Why are my texts not sending?
Short answer
Most stuck texts trace back to an unverified sending number, a carrier filter flagging spammy language, or a contact who opted out. Check the message log for the failure reason first, since it usually points straight to the fix instead of leaving you guessing.
Before you start
- A business number set up for texting.
- Access to the message or activity log.
- The contact record for the affected message.
- Knowledge of recent template or number changes.
Step by step
- 1
Open the message log for the failed text
Find the specific message and read the failure reason attached to it.
The log almost always names the exact cause instead of leaving it a mystery.
- 2
Check the number's verification status
Confirm the sending number is fully registered and approved for messaging.
An unverified or newly registered number can be blocked before it ever reaches a carrier.
- 3
Look for opt-out or compliance blocks
Check if the contact previously replied STOP or was marked unsubscribed.
Sending to an opted-out contact is blocked by design to stay compliant.
- 4
Review the message content
Look for links, all caps, or spam-trigger words that carriers commonly filter.
Carrier filtering silently drops messages that look promotional or suspicious.
- 5
Check daily or account sending limits
Confirm you have not hit a volume limit for the number or account tier.
Hitting a limit queues or blocks messages until the window resets.
- 6
Test with a plain message to a known-good number
Send a short, plain text to your own phone to isolate whether the issue is content or delivery.
This narrows the problem to either the message itself or the sending setup.
- 7
Escalate with the error code if it persists
Note the exact failure code from the log before reaching out for support.
Specific error codes get resolved far faster than a general report of texts not working.
What good looks like
- The real cause of failed texts is identified instead of guessed at.
- Compliance blocks are respected rather than worked around.
- Message content stops triggering carrier filters.
- Future failures get diagnosed in minutes using the log.
Common mistakes
The ways this goes wrong in support, and what to do instead.
Resending without checking the log›
The same message fails again for the same unresolved reason.
Do this instead: Always read the failure reason in the message log before attempting to resend anything.
Ignoring opt-out status›
Repeated attempts to text an unsubscribed contact all fail silently.
Do this instead: Check the contact's compliance status and use a different channel if they have opted out.
Using flagged language in templates›
A template with a shortened link or all-caps offer gets filtered by carriers at scale.
Do this instead: Rewrite templates in plain conversational language and avoid shortened links where possible.
Frequently asked
5 questions about fix texts that are not sendingRelated guides
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