SMS Delivery Errors

Overview

SMS delivery failures can disrupt your patient communication workflow and impact your practice's efficiency. These errors typically occur when messages cannot reach their intended recipients due to various technical, regulatory, or carrier-related issues. By understanding these common delivery problems and their solutions, you can maintain reliable communication with your patients and ensure your TheraSaaS messaging system operates smoothly.

Why Understanding SMS Errors Matters

Proactively managing SMS delivery issues provides several key advantages for your practice:

Improved Patient Communication: Identifying and resolving delivery problems ensures your appointment reminders, follow-ups, and important notices reach patients consistently.

Faster Problem Resolution: Recognizing specific error patterns allows you to address issues quickly, minimizing communication disruptions.

Regulatory Compliance: Understanding carrier restrictions and messaging regulations helps you avoid compliance violations and potential penalties.

Cost Optimization: Reducing failed messages prevents unnecessary charges and improves your messaging budget efficiency.

How to Check SMS Delivery Status

When you suspect a message hasn't been delivered, follow these steps to investigate:

Step 1: Access Your Message History

• Navigate to the Conversations section in your TheraSaaS dashboard
• Search for the specific conversation or message thread
• Look for messages marked with warning indicators or delivery failure symbols

Step 2: Review Error Details

• Click on the failed message entry
• Hover over or click the error indicator (typically shown as a red warning symbol)
• Note the specific error code and description provided

Common SMS Delivery Errors and Solutions

Error 11751 - Media File Too Large

What it means: Your MMS attachment exceeds the maximum file size limit.

How to fix it:

• Reduce image or video file sizes before sending
• Use compression tools to optimize media content
• Consider sending a link to larger files instead of direct attachments
  
  

Error 21610 - Patient Opted Out

What it means: The recipient has sent "STOP" to unsubscribe from your messages.

How to fix it:

• Respect the opt-out request and stop messaging this number
• Only resume messaging if the patient sends "START" to opt back in
• Maintain proper opt-in records for compliance

Error 21612 - Number Unreachable from Current Sender

What it means: Your current phone number cannot reach the recipient due to carrier restrictions or routing limitations.

How to fix it:

• Use a local number when messaging patients in different regions
• Verify your number is enabled for the recipient's location
• Contact your messaging provider to confirm routing capabilities

Error 30002 - Account Suspended

What it means: Your messaging account was suspended between sending and delivery.

How to fix it:

• Contact your messaging service provider immediately
• Resolve any account issues or violations
• Ensure your account remains active for queued messages

Error 30003 - Recipient Phone Unavailable

What it means: The patient's phone is turned off, out of service range, or temporarily unavailable.

How to fix it:

• Retry sending the message after some time
• Verify the phone number is still active
• Consider alternative communication methods for urgent matters

Error 30004 - Message Blocked by Carrier

What it means: The mobile carrier has blocked delivery to this specific number.

How to fix it:

• Confirm the phone number is valid and correctly formatted
• Avoid messaging numbers with a history of delivery failures
• Review your message content for potential spam triggers

Error 30005 - Device Unreachable

What it means: The recipient's device has been unreachable for an extended period.

How to fix it:

• Wait and retry the message later
• Clean your contact list to remove consistently unreachable numbers
• Update patient contact information during appointments

Error 30006 - Landline or Incompatible Number

What it means: The number cannot receive SMS messages (typically a landline or incompatible device).

How to fix it:

• Remove landline numbers from your SMS contact lists
• Use number validation tools to verify SMS compatibility
• Maintain separate lists for phone calls versus text messages

Error 30007 - Carrier Spam Filtering

What it means: The mobile carrier blocked your message for suspected spam or policy violations.

How to fix it:

• Avoid promotional language and excessive capitalization
• Use personalized, professional messaging
• Register your number for business messaging compliance
• Avoid shortened URLs and suspicious links

Error 30034 - Unregistered Business Number

What it means: You're using an unregistered 10-digit long code (10DLC) number for business messaging.

How to fix it:

• Register your business number through your messaging provider
• Complete the A2P (Application-to-Person) registration process
• Ensure your number is associated with an approved messaging campaign

Error 30008 - Unknown Error

What it means: An unspecified delivery problem occurred.

How to fix it:

• Review your message content for formatting issues
• Test with a different phone number to isolate the problem
• Contact TheraSaaS support if the issue persists

Best Practices for SMS Delivery Success

To minimize delivery errors and maintain effective patient communication:

• Maintain Clean Contact Lists: Regularly update and validate patient phone numbers
• Use Professional Messaging: Keep messages clear, professional, and compliant
• Monitor Delivery Reports: Regularly check your message delivery status
• Respect Opt-Out Requests: Always honor patient unsubscribe requests
• Test Before Bulk Sending: Send test messages to verify delivery before large campaigns

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I get a user to resubscribe after opting out? The user must send a message with the word START to the same number they unsubscribed from.

Q: Can I resend messages that failed due to a 30007 error? Yes, but first revise the content to comply with carrier filtering guidelines before retrying.

Q: Why do some messages fail even if the number is valid? Carriers may still block messages due to content filtering or recipient settings.

Q: How can I tell if a number is a landline? Use number validation tools or scrub lists before uploading to TheraSaaS.

Q: Will TheraSaaS alert me of frequent SMS errors? You can review delivery reports, but setting up notifications via workflows is recommended for real-time alerts.

Need Additional Help?

If you continue experiencing SMS delivery issues or need assistance with specific error codes, contact TheraSaaS support with the following information:

• The specific error code and description
• The recipient's phone number (if appropriate)
• The message content and timing
• Any patterns you've noticed with delivery failures
  
  

Our support team can help you troubleshoot complex delivery issues and optimize your patient communication strategy. Submit your ticket Here.