Use this guide to diagnose common SMS issues before contacting support. Work through the section that matches your problem.
SMS messages are failing to send → go to Section 1
Applicants are not receiving messages you sent → go to Section 2
You are not receiving inbound SMS replies → go to Section 3
Section 1 — SMS messages are failing to send
Work through the checks below in order.
Check 1: Verify the SMS Limits plugin
If your system has the SMS Limits plugin installed, each user must have a daily send allowance set. A value of 0 or a blank allowance will prevent that user from sending any SMS messages.
To check and update a user's limit:
Log in as a user who has the SMS Limits plugin assigned and is a member of the Administrators group.
Click Plugins, then click SMS Limits.
Find the affected user and enter a number in the Daily Allowance column.
Click Save and Close.
📌 Note: The SMS Limits plugin must be installed for some SMS plugins to function correctly. If you are unsure whether it is installed, contact your system administrator.
Check 2: Verify the mobile number format
SMS messages will not deliver if the mobile number stored on the applicant or contact record is invalid or incorrectly formatted. Check the following:
The number is stored in the correct field (mobile, not landline).
The number includes the correct country code where required.
There are no spaces, dashes, or special characters that could cause a formatting error.
Check 3: Confirm the SMS service is active
If multiple users are unable to send SMS at the same time, the SMS service itself may be inactive or experiencing issues. Contact us via the Access Digital Assistant so we can verify the service status on your account.
Check 4: Check for invalid data on the record
In some cases, invalid data stored against an applicant or contact record can block SMS from sending for that record only. If the above checks don't resolve the issue, contact us via the Access Digital Assistant and include the name and ID of the affected record.
Section 2 — Applicants are not receiving messages
If messages appear to send from your end but applicants report not receiving them, use the steps below to investigate.
Step 1: Confirm whether the messages were sent
Before assuming delivery has failed, check your send logs to confirm the messages actually left the system. If you can see a successful send record, the issue is most likely with the recipient's mobile network or device rather than with the CRM.
📌 Note: We can confirm whether a message left our SMS system, but we cannot confirm whether it was received on the recipient's device — that part of the journey is handled by the recipient's mobile network provider, which is outside our control.
Step 2: Check the mobile number
Confirm the mobile number on the applicant's record matches the number they expect to receive messages on.
Ask the applicant to check whether their phone has signal and is not in Do Not Disturb mode.
Ask the applicant to check whether the number has been blocked or whether their inbox is full.
Step 3: Contact support
If you have confirmed the messages left the system but applicants are still not receiving them, contact us via the MyAccess Portal. To help us investigate, please include:
The names and mobile numbers of the affected applicants.
The approximate date and time the messages were sent.
Whether this affects all applicants or only specific numbers.
Section 3 — Not receiving inbound SMS replies
If applicants or contacts are replying to SMS messages but you are not seeing those replies in the CRM, this is typically a configuration issue that requires support to investigate.
Contact us via the MyAccess Portal and include the following information:
When the issue started (and whether it has ever worked correctly).
An example of a reply that was not received, including the sender's mobile number and the approximate date and time.
Whether the issue affects all inbound replies or only replies from certain numbers.
Still not resolved?
If you have worked through the relevant section above and the issue persists, contact us via the MyAccess Portal. The more detail you can provide, the faster we can investigate:
Is the issue affecting one user, multiple users, or all users?
Is it affecting one applicant/contact or many?
When did it last work correctly?
What steps have you already tried from this guide?