---
schema_version: "1"
id: 4da31028514f01fdf8b39300fc73bb6bb643e95d54acc8aa2c2e36e4072c2823
title: Troubleshoot the Send a Message Action in Messaging
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/messaging_troubleshoot_send_message.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_troubleshoot_send_message.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: d8de6d0123b1fabdaf0be72f55e715c5dde469e32c5900edd1f367ca436326a9
description: Reps can use the Send a Message action to proactively message customers in enhanced channels and Enhanced In-App Chat. If you have trouble finding the recipient or sending your message, review these troubleshooting tips.
products:
  - Service Cloud
  - Digital Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Troubleshoot the Send a Message Action in Messaging

Reps can use the Send a Message action to proactively message customers in enhanced channels and Enhanced In-App Chat. If you have trouble finding the recipient or sending your message, review these troubleshooting tips.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:50%">
        <col style="width:50%">
      </colgroup>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_editions.htm&amp;type=5&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions.</a></td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <a name="messaging_troubleshoot_send_message__d976e1570"><!-- --></a><span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" id="messaging_troubleshoot_send_message__d976e1570" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/checkmark.png" alt="Checkmark"></span>
            <strong>This article applies to:</strong>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced In-App Chat, Enhanced WhatsApp, Enhanced Facebook Messenger, Enhanced
            SMS, Enhanced Apple Messages for Business, Enhanced LINE, and Bring Your Own
            Channel</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/crossmark.png" alt="X icon"></span>
            <strong>This article doesn’t apply to:</strong>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced Web Chat v1, Enhanced Web Chat v2, and Standard SMS channels</td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
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        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d68435e100">Issue</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d68435e103">Reason</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d68435e106">Fix</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">You don’t see the Send Message action.</td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">The action wasn’t added to the global action layout.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Follow the steps in <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_send_message_setup.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="To let service reps start messaging sessions with customers, assign user permissions, add the Send a Message action, and set your channel keywords and responses.">Set Up Business-Initiated Messaging for Enhanced Channels</a> to add the action to the global action menu, record action menu, or activity
              timeline.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">You don’t have the Initiate Messaging Sessions user permission (all channels)
              or the Send Initial SMS Message to Individual user permission (SMS-specific). </td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Ask your admin to assign the user permission(s) to you.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">You aren’t able to enter a message in the Send a Message
              composer.</td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">(Enhanced WhatsApp only) If more than 24 hours have passed since the selected
              messaging user’s last message, you can’t send them a freeform message. You can only
              send Notification messaging components that are linked to an approved WhatsApp
              template.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">In the Send a Message composer, click the plus icon and then click the
              messaging component icon. Then, select a Notification messaging component to
              send.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">(Enhanced Facebook Messenger only) If more than 7 days have passed since the
              selected messaging user’s last message, you can’t send messages using the Send a
              Message action.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Try contacting the user in another channel.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" rowspan="1" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">When the messaging user responds, the session is routed to a different service
              rep or queue.</td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">If the service channel uses tab-based capacity, the customer’s response is
              routed as a new messaging session, and a different rep may pick it up.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Switch to status-based capacity to automatically route responses to the service
              rep who sent the initial message. Otherwise, the new rep can review the user’s
              messaging history for context, and if needed, transfer the session back to the
              original rep.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">You don’t see the recipient you’re looking for.</td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">
              <p>The Send a Message composer only shows messaging users that meet these criteria:</p>
              <ul>
                <li>At least one opt-out keyword is set for the channel, and the messaging user
                  hasn’t opted out.</li>

                <li>(Not applicable for SMS) The messaging user and associated device records were
                  created at least 10 minutes before the service rep searched for them.</li>

                <li>The messaging user isn’t currently engaged in an active messaging session with
                  your business.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Ensure that the criteria are met for the user you’re trying to contact.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">(Enhanced WhatsApp only) You’re trying to send a messaging component because the reply
              period has passed, but the list of components is missing the one you want. </td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">
              <p>For enhanced WhatsApp channels, the messaging component action in the Send a
                Message composer only shows messaging components that meet these criteria:</p>
              <ul>
                <li>Doesn’t contain dynamic content. For example, a component with a format
                  property that relies on parameters is considered dynamic, and must be sent using
                  a flow.</li>

                <li>Is a Notification messaging component that’s linked to an approved WhatsApp
                  template. Templates are approved in WhatsApp Business Manager.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Select a messaging component that meets the criteria.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">(Enhanced SMS only) Your message fails to send.</td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">The phone number for the messaging user must use the E.164 phone number
              format.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">Update the phone number on the messaging user record to include the + sign and the
              country code. If the user doesn't yet have a messaging user record, update the phone number
              on the associated contact, lead, or account record.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Issue" class="slds-cell-wrap" rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e100 ">When selecting a recipient, you see multiple messaging user records with
              the same name, or multiple records named Guest.</td>

            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">A messaging user record is created for each user who communicates with your
              business in a specific channel. For example, a user who has communicated with you
              over WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger can have two messaging user records, each
              associated with a different channel.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">
              <p>To send your message to the right messaging user, follow either of these approaches:</p>
              <ul>
                <li>Open the messaging user record or an associated account, contact, or lead. Then, click
                  <strong class="uicontrol">Send a Message</strong> in the global action menu. The messaging
                  user record is automatically populated based on the record that you’re
                  viewing.
                </li>
                <li>If the messaging user record is linked to an account, contact, or lead, in the Send a Message
                  composer, click the icon on the first field and select Account, Contact, or
                  Lead. Select the desired record, and then select a channel. The message is sent
                  to the messaging user associated with the record you selected.</li>
              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Reason" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e103 ">By default, the name of any messaging user record associated with an Enhanced
              Chat channel is Guest.</td>

            <td data-label="Fix" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d68435e106 ">
              <p>To automatically update the name on messaging user records from “Guest”, admins can:</p>
              <ul>
                <li>Create a flow that populates the messaging user name with the name from any linked
                  account, contact, or lead.</li>
                <li>If pre-chat is enabled, create a flow that populates the messaging user name with the
                  name gathered in the pre-chat form.</li>
              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

#### See Also

- [Send a Message to a Customer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_agent_initiated_outbound.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Proactively reach out to a customer by sending them a message in the channel of your choice. Business-initiated messaging is available in all messaging channels except Messaging for Web.")
- [Set Up Business-Initiated Messaging for Enhanced Channels](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_send_message_setup.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To let service reps start messaging sessions with customers, assign user permissions, add the Send a Message action, and set your channel keywords and responses.")
- [Considerations for Business-Initiated Messaging](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_send_message_considerations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Several rules determine whether and how service reps can start a messaging session with a lead or customer from Salesforce. These rules protect customers from unwanted messages.")