SMS Message Showing “Retrying” Status in Vanillasoft – Vanillasoft

Overview

When sending an SMS (text message) through Vanillasoft, you may occasionally notice that a message displays a “Retrying” status instead of being sent successfully.

This generally indicates that the message has not yet been successfully processed for delivery and that the messaging service may be attempting to send it again.

There are several reasons why this can occur, including temporary carrier issues, messaging restrictions, registration requirements, or service interruptions.

This article outlines possible causes, what you can verify, and when to contact Vanillasoft Customer Support for additional assistance.

What Does the “Retrying” Status Mean?

The “Retrying” status indicates that the SMS message has not completed the sending process and may be awaiting another delivery attempt.

This does not necessarily mean the message has permanently failed.

However, if the message remains in this status for an extended period, further investigation may be required.

Important: A message displaying “Retrying” should not be considered successfully delivered to the recipient.

Common Reasons an SMS Message May Be Retrying

1. Temporary Carrier or Messaging Service Issues

Mobile carriers and messaging providers may experience temporary delays or interruptions that affect SMS delivery.

These interruptions may cause messages to remain in a retrying state until processing resumes.

2. A2P 10DLC Registration or Messaging Restrictions

For businesses sending SMS messages to United States mobile numbers using local 10-digit numbers, A2P 10DLC registration may be required.

Messages may encounter delivery issues when:

The sending number is not properly associated with an approved messaging campaign.
The business or campaign registration is pending, incomplete, or rejected.
The messaging provider or carrier applies restrictions to the sending number.

3. Recipient Phone Number Issues

Messages may experience delivery problems if the recipient's phone number is:

Incorrect or incomplete.
Not capable of receiving SMS messages. (e.g., landline phone)
Disconnected or inactive. (number out of service)
Subject to carrier-level restrictions.

4. Messaging Content or Carrier Filtering

Certain messages may be delayed or blocked by carrier filtering systems.

Potential factors include:

Links or URLs within the message.
Content that triggers carrier spam filters.
High-volume or repetitive messaging patterns.
Messaging activity that does not align with the registered campaign use case.

5. Temporary Messaging Service Interruptions

Occasionally, service interruptions involving Vanillasoft's messaging infrastructure or an upstream provider may affect SMS processing.

These interruptions may impact one or multiple users or phone numbers.

What Should I Verify Before Contacting Support?

If your SMS message remains in a “Retrying” status, we recommend completing the following checks.

Step 1: Verify the Recipient's Phone Number

Confirm the phone number is entered correctly, including the appropriate country or area code.
Verify that the recipient's number is capable of receiving SMS messages.
If possible, confirm whether the recipient can receive messages from other senders.

Step 2: Review the Message Content

Check the message for unusual links or potentially restricted content.
Ensure the message is appropriate for your business messaging use case.
Avoid repeatedly sending the same message while its status remains unresolved.

Step 3: Check Whether Other Messages Are Affected

Determine whether the issue is isolated or widespread.

Are messages to one recipient affected?
Are messages to multiple recipients showing “Retrying”?
Are other users within your organization experiencing the same issue?
Does the issue occur when sending from a specific phone number?

This information can help identify whether the issue is related to the recipient, sending number, or messaging service.

Step 4: Verify Your Business Messaging Registration

If you are sending SMS messages to United States recipients, confirm with your account administrator that your business messaging registration has been completed and approved, where applicable.

If you are unsure of your registration status, Vanillasoft Customer Support can help review the available information.

Step 5: Allow Time for Temporary Processing Delays

Some delivery delays may resolve automatically.

Wait a few minutes and refresh the applicable VanillaSoft view to check whether the message status has changed.

Avoid repeatedly resending the same message, as this could result in duplicate messages if the original is eventually delivered.

When Should I Contact Vanillasoft Customer Support?

We recommend contacting Vanillasoft Customer Support if:

The message continues to display “Retrying” after several minutes without a status change.
Multiple SMS messages are affected.
The issue occurs across several recipients or users.
SMS messages previously worked but have suddenly stopped processing.
You suspect a problem with your A2P 10DLC registration or messaging configuration.
SMS messaging is unavailable and is affecting your ability to communicate with customers.

What Information Should I Provide to Support?

To help our team investigate efficiently, please provide the following information when submitting your request:

Vanillasoft account or company name: The organization experiencing the issue.
Sending phone number: The number used to send the SMS.
Recipient phone number: The number the message was sent to.
Date and time: When the message was sent, including your time zone.
Message status: Confirm that the message displays “Retrying.”
Screenshot: If possible, provide a screenshot showing the message and its status.
Scope of impact: Indicate whether one or multiple users, recipients, or sending numbers are affected.
Troubleshooting completed: Describe any checks you have already performed.

Please avoid sharing sensitive personal information or confidential message content unless specifically requested through an appropriate support channel.

Contact Vanillasoft Customer Support

If you have completed the troubleshooting steps above and the issue persists, please contact our Customer Support team for further assistance.

Our team may review messaging configuration, available delivery information, and upstream provider responses to help identify the cause and determine the appropriate next steps.

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