Understanding Text Message Delivery Warnings

When an outgoing text message cannot be delivered, Inbox may show a yellow warning card in the conversation. The card is there to help staff understand what happened and what to do next.

The warning card is internal. It is not sent to the contact.

Pre-send blocks vs delivery warnings

Some issues are caught before you click Send. When texting is not allowed for the current contact, the composer shows a yellow "SMS sending is blocked" banner and disables the Send button for replies. This happens when the contact has no mobile number or an invalid number, has opted out or is not marked OK to text, or when the client's case is deactivated. Update the record first, then try again. Delivery warnings only appear after a send attempt and are attached to a specific message in the thread.

Pre-send blocks in the composer

Sometimes Inbox blocks SMS before you send and shows an amber banner in the thread that says "SMS sending is blocked" with a short reason. In this state the Send button is disabled for SMS replies.

• You can still switch the composer to Note to leave an internal note for your team.

• If you need to contact the person right away with sensitive details, consider a secured message for the client’s portal instead of SMS.

Common reasons include:

• "Contact is not marked OK to text. Update their contact preferences before sending SMS."

• "This client's case is deactivated. Reactivate the case before sending SMS."

• The contact has opted out of SMS. They must text START to your number to opt back in.

• Missing or invalid mobile number. Update the record with a textable mobile number.

Fix the underlying issue on the contact record, then return to the conversation. Once the requirement is met, SMS sending is re-enabled.

How to read the warning card

A delivery warning usually has three parts:

• The main message: explains the most likely reason the text did not go through. For example: "This number is a landline and cannot receive text messages. Try calling instead."

• The phone numbers used: the card may show To (the phone number CoolFocus tried to text) and From (your organization's texting number). These help staff confirm whether the right contact number and sending number were used.

• The recommended next step: tells staff what to do next. For example: "Use a voice call or update the record with a mobile number."

Common warnings

This number is a landline

The number cannot receive text messages. This often means the number is a landline, office phone, or another non-SMS-capable number.

• What to do: Call the number instead, or update the contact record with a mobile number that can receive texts.

This phone number is invalid

The number may be incomplete, formatted incorrectly, disconnected, or no longer active.

• What to do: Confirm the number with the person, then update the contact record before sending another text.

This contact has opted out of SMS

The number is blocked from receiving texts from your organization. This usually happens when the person texted an opt-out keyword such as STOP, or when the carrier reports the number as opted out.

• What to do: Do not keep retrying. The person must text START to your texting number if they want to receive texts again. Until then, use another contact method.

Consent is required

CoolFocus does not have recorded SMS opt-in consent for this phone number.

• What to do: Open the contact's phone information, record consent or send a consent link, then try again after consent is complete.

Multiple records use this phone number

The same phone number is connected to more than one record. CoolFocus may still send the text, but the warning is asking staff to confirm they are communicating with the correct person.

• What to do: Review the matching records before continuing the conversation.

The phone is unreachable

The phone may be turned off, out of service range, or temporarily unable to receive texts.

• What to do: Wait and try again later. If the message is urgent, call or use another contact method.

The message was blocked or filtered

The carrier or recipient's phone may have blocked the message. This can happen because of spam filtering, blocked sender settings, suspicious links, repeated messages, or carrier rules.

• What to do: Review the message content, avoid spam-like wording, and use another contact method if needed.

The message was not delivered

Sometimes Twilio or the carrier does not give CoolFocus a specific reason. In that case, Inbox may show a more general delivery warning.

• What to do: Check the phone number and message content. If the problem repeats, send the conversation details to support.

When not to retry

Do not keep retrying when the warning says the number is a landline, opted out, invalid, or missing required consent. The next step is to fix the contact record, get consent, or use another contact method.

Retrying later can make sense when the phone is temporarily unreachable or when the carrier reported a general delivery issue.

What to send support

If support needs to investigate, include:

• The conversation or contact name.

• The date and time of the failed message.

• A screenshot of the yellow warning card.

• The To and From numbers shown on the card.

• Whether the message was a direct Inbox text, an appointment reminder, or an SMS notification for a secured message.

Do not include unnecessary sensitive client details in support notes or screenshots.