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
🏆 #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 “×” (indicating failure).
Hover your mouse cursor over the red “×” icon (or tap/long-press on mobile).
A small tooltip or popup will display the error code (e.g. “30003”) 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 | What’s Happening | What to Try |
21266 | “To” and “From” numbers can’t be the same | You tried sending from a number to itself | Use different numbers; don’t set “to” and “from” as the same value |
21211 | Invalid “To” number | Wrong formatting or invalid phone number | Check number format, use a valid mobile number |
21408 | SMS permission not enabled for region | Region isn’t enabled in your account.
| Look at Extending international texting via your General settings. (Additional rates apply.) |
21606 | “From” 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 isn’t enabled or valid | Use a Salesmsg SMS-enabled number and confirm it’s 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 “STOP” |
|
21612 | Invalid “To” / “From” 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 | “To” isn’t a mobile number | You tried sending to a landline or invalid number |
|
3000 - 3999 Errors
Code | Description | What’s 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 can’t 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 can’t receive MMS |
|
30032 | Toll-Free not verified | You’re 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 isn’t 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)
✅ 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 “Unable to send message to this region”?
This error means that messages can’t 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 isn’t allowed in your current messaging settings
The sender’s phone number doesn’t support messaging to that region
Compliance rules or platform policies restrict delivery to certain countries
✅ 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 doesn’t 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 can’t process the message - and you’ll see this error.
✅ How to fix it:
Just top up your account by adding more credits. Once your balance is restored, you’ll 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 “Stop” on the broadcast. That cancels any messages that hadn’t been sent yet.
✅ How to fix it:
If this was accidental, you’ll 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.
✅ 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 — like missing a country code, having the wrong format, or the number being disconnected or inactive.
✅ How to fix it:
Double-check the number format (including the country code) and make sure it’s a valid, active mobile number. Using a number validation tool like PhoneCheckr can help avoid this error.
⚠️ Common Provider Errors
"Provider_error"
[HTTP 400] Unable to create record
This error means your message couldn’t be sent because there’s an issue with the phone number itself.
Why it happens:
The number isn’t enabled for SMS on your account.
The number isn’t properly linked or provisioned in the system.
The number is a landline, VoIP, or another type that can’t 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.
❌ 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.
❌ 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 isn’t allowed.
Tip: Only send messages to numbers within the country your short code is registered in.
❌ Message contains blacklisted words
Your message includes words or phrases that the system doesn’t 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 – Look for words that might trigger the blacklist (common ones relate to drugs, adult content, or spam).
Modify the wording – Rephrase your message to remove restricted terms.
Contact support – If you’re 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 “Failed” 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 can’t be delivered (like carrier-level handling or delivery attempts).
💡 Only certain types of failures incur this fee. It’s not charged on every failed message.
Need Help? ✋🏻
Contact us on live chat or send an email to us at [email protected].