Why a text says Not delivered
What each delivery state means, why a text bounces, and what to do about it.
Updated
Every text you send has a real delivery state under it in the inbox. Catchline never labels a text Sent unless the carrier accepted it, and it tells you when one bounces.
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Queued | Handed to the carrier and waiting to go out. Usually a few seconds. |
| Sent | Left the carrier network. Most phones show it within seconds. |
| Delivered | The customer's phone confirmed receipt. |
| Not delivered | The carrier could not deliver it: the number may be a landline, switched off for days, or filtering business texts. |
| Failed | Rejected before it left: an invalid number, a blocked route, or a number that has not finished carrier registration. |
| Simulated | Recorded but never sent. Only on installations without a texting number. |
What happens on a failure
Catchline texts you that the message to that number could not be delivered, with the carrier's error code, and flags the conversation as Text not delivered on the Overview and in the inbox. Call the customer instead. The conversation keeps the failed text so you can see what happened.
Common causes
- Landlines. Many callers ring from a landline. The call is logged; the text cannot land. Call them back.
- Carrier registration not finished. New numbers are approved for business texting before texts reach every network, which usually takes a few business days. Until then, texts to some carriers fail. If it has been longer than a week, email hello@catchlinehq.com.
- Carrier filtering. Texts with links or unusual wording are sometimes held. Keep your business name first and the wording plain.
- The customer blocked your number on their phone. There is nothing to fix on your side.
- A typo in a manual booking. Check the number on the contact and correct it.
If every text is failing, not just one, work through Customers are not getting texts.
Still stuck?
Email us with your business name and what you were trying to do. Screenshots help. If a page here does not match what you see in Catchline, say so and we will fix the page.
hello@catchlinehq.com