Troubleshoot SMS Using Your Twilio Messaging Logs

When you connect your own Twilio account to the CRM, you can use Twilio's built-in messaging logs to investigate SMS delivery issues. If a text message fails to send, is delayed, or behaves unexpectedly, these logs are the primary place to check for errors and delivery status.

Accessing the Messaging Logs in Twilio

You must navigate to the specific Twilio subaccount used by your CRM location to find the relevant logs.

Step 1: Log In to Twilio

Go to the Twilio console website and log into your account.

Step 2: Find the Correct Subaccount

In the Twilio console, navigate to the Account menu and select Subaccounts. If you have many subaccounts, you can search for the correct one using the Account SID. You can find this Account SID within your CRM's agency-level settings, under the Twilio configuration section for the specific location. Paste this SID into Twilio's subaccount search bar and click on the matching account to open it.

Step 3: Navigate to the Logs

Within the selected subaccount, look for the Monitor section in the left-hand navigation panel. Expand it and go to Logs, then select Messaging.

Searching for and Reviewing Messages

Searching by Phone Number

Use the search fields at the top of the Messaging Logs page to find specific messages.

• To find messages a contact sent to you (incoming SMS), enter the contact's phone number in the FROM field.
• To find messages you sent to a contact (outgoing SMS), enter the contact's phone number in the TO field.

Enter the phone number without any formatting (e.g., parentheses, dashes, or plus signs).

Understanding the Log Results

Each row in the log represents a message attempt and shows key information:

• Message SID: Twilio's unique identifier for the message.
• To/From: The phone numbers involved.
• Status: The delivery status (e.g., accepted, delivered, failed, queued).
• Segments: Indicates if a long message was split into multiple parts.
• Media: Shows if media was attached for an MMS.

Rows may be color-coded to highlight issues. Yellow or red rows often indicate failed or problematic messages, while a green row typically signifies a successful 200 status.

Viewing Detailed Message Information

Click on the hyperlinked date/time for any log entry to see its full details. This view includes:

• Delivery Steps: A timeline showing when the request was created, its queue time on Twilio's platform, and when it was handed off to a carrier. This helps identify where a failure occurred or diagnose latency.
• Request Inspector: Shows all the HTTP requests and responses between Twilio and your configured webhooks. Errors are often color-coded here; for example, a 404 status usually means Twilio could not reach the webhook URL configured for your number.

You can hover over records in the log to preview the message content.

Checking a Twilio Number's MMS Capability

If you are troubleshooting media messages (MMS), verify that your Twilio number supports them.

1. In your Twilio console, go to Explore Products and scroll down to Phone Numbers.
2. Find and open the specific phone number in question.
3. Review the number's capabilities. It will indicate whether the number can send and receive MMS, and if it is restricted to domestic SMS only or can send internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find the Account SID for my CRM location?

Navigate to the agency-level settings in your CRM. Go to the Twilio configuration section for the specific location, and copy the Account SID listed there.

The log shows "delivered," but the contact says they didn't receive the message. What should I do?

Copy the Message SID from that log entry and contact Twilio Support directly. They can investigate the delivery on the carrier's network, which is beyond what the CRM or Twilio console can show.

What does a 404 error in the Request Inspector mean?

A 404 error typically means Twilio attempted to send a webhook notification (for an incoming message or status update) to the URL configured in your CRM, but the endpoint was not found. This could be due to an incorrect URL, a missing webhook configuration, or a temporary outage with the receiving server or tunnel.

Should I search by the TO field or the FROM field?

Use the FROM field to search for messages sent to your Twilio number (incoming). Use the TO field to search for messages sent from your Twilio number (outgoing).