There are several reasons a message might fail to deliver.
The most common reasons an individual number failed to receive a message are:
Their mobile number has been deactivated by their wireless carrier.
This is a landline number (typically from a 3rd-party integration like your ChMS or an imported file). If we detect that a text was sent to a landline, we will automatically prevent sending to that number in the future.
The mobile phone you are trying to reach is switched off, out of range, or otherwise unavailable.
Carrier Filtering
If you're seeing a significant number of texts being filtered it could be a result of carrier filtering. Text messages have one of the highest open rates of any communication channel, so carriers have strict rules to protect consumers from spam. Here are some best practices to keep your texts from being blocked.
SHAFT
The CTIA has outlined a set of content rules known as SHAFT — sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, and tobacco. Including content related to any of these topics in your call-to-action or any of your messages is considered a violation and may result in immediate filtering.
Public Link Shorteners
Spammers often use link shorteners to disguise harmful links. Therefore, carriers see these sites as red flags. If you include a link from bit.ly or any other commonly used link shortener, you run the risk of your messages being filtered.
Best Practice: Use our built-in URL shortener, included in your plan! You can set up your own, branded subdomain. You can even see how many clicks the link got right from the Messages page.
Consent
High opt-out rates and end user complaints can also result in filtering.
Best Practice: Ensure that you only send messages to subscribers who have provided consent (opted-in) to receive texts from you.
If you'd like more info on why a message failed or how to improve your deliverability, reach out to our team and we can look into it for you.