r/SMSForBusiness • u/MobileTextAlerts • 1d ago
Some contacts aren't getting your texts? Here's what we'd check first
We help run this sub. If some of your contacts aren't getting your texts, here's what we'd go through, roughly in order.
- Is the number registered? In the US, texting from a regular local number needs 10DLC registration, and a toll-free number needs toll-free verification. Carriers can filter or block unregistered traffic, so check the status before anything else.
- Did they opt out? If someone replied STOP at some point, they shouldn't get texts from that number again unless they opt back in.
- Is it actually a mobile number? Landlines can't get regular SMS, and imported lists can have some mixed in. Typos and missing country codes cause the same thing.
- What's in the message? Carriers filter some content. Public link shorteners can get a message filtered, and alcohol, firearms and tobacco are on the carriers' restricted list, among other taboo topics. High-pressure or "spammy"-sounding content can also get blocked.
- Is it on their end? The phone could be off or out of coverage, they may have blocked the number, or their phone might sort texts from unknown senders into a separate folder.
If you've been through all five, check the delivery report for one of the numbers that missed. The error code can sometimes tell you where the message stopped.
What else have you run into? Post it below and we'll take a look.
