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Troubleshooting: Communication Did Not Send as Expected

Use this article if a student or supporter reports they did not receive an expected communication, or if you are testing a message and it does not trigger.  This checklist guides you through the most common reasons a communication (Email or SMS) may not send in VisualZen (VZ) and when to escalate to Support.

🛠 Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Confirm a Configuration Exists and Is Active

  • Navigate to Communication Configurations

  • Verify a configuration exists for the message in question

  • Check that today’s date falls within the configuration’s Start Date and End Date

2. Review Delivery Method

  • Confirm the configuration is set to Email or SMS

  • Remember: Email and SMS must be set up as separate configurations

3. Check Email or SMS Content

  • Email:

    • Subject must be plain text (no HTML)

    • Body must contain content (HTML supported)

  • SMS:

    • Go to Contents > SMS Messages and confirm the record exists

    • Keep messages under ~100 characters

4. Verify SMS Opt-In (SMS Only)

  • Students must opt in to receive SMS

  • Run a report using the Opt-In SMS data field to confirm opt-in status

  • If not opted in, the student will not receive SMS

5. Check Recipient Count

  • Review the Recipient Count in the configuration

  • If it exceeds 5,000, the message will fail

  • ✅ Solution: Duplicate the configuration and apply filters to reduce batch size

6. Review Filters

  • If Bypass Filter is unchecked, confirm at least one value is selected for each active filter

  • If Entity Type filter is present, confirm whether the message should go to students, guests, or both

7. Confirm Student Meets All Criteria

  • Locate the student’s Reservation Record

  • Check Communication Footprints to see if the message was sent

  • If no footprint exists, verify:

    • Student data matches all active filter values

    • Dates, statuses, or events align with the configuration

8. Review Communication Type Logic

Each type has unique triggers:

  • Reservation Confirmation → Immediately after submission

  • Status-Based Messages → While student remains in a status

  • Event-Based Messages → X days before/after event

  • Frequency-Based Messages → Repeat every X days until resolved

📌 See [Communication Configuration Types] for full reference

9. Check Special Cases

  • Files via Public Links: Must be ≤ 1 MB; larger files cannot send in emails

  • Task List Item Reminders: If bypass is unchecked, ensure items are selected; student must meet prerequisite/parent item logic

  • Last Event of the Season: Students assigned to the final event may be blocked from receiving ongoing/future-triggered sends. Workaround: add a “dummy” event if needed

10. Escalate to Support if Needed

If none of the above resolves the issue, contact support@visualzen.com with:

  • Student name and reservation ID (if available)

  • Name of the Communication Configuration

  • Delivery method (Email/SMS)

  • Filters applied

  • Expected trigger condition