Docs/TroubleshootingTroubleshooting
Why is my message queued, pending, or deferred?
None of these three statuses mean the message failed. Each one means the message has not sent yet, for a different and usually expected reason.
On this page
Queued, pending, and deferred are not failures
Queued
Waiting its turn
Pending
Sent, awaiting a result
Deferred
The AI is holding it on purpose
Only fails means a message could not be delivered. That is a different article: why are some of my messages failing.
What each status means
| Status | What it means | Why it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Queued | The message is waiting to be sent | The line is currently working through other messages, or it has exceeded its hourly conversation allowance |
| Pending | The message has been handed to a line and is awaiting a delivery result | Normal for a short window. Staying pending indefinitely usually means the line is down and cannot reach the gateway |
| Deferred | The AI is intentionally waiting before sending | Configured business hours, or the initial wait time configured on the AI. Deferred does not occur on manually sent messages |
These are the same definitions used in Sendify analytics and the glossary.
Where each status sits
A message either waits for capacity, waits for a configured time window, or is already on its way to the lead.
Not every message passes through every state
What to do about each one
The problem
A few messages are queued during your busiest hour
The fix
Wait. This is pacing working as intended, and the line is working through its allowance.
The solution
The queue clears on its own once the line catches up. Nothing to change.
The problem
Messages sit queued all day, every day
The fix
- 1Check daily line usage in analytics against its capacity.
- 2If you are close to the ceiling every day, size your capacity up.
The solution
The queue drains after capacity is added. See how many lines do I need for the sizing math.
The problem
Messages are stuck pending and nothing is sending
The fix
- 1Check line health to confirm the line is not restricted.
- 2If the line looks fine and pending still does not clear, contact us.
The solution
A stuck line usually cannot reach the gateway. We restore it from our side and the backlog sends.
The problem
Messages are deferred overnight or on a weekend
The fix
This is expected when the AI has business hours configured. If the window looks wrong, review the AI's timing settings.
The solution
Messages send as soon as the configured window opens.
The problem
A message is deferred right after a lead enters
The fix
This is expected when the AI has an initial wait time configured. Adjust that timing in the AI's settings if it feels slow.
The solution
The first message goes out after the configured wait, and the conversation starts on schedule.
When to contact us
Reach out when messages sit pending indefinitely, when a line shows nothing moving at all, or when queued volume keeps growing after you have added capacity. Bring today's line usage, response rate, and failure count with you.
Still need a hand?
If your volume is going to run past the daily or hourly limits, or something is not behaving the way these docs describe, talk to our team.