SMS Error Codes
If you send an SMS through Salesmsg and see an error, this guide will help you:
Understand what the error means
Know what you can try to fix it
Learn how to view the error code directly in your interface
š #1 Recommendation
Enable PhoneCheckr to lookup your contact phone numbers to ensure that you send texts to valid numbers that can receive SMS text messages.
How to View the Error Code
In your Salesmsg Conversations page, and locate the message that shows a red āĆā (indicating failure).
Hover your mouse cursor over the red āĆā icon (or tap/long-press on mobile).
A small tooltip or popup will display the error code (e.g. ā30003ā) and often a short description.
This helps you quickly see which error you're dealing with and refer to this guide for next steps.
2000 - 2999 Errors
Code | Description | Whatās Happening | What to Try |
21266 | āToā and āFromā numbers canāt be the same | You tried sending from a number to itself | Use different numbers; donāt set ātoā and āfromā as the same value |
21211 | Invalid āToā number | Wrong formatting or invalid phone number | Check number format, use a valid mobile number |
21408 | SMS permission not enabled for region | Region isnāt enabled in your account.
| Look at Extending international texting via your General settings. (Additional rates apply.) |
21606 | āFromā number is not SMS-capable.
You can only send SMS messages from a phone number or short code provided by or ported to Salesmsg, and that phone number must be SMS-capable.
For short codes, the From number must be in the same country as the To number. | The sending number isnāt enabled or valid | Use a Salesmsg SMS-enabled number and confirm itās listed as such.
If you are sending from a short code, verify that the country you are sending to matches the country of the short code. |
21610 | Recipient has unsubscribed | The person previously replied āSTOPā |
|
21612 | Invalid āToā / āFromā combination | Most likely that Salesmsg does not yet have service with the carrier you are trying to reach. | Check number formats, use supported carriers |
21614 | āToā isnāt a mobile number | You tried sending to a landline or invalid number |
|
3000 - 3999 Errors
Code | Description | Whatās Happening | What to Try |
30003 | Unreachable handset. | The device is off or out of service |
|
30005 | Unknown or inactive number |
| Try alternate number or verify the contact |
30006 | Landline or unreachable carrier | The number canāt receive SMS | Use only valid numbers (type: mobile, VoIP) and skip sending to Landlines. |
30007 | Message filtered (blocked) | Message flagged by filters as spam | Review content (remove spammy words), comply with rules |
30008 | Unknown delivery error | Generic failure with no clear reason | Try sending a shorter message to the phone, with simple content that does not include any special characters. |
30011 | MMS not supported | Recipient canāt receive MMS |
|
30032 | Toll-Free not verified | Youāre using an unverified toll-free number | Complete toll-free verification process |
30410 | System error | Internal or server-side issue | Wait and retry; contact support if it persists |
International Texting Failure
If your international texting isnāt working, the most common reason is that the International Texting feature is turned off in your settings.
When international texting is disabled, Salesmsg will automatically block outgoing messages to all countries except:
United States (US)
Canada (CA)
United Kingdom (GB)
Australia (AU)
ā
How to fix it:
Check your account settings and make sure the Extended International Texting feature is enabled if you need to message contacts outside of the four supported countries.
"Unable to send message to this region"
Why does it say āUnable to send message to this regionā?
This error means that messages canāt be sent to numbers from that country - either because the region isn't supported or is restricted by platform rules.
Common reasons:
The destination country isnāt allowed in your current messaging settings
The senderās phone number doesnāt support messaging to that region
Compliance rules or platform policies restrict delivery to certain countries
ā
What to do:
Check your account settings or contact support to see if messaging to that country can be enabled or if you need a different type of phone number (like one that supports international messaging).
"Insufficient_funds"
This error pops up when your account doesnāt have enough credits to send a message or complete an action (like a call or broadcast).
Salesmsg services run on prepaid credits, so if your balance is too low, the system canāt process the message - and youāll see this error.
ā
How to fix it:
Just top up your account by adding more credits. Once your balance is restored, youāll be able to send messages again.
"Stopped by user"
What it means:
This message was part of a broadcast campaign that was manually stopped before it finished sending.
Why it happens:
You (or someone on your team) clicked āStopā on the broadcast. That cancels any messages that hadnāt been sent yet.
ā
How to fix it:
If this was accidental, youāll need to create a new broadcast to resend the messages that were canceled.
"Duplicate_message"
This error shows up when the system detects that the exact same message is being sent again - usually from an external integration or automation.
To protect your contacts from getting spammed, Salesmsg has a deduplication system that blocks identical messages sent too close together.
ā
How to fix it:
Change up the message slightly (even a small edit can help), or adjust your automation to avoid sending the same content more than once in a short period.
"Unknown_bad_number"
This error pops up when the phone number you're trying to message is invalid or unrecognized by the system.
It usually means there's a problem with the number ā like missing a country code, having the wrong format, or the number being disconnected or inactive.
ā
How to fix it:
Double-check the number format (including the country code) and make sure itās a valid, active mobile number. Using a number validation tool like PhoneCheckr can help avoid this error.
ā ļø Common Provider Errors
"Provider_error"
[HTTP 400] Unable to create record
This error means your message couldnāt be sent because thereās an issue with the phone number itself.
Why it happens:
The number isnāt enabled for SMS on your account.
The number isnāt properly linked or provisioned in the system.
The number is a landline, VoIP, or another type that canāt receive SMS.
There may be an internal system issue preventing the number from being verified.
How to fix it:
Make sure the number is correctly set up and provisioned for SMS.
Verify that the number is supported by your messaging provider.
ā Trying to send a message to a landline
Landline numbers cannot receive text messages. If you try to send an SMS to a landline, it will fail.
Tip: Use a mobile number that supports SMS for messaging in Salesmsg.
ā US-based short code restriction
If you see this error, it means your US short code can only send messages to US phone numbers. Short codes (5-6 digit numbers) are region-specific, so sending to international numbers isnāt allowed.
Tip: Only send messages to numbers within the country your short code is registered in.
ā Message contains blacklisted words
Your message includes words or phrases that the system doesnāt allow. These could be related to spam, illegal activities, adult content, or other prohibited topics.
Why it happens:
The system has an internal blacklist of restricted keywords.
Your message may violate platform policies.
How to fix it:
Check your message ā Look for words that might trigger the blacklist (common ones relate to drugs, adult content, or spam).
Modify the wording ā Rephrase your message to remove restricted terms.
Contact support ā If youāre unsure which words are blocked, reach out to Salesmsg support for guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I being charged for failed messages?
Starting September 30, 2024, some messages that return a āFailedā status will include a Message Processing Fee of $0.001.
This small fee is a pass-through cost from the carrier - not a charge from Salesmsg. It covers the processing that happens even if the message canāt be delivered (like carrier-level handling or delivery attempts).
š” Only certain types of failures incur this fee. Itās not charged on every failed message.
Need Help? āš»
Contact us on live chat or send an email to us at [email protected].