What to do when experiencing issues sending email to SMS texts via ATT?
Summary
What email marketers say7Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Quora user advises to check if the recipient's mobile carrier supports email-to-SMS and if the recipient has opted-in to receive such messages. They also recommend using a reliable SMS gateway provider instead of relying solely on email-to-SMS.
Email marketer from SlickText shares the importance of maintaining TCPA Compliance for SMS.
Email marketer from StackExchange user shares that the sender should adhere to best practices like throttling SMS volume, implement an opt-out function and provide clear sender identification.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that <mailto:mobilityabuse@att.com|mobilityabuse@att.com> (used to?) go straight to the team responsible.
Email marketer from AT&T Community Forums user explains that AT&T may block email-to-SMS messages if they are suspected of being spam or violating their terms of service. It recommends contacting AT&T support to inquire about the specific reason for the blockage and to resolve the issue.
Email marketer from Reddit user shares that AT&T has become more strict on email-to-SMS gateways to combat spam and suggests exploring dedicated SMS providers for more reliable delivery.
Email marketer from a Medium Article explains that in addition to SMS aggregators, push notification services can be a good alternative.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks says that there was a physical form that the ATT person sent. If the messages are opt-in, have the recipients call support, this is probably the fastest way to get it resolved.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that there's an AT&T gateway that isn't really for bulk use and isn't supported. She doesn't remember the details but the opt-in requirements under CAN-SPAM are onerous, and most folks get a phone number to do MMS.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that carriers closely monitor Email-to-SMS traffic, so implement proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for your sending domain to ensure deliverability.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from AT&T explains that AT&T enforces limits on SMS/MMS messages, and exceeding those limits can result in blocked messages. Contact support for more information on limits.
Documentation from Telnyx explains that email to SMS can have deliverability issues due to spam filters. Telnyx recommends using a dedicated SMS platform for reliable message delivery.
Documentation from ClickSend explains that using a direct SMS gateway is best for high volume messages, but that using email to SMS gateways means you lose reporting information.
Documentation from Twilio explains that using a dedicated short code or long code is better than email to SMS gateways. If you must send from email, ensure your email infrastructure is properly authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).