Managing Mobile Numbers and Text Deliverability
DonorDock sends text messages using the Mobile Phone field stored on a contact record. Keeping mobile numbers valid improves text deliverability and prevents credits from being spent trying to reach numbers that cannot receive SMS messages.
Phone Fields in DonorDock
Contact records may include fields for:
Mobile Phone
Main Phone
Business Phone
Fax
Individual contacts with spouse information may also include:
Spouse Mobile Number
Spouse Business Phone Number
When sending a text through DonorDock, the message is sent to the contact's Mobile Phone field.
If both spouses should receive individual text messages, each spouse should have their own contact record.
Split Spouses into Individual Contacts
If an existing individual record contains spouse information, you can create individual records for each spouse by creating a Household.
Navigate to Contacts > Contacts.
Search for and open the existing individual contact.
Locate the Spouse section.
Click Create a Household.
DonorDock creates:
An individual record for the original contact
An individual record for the spouse
A Household connecting both contacts
DonorDock transfers the former Spouse Mobile Number to the new individual record for the spouse.
What Is a Bad Mobile Number?
If a carrier reports that a message cannot be delivered because the number is invalid or unable to receive SMS messages, DonorDock may mark the contact as having a Bad Mobile Number.
Common causes include:
Landline numbers
Invalid phone numbers
Disconnected numbers
Numbers otherwise unable to receive SMS
Once DonorDock identifies a number as bad, It prevents future text attempts to that mobile number.
In Text Conversations, failed messages display an error on the message. When creating an individual Send Text activity, DonorDock displays a warning if the contact's number has previously been identified as a Bad Mobile Number.
Bulk Texts and Bad Mobile Numbers
Contacts already identified as having Bad Mobile Numbers are excluded from successful bulk text delivery.
Carrier feedback may not be available until DonorDock has already attempted the original message. Because the send attempt has already been processed, you still use a Text Credit for that initial attempt.
Keeping contact mobile numbers current helps you use available Text Credits more effectively.
Update a Bad Mobile Number
If you receive a corrected mobile number:
Navigate to Contacts > Contacts.
Open the contact record.
Click the contact action menu in the top right.
Select Edit.
Update the Mobile Phone field.
Click Save.
When you update the Mobile Phone field, the Bad Mobile Number status resets so DonorDock can attempt delivery to the new number.
Find Contacts with Bad Mobile Numbers
Navigate to Reporting > Reports.
Open the All Contacts report.
Add the Bad Mobile Number column.
Open the column filter.
Filter for Is True.
The report will display contacts currently identified as having Bad Mobile Numbers.
Create a Clean Marketing List
If you want to create a new version of an existing Marketing List without contacts who have Bad Mobile Numbers:
Navigate to Contacts > Contact Lists.
Select the current Marketing List.
Add the Bad Mobile Number column to the resulting report.
Filter Bad Mobile Number to Is False.
Click Add.
Select Add to Marketing List.
Select or create the destination Marketing List.
Apply the action.
The new list will contain contacts from the original list whose mobile numbers are not currently identified as bad.
Update Mobile Numbers in Bulk
For larger updates, use a Contact Report and DonorDock's import feature.
Run a Contact Report containing the contacts you need to update.
Export the report.
Update the Mobile Phone values in the spreadsheet.
Save the file.
Import the file back into DonorDock.
Map Donor ID to identify the existing records.
Map Mobile Phone to update the phone number.
Using Donor ID ensures DonorDock updates the existing contact instead of creating a new one.
SMS Unsubscribes Are Different from Bad Mobile Numbers
A Bad Mobile Number means DonorDock has received carrier information indicating that the number cannot successfully receive the message. An SMS Unsubscribed status means the contact has opted out of text communication.
If a contact replies STOP, they are marked as SMS Unsubscribed and cannot receive further texts through DonorDock.
If they later choose to opt back in, they may text START to resume receiving text messages.