A text can stop in two places: FrontDesk refuses to send it, or a carrier doesn't deliver it. Work through these in order.
1. Is texting turned on?
Open Settings → Phone & SMS → Texting. The card must read Texting is on.
- Texting is off (Not set up): nothing has been registered. Click Set up texting and fill in the form. On the Free plan or a trial without a card on file, the button reads Add a card: save a card (registering is free and the card isn't charged for it), and the form opens. Only the account owner can add the card. See A2P registration.
- Texting registration pending: the carriers are reviewing it, usually for 3 to 7 business days. Texting turns on by itself and you'll get an email when it's live.
- Texting registration rejected: the reason shows in a Rejection Reason box. Click Fix & Resubmit. If the card reads We're finalizing your texting registration, click Contact Support.
When texting is on, the same card has Send a test message: enter your mobile number and click Send test to check delivery to your own phone.
2. Is FrontDesk refusing the text?
Even with texting on, FrontDesk doesn't send a text when:
- The account is on the Free plan. "SMS is not available on the Free plan. Please upgrade to Pro."
- The account owner's email isn't verified. "Please verify your email address before sending text messages." Use the link in the verification email, or Resend email on the Verify your email notice.
- The month's texts are used up and overage is off. The account owner can keep texting running under Settings → Billing (pick Texts in the usage forecast, then Keep it running this cycle), or upgrade. See Usage and overages.
- The client can't be texted. They're marked do-not-contact, or they replied STOP: "This number replied STOP and can't be texted until it replies START."
- The number isn't a phone number. "That isn't a valid phone number, so it can't be texted. Check the number and try again." This covers a field holding words instead of digits, too few digits, or a US number whose area code starts with 0 or 1 (such as 123-456-7890). Fix the number on the client's record. A blank number gives "There is no phone number to text."
- The number is outside the US and Canada. "SMS is only allowed to US and Canadian phone numbers." US territories such as Puerto Rico (787 and 939) count as US and can be texted.
- The number is on your blocked list. "This number is blocked. Unblock it to send messages."
- Texts to the number keep failing, so automated texts to it are paused (next section).
Texts to a number are paused
When the carrier says a number can't take texts, FrontDesk stops sending it automated texts so they don't keep failing:
- At once, when the carrier says the number isn't valid, or that it isn't a mobile.
- After two failures in a row, when the carrier says the number isn't in service or is unreachable (often a landline). A delivered text in between resets the count.
While a number is paused, appointment reminders, confirmations, campaign texts, waitlist offers, review requests, forms and documents, payment links and notices, and the AI's follow-up texts all skip it. The client's Inbox conversation shows a note with the reason, for example:
Texts to this number aren't getting through. It looks like a landline, which can't receive texts. Reminders and other automated texts to it are paused. Check the number with the client. You can still send a text yourself, and if it's delivered, automated texts start again.
The other reasons read "Texts to this number fail because the carrier says it isn't a valid number." and "Texts to this number aren't getting through. The carrier says the number isn't in service." Buttons outside the Inbox (such as Send reminder) show the same sentence when they refuse.
To fix it, call the client and update their number on their record. The pause lifts on its own when a text to the number is delivered (including one you send from the Inbox), when the client texts you, or 90 days after the last failure, because numbers get reassigned. There is no button to lift it by hand. A pause applies only to your practice.
3. Did the carrier deliver it?
Failed text reminders appear in Tasks as a Delivery issue. The reason tells you what to do:
| Reason in Tasks | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier didn't deliver | The carrier rejected or couldn't deliver it (phone off, filtered, unreachable) | Click Retry. If it keeps failing, call the client. |
| Temporary send error | Something went wrong while sending | Click Retry. |
| Texts to this number aren't getting through | Earlier texts to this number failed, so automated texts to it are paused. The item says why, for example that it looks like a landline. Retry would fail the same way, so there's no Retry button. | Click Update number to check and correct the number on the client's record, or click the phone icon to call them. Automated texts start again once a text to the number is delivered, the client texts you, or 90 days pass. |
| Bad phone number | The number isn't a valid mobile number | Click Fix and correct the number on the client's record. |
| Patient opted out of texts | The client replied STOP or has texts turned off | Click Call. Don't text them unless they opt back in. |
| Texting to this number's region isn't turned on | Texting to the number's country or territory (Puerto Rico, for example) isn't enabled for your account. The number itself may be fine. | Click Contact support and we'll turn it on. |
| Number is blocked | The number is on your blocked list | Click Blocked numbers to review it in Settings → Phone & SMS. |
A failed reminder is marked urgent if the visit is within a day. If Retry keeps failing, call the client and check the number. A reminder that hit a paused number shows as Texts to this number aren't getting through, not as a retryable error.
4. Keep your texts from looking like spam
Carriers filter business texts that look like marketing or spam. To stay clear:
- Say who you are in the first line ("Hi Sarah, this is Sunny Dental…").
- Avoid all caps and pushy words like FREE, CLICK NOW or LIMITED TIME.
- Don't use link shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl). Use the full address.
- Go easy on emoji and special characters.
- Only text clients who agreed to hear from you.
Good: "Hi Sarah, this is Sunny Dental reminding you of your cleaning
tomorrow at 2pm. Reply YES to confirm or RESCHEDULE to change."
Bad: "FREE consult AVAILABLE! Click here NOW to book
bit.ly/sunny-dental"
5. Timing
Appointment text reminders go out at the times set in your reminder rules. Review requests and payment notices sent by text wait until between 8 AM and 9 PM in the client's local time. If a reminder would land in the middle of the night, change its timing in the reminder rules. See Configure appointment reminders.