The phone add-on, the carrier review, opt-outs, and number formats — the four reasons a text does not go.
Customer texting runs on a dedicated business number from the phone add-on, registered with the carriers (10DLC). Until that number is live, the SMS composer is not available; once it is live, a send can still fail for three reasons.
§1 · The add-on is not active or the number is not live yet
Check Admin Console → Integrations → Phone. The wizard shows the status of the business number: purchased, registration submitted, under carrier review, live. Carrier review takes days, not minutes; the "Set up your business phone number" guide describes each step and what to do while the review runs.
§2 · The customer opted out
A customer who replied STOP is opted out and every send to them is blocked by law. The customer record shows the opt-out; they can text START to the business number to opt back in — you cannot do it for them.
§3 · The number format
The customer phone must be a real mobile number. Landlines cannot receive SMS, and a number entered with an extension or letters will not send. Fix the number on the customer record and try again.
§4 · The send failed after leaving
The MESSAGES tab marks failed sends in the thread. A carrier can reject a message for content (links to unknown domains, all-caps "urgent" language) or for volume spikes; the "Incoming texts and failed sends" section of the texting guide lists the causes.
§Still stuck
- ◆Send support the customer phone number, the time, and the message text. Registration questions (the review is taking too long, a rejection reason) go to the same place — they are handled with the carrier.
§Related
- ◆Text a customer (Texts, email + alerts)
- ◆Set up your business phone number (Texts, email + alerts)
- ◆Sending compliance (Marketing)