Use this guide when a text says Sent but the contact does not see it, a reply is missing, an agent is not notified, a phone number is unavailable, or you need to retry only confirmed failed messages.
First, identify where the message originated
Write down which path created the message:
- a manual text sent inside Hot Prospector;
- a Hot Prospector automation campaign;
- a message sent from a connected GHL location through Hot Prospector;
- a message sent natively inside GHL; or
- another webhook, Zapier, or outside system.
Only messages that are routed through Hot Prospector can be expected to have a complete Hot Prospector sending record. A message created natively in another platform may remain in that platform unless the integration specifically syncs it back.
Understand what each status proves
- Sent means Hot Prospector or the connected provider accepted the message for sending and has not recorded it as failed. It does not prove that the recipient read it or that it appeared on the handset.
- Delivered, when the provider supplies that result, means the carrier reported delivery to the destination. It is still not a read receipt.
- Failed or Undelivered means the provider returned a failure result. The error code or provider detail is the best starting point.
- Read and Unread inside the inbox normally describe whether your team has opened the conversation, not whether the customer read the text.
Standard SMS does not provide a dependable customer read receipt. Do not label every Sent message as “received,” and do not resend an entire audience based only on a customer's statement that one message was not seen.
Find the message in Hot Prospector
Use the location that matches the question:
1. Conversations for ongoing message threads and replies.
2. Tools → SMS → Sent SMS for outgoing message records.
3. Tools → SMS → Received SMS for inbound message records.
4. The contact record for that person's combined history.
5. The SMS or campaign report for a specific automation campaign.
6. The archived SMS report for records older than the normal recent-history window.
In Sent or Received SMS, filter by the full From Number, To Number, date range, status, campaign, member, and read status when those filters are available.
A message says Sent but the customer did not receive it
Test one message from end to end:
1. Confirm the exact contact and full destination number.
2. Confirm the full sending number. Do not rely on the number you expected the system to use.
3. Record the date, time, and time zone.
4. Open the Hot Prospector sending record and capture its current status and provider error, if any.
5. Check whether the contact previously opted out, is marked DNC, or replied with a recognized stop request.
6. Confirm the sending number's SMS registration and provider setup.
7. Send one fresh, permitted test to a number you control.
8. Refresh the conversation and sending report to confirm the final recorded result.
If the message was created from a GHL location, compare the same contact and timestamp in both GHL and Hot Prospector. If it exists in one system but not the other, the problem is at the integration or routing boundary—not proof that the carrier failed.
For a wrong or missing sending number, use the phone numbers, SMS provider, and Local Presence guide (https://intercom.help/YourCRMKB/en/articles/16797269-phone-numbers-sms-provider-and-local-presence-fix-a-wrong-sender-missing-number-or-purchase-problem). For registration failures, use the A2P and Trust Hub guide (https://intercom.help/YourCRMKB/en/articles/8377025-a2p-and-trust-hub-fix-a-duplicate-brand-rejected-profile-failed-campaign-or-unregistered-phone).
A reply is missing from Conversations
Follow the reply's path instead of sending another outbound message:
1. Confirm that the customer replied to the same number shown on the outgoing message.
2. Search Received SMS by the full customer number and the receiving number.
3. Check the contact record for the inbound message.
4. Confirm that the receiving number is still active and routed to the expected Hot Prospector account or GHL location.
5. Confirm that the viewing user has permission to that phone number.
6. Compare the conversation in GHL and Hot Prospector after refreshing both.
Read the result this way:
- Reply exists in Received SMS and the contact record, but not in Conversations: investigate inbox classification, contact matching, or the user's visibility.
- Reply exists in GHL but not Hot Prospector: investigate the location's provider choice and inbound sync route.
- Reply exists in Hot Prospector but not GHL: investigate the connected GHL location and outbound/inbound sync boundary.
- Reply exists nowhere: confirm the customer's screenshot, full destination number, and carrier timestamp before assuming it reached your number.
Do not change providers or unlink a live number until its current inbound and outbound routes are documented.
The message arrived, but an agent was not notified
Message receipt and team notification are two separate events.
If the inbound message is visible in Received SMS or Conversations, inbound delivery is working. Then check:
1. whether Incoming SMS Notification is enabled for the relevant number or campaign;
2. the mobile number or destination configured to receive notifications;
3. the user's access to the receiving phone number;
4. whether the conversation was already marked read or assigned elsewhere; and
5. whether the account has the credit required for notification messages, when notifications are sent by SMS.
Run one inbound test and record two times: when the reply appears in the conversation and when the notification arrives. If the conversation appears but no notification is generated, report the notification path—not the inbound SMS—as the failed component.
A number is missing or locked in the SMS composer
Identify the exact composer or dropdown, then confirm:
- the number is active in the same account;
- the user has permission to use it;
- the number supports SMS for the connected provider;
- the intended GHL location is mapped to that provider and number; and
- the number is not assigned to an incompatible job.
A lock or missing option is a reason to inspect permissions and routing. Do not buy a duplicate number until you know why the existing one is unavailable.
Create and use reusable SMS templates
Open Tools → SMS → SMS Templates to create or edit reusable text. Give each template a clear purpose and avoid mixing different calls to action in one message.
A template supplies message content; it does not choose the audience, sending number, provider, schedule, or consent status. Review those separately when adding the template to a campaign or conversation.
Retry only confirmed failures
Before retrying a campaign:
1. filter or export the campaign report for Failed or Undelivered records;
2. review the error pattern;
3. correct the shared cause, such as registration, provider routing, invalid numbers, or opt-out handling;
4. build a retry audience from only the confirmed failed records; and
5. test one corrected message before resuming the larger batch.
Do not treat every Sent record as a failure. A customer not seeing one Sent message can require a carrier-level review, but it does not justify automatically resending all Sent records.
Prove the path with one controlled test
Use a phone you control and record each checkpoint:
1. Send a permitted SMS from the exact workflow being tested.
2. Confirm the actual From Number on the handset.
3. Confirm the outbound record in Hot Prospector and, if applicable, GHL.
4. Reply from the handset.
5. Confirm the inbound record in Received SMS, the contact history, and Conversations.
6. Confirm the correct agent can see it.
7. Confirm the configured notification arrives.
The issue is resolved only when the message, reply, visibility, and notification path that the customer actually uses all pass.
If you still need help
Send one complete package:
- Hot Prospector account and GHL location, if applicable;
- contact name and full phone number;
- full From Number and To Number;
- exact message date, time, and time zone;
- manual, automation, GHL, webhook, or other source;
- campaign name and message step, if applicable;
- Hot Prospector status and complete provider error code/detail;
- where the message appears in Hot Prospector and GHL;
- whether the contact is opted out or DNC;
- whether the conversation arrived but the notification did not; and
- screenshots from both the sending record and the recipient phone, with private content redacted as needed.