Phone Number & Sender ID Issues

This guide covers the most common phone number and sender ID problems reported by Sent users, from onboarding provisioning issues to messages sending from an unexpected number.

"No phone numbers available" During Onboarding

Symptoms

At step 1 of onboarding (Choose Your Sender Number at app.sent.dm/dashboard/onboarding), the phone number dropdown displays:

No phone numbers available. Please refresh to try again.

Cause

This typically means one of the following:

• Regional inventory is temporarily depleted. Sent provisions numbers from carrier partners, and stock for certain area codes or countries can run low during periods of high demand.
• Numbers have not yet been provisioned for your account. There is a brief delay between account approval and number allocation.

This does not indicate a problem with your compliance or KYC approval. Number provisioning is a separate step that occurs after your account has been approved.

Solution

1. Click the "Refresh" button next to the dropdown. In many cases, numbers become available within seconds as inventory updates.
2. Wait a few minutes and try again. If the inventory for your region is temporarily low, new numbers are restocked frequently.
3. Contact support at support@sent.dm if the issue persists after several attempts. The team can provision numbers for your account manually or suggest an alternative region.

Specific Country Numbers Not Available

Symptoms

You need a local phone number for a specific country (e.g., Nigeria, Canada/Quebec, Russia, Kazakhstan, Spain), but no numbers for that region appear in the dashboard.

Cause

Sent's phone number inventory depends on carrier partnerships that vary by country. Not every country has local numbers available at all times, and some regions have stricter regulatory requirements that limit number availability.

Solution

For WhatsApp messaging: A US-based number works globally. WhatsApp routes messages based on the recipient's WhatsApp account, not the sender's country code. You do not need a local number to reach international recipients over WhatsApp.

For SMS messaging: A US number can often be used to send internationally. However, depending on the destination country's regulations, your message may arrive displaying an alphanumeric sender ID rather than your numeric phone number. This is normal carrier behaviour and does not affect deliverability.

Bring your own number: In some cases, you can port an existing phone number into Sent. Contact support to discuss eligibility and the porting process.

For country-specific number availability, reach out to support@sent.dm with the country and use case. The team can confirm what is available or recommend the best sending strategy for your target region.

Alphanumeric Sender ID vs Phone Number

Overview

When sending SMS in many countries outside the United States, you have the option to use an alphanumeric sender ID (e.g., "MyBrand") instead of a phone number. This is the text that appears as the sender name on the recipient's device.

Key differences

When to use each

• Use an alphanumeric sender ID when you are sending one-way notifications (OTP codes, order confirmations, alerts) and want brand recognition in the sender field.
• Use a dedicated phone number when you need two-way messaging, are sending to the US or Canada, or want a consistent numeric identity.

Setup

Alphanumeric sender IDs are configured during Sender Profile setup in the Sent dashboard. Navigate to Dashboard > Profiles to create or edit a Sender Profile with your preferred sender ID.

Messages Sending from the Wrong Number

Symptoms

You configured a Sender Profile with a dedicated phone number, but outbound messages arrive from a short code (e.g., "10907") or a different number than expected.

Cause

The most common cause is that the Sender Profile ID is not included in your API request. When no Sender Profile is specified, Sent falls back to the default sending route, which may use a shared short code.

Solution

When sending via the API:

Pass the sender_profile_id parameter in your message send request:

{
  "to": "+14155552671",
  "message": "Your order has shipped!",
  "sender_profile_id": "sp_abc123def456"
}

You can find your Sender Profile ID in Dashboard > Profiles. Each profile displays its unique ID, which you can copy directly.

When sending via the dashboard:

Make sure you select the correct Sender Profile from the dropdown before sending a message. The currently selected profile determines which number or sender ID is used for outbound messages.

Verification checklist

1. Open Dashboard > Profiles and confirm which phone number is assigned to your Sender Profile.
2. Verify that the sender_profile_id in your API requests matches the profile with the correct number.
3. If you have multiple Sender Profiles, double-check that you are referencing the intended one.
4. Send a test message and verify the sender number on the recipient device.

Sender ID Registration for International Markets

Overview

Some countries require sender IDs to be pre-registered before SMS can be delivered. Sending without a registered sender ID in these markets results in messages being silently filtered or blocked at the carrier level — the API will accept your request, but the message will not reach the recipient.

Markets that require registration

Registration requirements vary by country and change as local regulations evolve. As a general guide:

• African markets — many countries including Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria require sender ID registration. Without registration, alphanumeric sender IDs may be blocked entirely.
• Other markets with strict requirements — India, the Philippines, and several Southeast Asian countries also require pre-registration.

Markets where generic alphanumeric sender IDs work without registration

Major European markets — including France, Germany, Spain, and the UK — generally support alphanumeric sender IDs without prior registration. If you are expanding into Europe, you can typically start sending immediately using a generic sender ID.

How to register

Sent's compliance team handles sender ID registration on your behalf. The process varies by country and typically requires documentation such as your business registration, a description of your messaging use case, and sample message content.

To begin registration:

1. Contact support@sent.dm and list the countries you need registered.
2. The Sent compliance team will provide the specific documents required for each market.
3. Submit the requested documents. Registration timelines vary — some markets complete in a few days, others can take several weeks depending on local regulators.

Still Having Issues?

If none of the solutions above resolve your problem:

• Include your account ID, the country you are trying to provision a number for, and any error messages you see in the dashboard.
• Contact support@sent.dm with these details for faster resolution.

Related Guides

• Messages Not Delivered — if your number is configured but messages are not being delivered
• Compliance & 10DLC Issues — for 10DLC registration and country-specific compliance that affects number usage
• Account Activation & KYC Review — if you cannot access phone number provisioning because your account is still under review