GoHighLevel Two-Way SMS Not Working — Diagnosis and Fix

Two-Way SMS Problems Fall Into Two Categories

Two-way SMS issues are either inbound problems (replies not showing up in GoHighLevel) or outbound problems (your messages not reaching the recipient). The diagnosis and fix are different for each.

Inbound SMS Not Appearing in GoHighLevel

Check Your Webhook Configuration (Twilio Users)

If you are using a connected Twilio number, Twilio needs to know where to send incoming message data. The incoming message webhook URL in Twilio must point to your GoHighLevel account. Go to your Twilio console, find your phone number, and verify the incoming message webhook URL matches the URL from your GoHighLevel Twilio integration settings.

Check That the Number Is Assigned to a Sub-Account

Phone numbers in GoHighLevel must be assigned to a specific sub-account to receive inbound messages. If the number is at agency level but not assigned to a sub-account, incoming messages have nowhere to go.

Check the Conversation Routing Settings

GoHighLevel has routing rules for inbound messages. If routing is set incorrectly, messages may be assigned to the wrong user or team and you simply cannot see them in your view. Check Settings → Phone Numbers → Inbound Call / Message Routing.

Outbound SMS Not Delivering

Carrier Filtering

Your outbound messages may be sending from GoHighLevel but being filtered by the recipient's carrier. This is especially common with messages containing promotional language, URLs, or messages sent to numbers that have previously received similar content from other senders using the same shared short code.

Contact Is on DNC

If the contact previously opted out via SMS, GoHighLevel will show the message as sent but it will not actually be delivered. Check the contact record for DNC status.

Wrong Number Format

Outbound SMS requires numbers in E.164 format (+1XXXXXXXXXX for US). Numbers stored in other formats will appear to send but will not deliver. Run a bulk reformatting pass on your contacts.

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