MyDentalPractice Guides

SMS not sending

Diagnose why your patients aren't receiving SMS reminders or messages.

Steps

Check feature flag. Settings → Billing → Features. sms_reminders must show green check.

Check provider configured. Settings → Communications. At least one SMS provider, marked as default.

Check provider credentials. Click your provider → Test send. If it fails, the API key/secret is wrong — re-enter from your provider's dashboard.

Check SMS bundle balance. Settings → SMS. If zero, top up via SMS bundle addon.

Check patient phone. Patient profile → primary phone field. Empty? Add it. Wrong format? Use international format (+234... for Nigeria, +233... for Ghana).

Check patient opt-in. Patient profile → Communication preferences. SMS marketing toggle. Critical operational SMS (appointment confirmations) bypass marketing opt-in; only marketing campaigns are blocked.

Check delivery log. Settings → SMS → Delivery log. Find the failed message; provider's error code helps diagnose.

Common error codes. "Invalid number" (number wrong); "Insufficient balance" (top up); "DND" (do-not-disturb registered — not all providers respect; contact provider).

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