Troubleshooting SMS Delivery Issues

January 24, 20263 min read

🔧 Troubleshooting SMS Delivery Issues

Texts not sending or delivering? Here's how to diagnose and fix the most common SMS problems in The REI Pulse CRM.

Check These First

Before diving into troubleshooting, verify these basics:

  • [ ] Is your A2P registration approved?

  • [ ] Do you have a phone number purchased?

  • [ ] Does the contact have a valid 10-digit phone number?

  • [ ] Is the contact marked as DND (Do Not Disturb)?

Common Problems & Fixes

"Message failed to send" → Check if the phone number is valid (10 digits, no special characters) → Make sure the contact isn't marked as DND → Verify your A2P registration is approved

Texts sending but no replies coming back → Your messages might be getting filtered as spam → Check your message content for spam triggers (see below) → Make sure replies are routing to the right place

"Carrier violation" error → You're sending too many messages too fast → Your content triggered carrier spam filters → Slow down and review your messaging

"Unregistered" or "A2P required" error → Your A2P registration is not approved yet → Go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center to check status → Without A2P, you can only send about 3-5 texts per day

Messages stuck in "Queued" status → You may have hit your daily messaging limit → Check Settings > Phone Numbers > Messaging Limits → Limits increase over time as your account warms up

Spam Triggers to Avoid

Carriers filter messages that look like spam. Avoid these in your texts:

  • ALL CAPS MESSAGES

  • Excessive punctuation (!!!! or ????)

  • URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl)

  • Words like "FREE," "CASH," "ACT NOW," "URGENT"

  • Too many emojis

  • Identical messages sent to many people at once

Instead: Write natural, conversational messages like you're texting a friend.

Understanding Messaging Limits

Even after A2P approval, The REI Pulse CRM warms up your account gradually:

Stage Daily Limit New Account (No A2P) ~3-5 messages A2P Pending ~3-5 messages A2P Approved (New) ~100 messages Warmed Up Increases over time Fully Warmed Maximum allowed

Your follow-up sequences help warm up the account naturally. Don't try to blast thousands of messages on day one.

How to Check Message Status

Step 1: Go to Conversations in the left sidebar

Step 2: Find the contact you messaged

Step 3: Look at the message status:

  • Sent - Message left The REI Pulse CRM

  • ✓✓ Delivered - Message reached the carrier

  • Failed - Message didn't send (check error message)

  • 🕐 Queued - Message waiting to send

How to Check for Restrictions

Step 1: Go to Settings

Step 2: Click Phone Numbers

Step 3: Click the Restrictions tab

Step 4: Review any restrictions, when they happened, and why

The "I Texted STOP to Myself" Problem

If you replied STOP to your own number during testing, you blocked yourself from receiving messages.

How to fix: → Contact support to get your number removed from the DND list → Or text START to the number to re-enable messaging

When to Contact Support

Reach out if:

  • Your A2P has been pending for more than 14 business days

  • You're getting errors you don't understand

  • Messages are failing with no clear reason

  • You've been restricted and don't know why

What to include:

  • Screenshot of the error message

  • The phone number you're sending from

  • The phone number you're sending to

  • What you were trying to send

Need more help? Chat with our team, Post in The Pulse Community, or join our weekly live support call!

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