Help › Troubleshooting

Texts aren't being sent

Why a reminder, summary or missed-call text didn't arrive, where the dashboard shows it, and how to fix it.

When a text doesn't arrive, it's usually because the phone line isn't ready to send, the person replied STOP, or the text's own rules said not to send it. Work down this list.

1. Where to look

The dashboard notes most texts it tries to send, and whether they went:

Plugins: open the plugin (for example Appointment reminders) and look at Recent activity. Lines such as "Reminder for (ref) couldn't be sent" or "Confirmation for (ref) not sent: the number wasn't confirmed by its owner" are marked as problems. A plugin that needs attention says Needs attention on its tile.
Bookings: a booking shows a reminded label once its reminder has been texted.
Conversations: a call where the caller rang off without speaking shows "Rang off without speaking: text-back sent", "Rang off without speaking: text-back failed", or "Rang off straight away: no text (looked accidental)".
Test buttons: most plugins that send texts have a Test button that tells you if the phone line isn't ready.

2. Is the phone line ready to send?

Texts go through your phone line. Open Settings, then Phone line, and click Check connection. See Your phone line and number.

On SignalWire, Telnyx, Vonage and Plivo, the number must be saved in the "(provider) phone number" box. Without it, nothing can be sent.
A plugin test that says "Add your Twilio details in Settings › Phone first" means the phone line keys are missing. Those details now live in the Phone line tile.

3. Did they reply STOP?

Someone who replied STOP (or STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT on its own) gets no more automatic texts. The Text messages plugin's Recent activity shows "…123 opted out of texts". Only they can turn texts back on, by texting START to your number. See Texts and opt-outs.

This includes you and your team. If the daily summary's test says "That mobile replied STOP to your texts, so it can't be sent", text START to your business number from that mobile.

4. Is the number a UK mobile?

Reminders, confirmations and the missed-call text only go to UK mobile numbers (07...). Landlines and numbers from other countries are skipped.
In the dashboard, write numbers in full, like +44 7700 900123. A number starting 0 is turned into the +44 form for you.

5. Did the text's own rules hold it back?

Each kind of text has limits so nobody is pestered:

Missed-call text: only when the caller said nothing and seemed to mean to call. At most once a day to each number, and 40 a day in total. Never to numbers on your Call screening lists.
Reminders: once per booking, between 8am and 9pm. A booking made shortly before the reminder time may not get one.
Confirmations: only once Text a confirmation when a booking is made or cancelled is chosen. Made at night, they wait until 8am. A number typed into the website chat gets a "reply YES" text first, and only if Text messages is on. At most 4 a day to one number.
Call summaries: check Text me a summary is on in Call summaries, and that Text call summaries to in Phone line has your mobile. During your quiet hours, summary texts wait until the quiet hours end.

6. Sent, but from a name nobody can reply to

On Twilio, texts can show your business name instead of your number. If a network refuses the name, the text is sent from your number instead, automatically. But nobody can reply to a name, so replies and STOP can't reach you.

With the Text messages plugin on, choose Your number, so people can reply under Send texts from.

7. Replies aren't arriving

Replies (YES to a cancellation-list offer, STOP, answers to review requests) only reach CallsCovered if your number's incoming texts point at it.

Twilio: click Test in the Text messages plugin. It connects your number's texts for you and says "Connected. Texts to (your number) are now answered."
Other providers: paste the texts address from Phone line into your provider's account. See Phone providers.

8. Check your provider's own log

If the dashboard says a text couldn't be sent and everything above looks right, your phone provider's own message log will say why it refused it, for example a problem with your account there.

Still stuck?

Email hello@callscovered.ai with the kind of text, roughly when it should have gone, and the last three digits of the number. Please don't send your keys or tokens.

Still stuck? Write to hello@callscovered.ai with your business name and what you were trying to do, and a person will reply.