SMS messages can be a fun and powerful way to connect with your students... but occasionally, a message might not be received. Here’s everything you need to know to troubleshoot the issue and determine whether it’s something that needs to be reported.
✅ How “Sent” Actually Works
When an automation triggers an SMS message, Xperiencify hands it off to our SMS provider, who then sends it to your student’s mobile carrier (like T-Mobile, AT&T, etc.). That carrier is then responsible for delivering the message to the student’s device.
So when your Activity Log says Sent, it means we’ve successfully handed the message off.
(It does not guarantee that the student received it).
👉 Why? Because there are multiple factors outside our team's control - such as carrier blocks, spam filters, or even a full inbox on the student’s end - that can prevent delivery.
✅ Common Reasons a Message Wasn’t Delivered
In our experience, 99% of SMS issues fall into one of these categories:
The student opted out of receiving SMS messages from your course
The phone number was missing, invalid, or formatted incorrectly
The automation didn’t fire (e.g. it was turned off)
The carrier blocked the message or it was delayed/lost
Formatting issues including international number issues
✅ First Step: Check the Automation
In Step 5, Open the Automation and Click on the Action you've created to send an SMS Message. You'll see a list of student names who the SMS was successfully sent to.
You can click directly on a student name, and be taken straight to their Activity Log.
✅ Check the Activity Log
Inside a Student's Activity Log, locate the automation that sent the SMS.
The Activity Log will give you info about why it was or wasn't sent, such as:
The automation was turned off
No valid phone number
Student opted out of SMS messages
etc.
In that case, you’ve found the issue, and there’s no need to contact support.
✅ If the Activity Log Shows “Sent” But the Student Didn’t Get It
In many cases, this indicates a carrier-level issue. If only one student didn’t receive the message and others did, it’s almost certainly something on the recipient’s end.
But if you’re seeing a pattern - for example, multiple students not receiving SMS messages - it may indicate a deeper issue. That’s when it’s time to escalate.
✅ How to Report a Possible Issue (And What We Need)
We’re always on the lookout for a potential bug in the platform (and if there is one, we fix it quickly!)
Since SMS issues have numerous factors going on: to investigate a possible bug we'll need some specific info from you - and it's essential that we receive this info within 24 hours of the automation firing.
👉 Why 24 hours?
Because SMS is delivered through our third-party provider with a firm troubleshooting protocol, we need to receive your report within 24 hours of the message being sent, for them to access delivery logs. This isn’t something we can override.
✅ Please send us:
The email address of your Xperiencify account
The course name
One specific automation that shows “Sent” (but was not received).
One specific student who didn’t receive the message:
Student’s email
Student’s phone number
That’s it. One automation, one student.
👉 To escalate, we’ll need all of this info. (It’s not about making you jump through hoops - this is simply what’s required to investigate).
✅ What We Do on Our Side
Delivering SMS messages reliably is no small task. Behind the scenes, our team stays on top of:
Staying compliant with changing global regulations (which evolve constantly and vary by country, carrier, and message type)
Spam detection rules and best practices
Technical updates to ensure SMS features remain compliant and operational
While it would be impossible to guarantee 100% deliverability, we do everything in our power to ensure your messages get where they’re supposed to go!
✅ Best Practices for SMS in Your Courses
Since SMS isn’t guaranteed to reach every student 100% of the time, we recommend using it for:
Motivational nudges
Celebration messages (“You did it!”)
Gentle reminders or encouragement
Avoid using only SMS for mission-critical information.
When used strategically, SMS messages add energy, momentum, and a personal touch to your student experience. And it’s just one of the many powerful engagement tools Xperiencify gives you to create a course that’s not only effective, but unforgettable.