> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tuco.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Message Statuses Explained (Sent vs Delivered)

> What each Tuco message status means — queued, scheduled, sent, delivered, fallback, failed — and why a message can show Sent but not be received.

**In Tuco, `sent` means Tuco successfully handed your message to the messaging channel (iMessage / SMS / email) — it does *not* mean the recipient received or read it.** Confirmation that the message reached the device is a separate status, `delivered` (shown where the channel supports it). So a message can correctly read `sent` even if the person hasn't gotten it yet. This page explains every status and what to do with it.

## Every message status

| Status                | What it means                                                                                                                                                  | What to do                                                                                           |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `queued`              | Planned but not yet eligible to send — waiting on allowed hours/days, line capacity, or a step delay.                                                          | Nothing — it will send automatically. Normal throttling, not a failure.                              |
| `scheduled`           | The line hit its **daily limit**, so the send was deferred (not dropped). Response includes a `scheduledDate` (default 09:00 in the line's timezone next day). | Nothing — treat `201 scheduled` as success. It sends automatically at `scheduledDate`.               |
| `pending` / `sending` | Actively in flight to the channel right now.                                                                                                                   | Wait — it resolves to `sent` or `failed` shortly.                                                    |
| `sent`                | Tuco handed the message to the channel per that channel's contract. **Not** a delivery or read confirmation.                                                   | Safe to trigger "message sent" workflows. For true delivery, watch for `delivered`.                  |
| `delivered`           | Tuco received confirmation the message reached the recipient's device (where the channel supports it).                                                         | Use this for true delivery rates and timed follow-ups.                                               |
| `fallback`            | The recipient isn't reachable on the primary channel (e.g. not on iMessage), so Tuco flagged it for your SMS/email fallback.                                   | Ensure a [fallback is configured](/features/failures-and-fallbacks); tag the lead "not on iMessage". |
| `failed`              | Tuco determined the message **cannot** be sent (invalid address, hard channel rejection, or a line problem). Not silently retried.                             | Clean the data or check [line health](/troubleshooting/line-health-and-restrictions).                |
| `cancelled`           | The send was cancelled (e.g. stop-on-reply, opt-out, or manual cancel) before it went out.                                                                     | Expected when a stop rule fired.                                                                     |

## "It says Sent but my lead never got it" — why

This is the most common confusion, and it usually is **not** a bug. `sent` means handed off to the channel, not confirmed on the device. The real reasons a `sent` message doesn't land:

1. **The recipient isn't on iMessage** and you have no SMS fallback — the blue-bubble send has nowhere to land. See [Why didn't my contact get a message?](/troubleshooting/message-not-received)
2. **The line was restricted by Apple** and quietly stopped resolving new/cold recipients. See [Line health & Apple restrictions](/troubleshooting/line-health-and-restrictions).
3. **Wrong or stale number** — technically "sent" to a number the person no longer uses.
4. **The recipient blocked the number or has Do Not Disturb / focus filtering.**
5. **iMessage/carrier downgrade** — the message downgraded to SMS mid-flight.

For provable delivery, rely on the `delivered` status (not `sent`), and check the conversation in the dashboard.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does 'sent' mean the person received my message?">
    No. `sent` means Tuco handed the message to iMessage/SMS successfully. Receipt confirmation is the separate `delivered` status, shown where the channel supports it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My message is stuck in 'queued' — is something broken?">
    Almost always no. `queued` means normal throttling — outside your send window/allowed days, waiting on line capacity, or a step delay. It sends automatically when conditions allow; limits never turn a message into `failed`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I got '201 scheduled' from the API — did my send fail?">
    No — treat it as success. The line hit its daily limit, so Tuco deferred the send to the next window and returned a `scheduledDate`. It sends automatically; no retry needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between 'failed' and 'fallback'?">
    `failed` means the message cannot be sent (invalid address / hard rejection / line problem). `fallback` means the primary channel (iMessage) isn't available for that recipient, so it should go out over your configured SMS/email fallback instead.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Card title="Why didn't my contact get a message?" icon="circle-question" href="/troubleshooting/message-not-received">
  Step-by-step checklist for a contact that wasn't messaged at all.
</Card>