatsApp Business API

C

Chatbot
A chatbot is an automated conversational flow that handles FAQs, lead qualification, and support without a human agent replying to every message. It's most commonly deployed on WhatsApp, where it can escalate a conversation into a live shared-team inbox the moment it needs a human. WhatsApp Chatbot
Click-to-Chat
Click-to-Chat is a direct link- formatted as wa.me/[country code][number], optionally with a pre-filled message- or a QR code that opens a WhatsApp conversation with a business number the instant it's tapped or scanned, without the customer needing to save the contact first. It's commonly placed on websites, ad creatives, and packaging, and can hand off into WhatsApp Business API automation once the conversation starts. WhatsApp Click to Chat
Conversation-Based Pricing
Conversation-based pricing is WhatsApp Business API's billing model- instead of paying per message, a business is charged per 24-hour conversation window, with the rate depending on the conversation's category: Marketing, Utility, Authentication, or customer-initiated Service. A limited number of Service conversations are free every month before paid categories apply. WhatsApp Business API Pricing India
CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service)
CPaaS is a cloud platform that lets a business add messaging and voice channels into its own products through APIs, instead of building telecom infrastructure itself. Get Click Media operates as a CPaaS provider, giving Indian businesses one account and one API across WhatsApp Business API, RCS, Bulk SMS, and Voice/IVR.

D

DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology)
DLT is the TRAI-mandated framework every commercial SMS in India must pass through- a blockchain-based system where a business's Principal Entity, its SMS provider's Telemarketer registration, its Header (Sender ID), and its message Templates are each registered and cross-checked by telecom operators in real time. If any link in that chain is missing, the message is blocked before it reaches the recipient. DLT Principal Entity Registration
DND (Do Not Disturb / NCPR)
DND refers to the National Customer Preference Register (NCPR), TRAI's registry of numbers that have opted out of promotional or telemarketing contact. Promotional SMS and calls to DND-registered numbers are blocked unless the customer has explicitly opted in for that category; transactional and service communications are treated differently and can still reach DND-registered numbers. TRAI Voice Call Regulations Guide
DND-Exempt / Transactional Route
The transactional route is the DND-exempt category for SMS and voice content that isn't promotional- OTPs, payment confirmations, order and booking updates. It reaches every number regardless of DND registration and carries no time-of-day restriction, unlike the promotional route, which is blocked on DND numbers and, for SMS, limited to a 9 AM-9 PM sending window. DLT Sender ID Registration

G

Green Tick
The Green Tick is WhatsApp's verified-business checkmark, shown next to a business's name once Meta completes its business verification process. It's a meaningful trust signal for customers but genuinely difficult for most businesses to obtain- a gap that RCS addresses differently with its own Google-verified sender badge.

I

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
An IVR system is an automated phone menu that greets a caller and routes them, based on the key they press, to a department, agent, voicemail, or self-service option, without a human needing to answer and manually transfer every call. Menus can nest into sub-menus, and a fallback path handles callers who press nothing or an invalid key. IVR System

O

Opt-In
Opt-in is a customer's explicit consent to receive a specific category of business messaging. WhatsApp Business API requires an opt-in- a checkbox, keyword, or QR code- before a business can send the first business-initiated conversation; bulk SMS needs no opt-in for transactional or service content but must respect DND for promotional sends; RCS can message within Google's content guidelines without a prior opt-in step at all.
OTP (One-Time Password)
An OTP is a single-use verification code sent to confirm a login, transaction, or account change. It's most commonly delivered by SMS on the DND-exempt transactional route, but can also go out through WhatsApp's Authentication conversation category or RCS, where a verified sender badge makes the code harder to spoof than one arriving from an unmarked SMS sender ID. RCS OTP

P

Principal Entity (PE)
The Principal Entity is the business itself, as registered on India's DLT platform- the first link in the DLT chain, without which no header, template, or SMS traffic under that business can be approved. PE registration requires documents such as a GST certificate, PAN, and authorised-signatory proof, and is typically approved within 1-3 business days. DLT Principal Entity Registration

R

RCS (Rich Communication Services)
RCS is Google's modern messaging standard, built into the default Google Messages app on most Android phones. It delivers Google-verified, rich-media messages- images, carousels, CTA buttons- with no app download and no opt-in step required, priced per message rather than per conversation, and falls back to plain SMS automatically on devices that don't support it. RCS Service Provider India
RTM (Registered Telemarketer)
An RTM is a business or entity registered with TRAI to place promotional or telemarketing voice calls. Outbound promotional calling at scale should be placed from an RTM-registered number rather than an ordinary unregistered connection, which risks being flagged, blocked, or blacklisted by telecom operators. TRAI Voice Call Regulations Guide

S

Sender ID / Header
A Sender ID, called a Header on DLT platforms, is the 6-character alphabetic name (like AMAZON or ICICIB) that appears in the "From" field of a commercial SMS instead of a phone number. Every header is registered under a Principal Entity and assigned a category- Transactional, Promotional, or Service- that determines who it can reach and when. DLT Sender ID Registration

T

TCCCPR
TCCCPR (Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations) is TRAI's regulatory framework for commercial voice calling in India, covering registered-telemarketer (RTM) requirements and DND/NCPR preference checking for promotional calls. It's a separate framework from TRAI's SMS-specific DLT rules- the two aren't interchangeable. TRAI Voice Call Regulations Guide
Telemarketer (TM)
The Telemarketer is the SMS or voice service provider registered on the DLT platform to actually transmit messages on a business's behalf. A business's Principal Entity must be bound to its Telemarketer's registered ID (TM Binding) before any traffic can send- without that binding, even a fully approved entity with approved headers and templates will have its messages rejected at the network level.
Template (Message Template)
A template is a pre-approved message format. On DLT, every SMS sent must exactly match an approved template except for {#var#} placeholder substitutions, and a template's category- Transactional, Promotional, or Service- can't be changed after approval. On WhatsApp, a template needs Meta's approval before it can start a business-initiated conversation; RCS generally needs no pre-approval for standard content. DLT Template Registration
TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India)
TRAI is the regulator behind India's major commercial-messaging compliance frameworks- DLT for SMS, which governs entity, header, and template registration, and TCCCPR for voice calling, which governs registered-telemarketer status and DND/NCPR preference checking. WhatsApp Business API sits outside TRAI's DLT and DND rules entirely. TRAI Voice Call Regulations Guide

V

Verified Sender / Verified Badge
A verified sender badge is a checkmark and business identity shown alongside a message, confirming it genuinely came from the business it claims to be from. On RCS this is a Google-verified badge earned through Google's brand verification process; on WhatsApp the equivalent is the Green Tick. Both make a message significantly harder to spoof than SMS from an unmarked sender ID. RCS Brand Verification
Voice Broadcast / OBD (Outbound Dialing)
Voice Broadcast, also called OBD, sends a pre-recorded voice message to thousands of numbers at once- for payment reminders, appointment alerts, or emergency notifications- optionally with an interactive "press 1 to confirm" prompt that routes the campaign toward IVR-style functionality. Delivery reporting shows answered, unanswered, and call-duration data per recipient. Voice Broadcast (OBD)

W

WABA (WhatsApp Business Account)
A WABA is the verified account, created and linked to a business's phone number, that WhatsApp Business API messages are sent from. Setting one up- alongside Meta Business Manager verification and template approval- is one of the core steps a BSP like Get Click Media manages during onboarding. WhatsApp Business API

Didn't find the term you were looking for?

Talk to Get Click Media's team about WhatsApp, RCS, Bulk SMS, or Voice/IVR- we'll walk you through whatever's still unclear.

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WhatsApp Business APIRCS Service Provider IndiaBulk SMS Service Provider IndiaVoice & IVR SolutionsDLT Principal Entity Registration