Sent Messages Report: Know Your Delivery Performance at a Glance
You just sent a text blast to your congregation—but did it actually reach everyone? How many bounced? Are your delivery rates getting better or worse? And when are people most likely to receive your messages? Without the right data, you’re flying blind. A few failed messages here and there might seem normal, but over time they add up. Invalid numbers, carrier filtering, and opted-out subscribers can all chip away at your deliverability. And if you don’t track it, you won’t know when to act.
Why Delivery Tracking Matters
Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile apply strict rules to text messaging. If your list has too many invalid numbers or people who opted out, you risk being flagged. That can hurt deliverability for all your messages—not just the ones that fail. The Sent Messages Report gives you a complete picture of every text message your church has sent: delivery rates, failure details, recurring message performance, timing patterns, and AI-powered delivery intelligence. You can see which lists are delivering reliably, which messages hit a wall, and when your congregation is actually receiving your words.
For church staff preparing reports for leadership or board meetings, the report includes an AI-powered executive briefing. The AI analyzes your delivery data and generates a plain-language summary highlighting key wins, watch items, and actionable insights. No need to translate spreadsheets into ministry language—the briefing does it for you.
From Sending to Understanding
Imagine a youth pastor wondering when to send the small group sign-up reminder. The day-of-week pattern shows that Tuesday and Wednesday evenings see the highest engagement. A children’s minister planning a VBS text campaign can check the top lists by delivery to see which lists are healthy and which need attention. A communications director reviewing delivery rates can pull the prior period comparison and spot trends. And a senior pastor preparing for a staff meeting can open the AI briefing and get a one-page summary of how the text ministry is performing.
The report supports flexible date ranges: Last Week, Last Month, Last Quarter, Year to Date, or a custom range. You can filter by list, frequency (one-time vs recurring), and status. A full message log table with sortable columns and pagination lets you drill into every campaign. The report can be exported as CSV, printed, saved as PDF, or scheduled for automated email delivery to key staff.
In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org Sent Messages Report feature.
Sent Messages Report User Guide:
The Sent Messages Report at /admin/textmessagingreports/sent_messages provides a comprehensive view of every text message sent by your organization. It shows delivery KPIs with period-over-period comparison, send timing analysis (hourly and day-of-week patterns), ranked list performance, a full message log with sortable columns and pagination, failure detail with root-cause guidance, and AI-powered delivery intelligence. Access requires the Text Marketing plan and a courtesy number. Users with Donor Admin or Text Marketing Admin role can view the report.
Key Takeaways
- Summary Statistics: Five at-a-glance metric cards (Messages Sent, Total Delivered, Delivery Rate, Recipients, Failed) with prior-period change indicators.
- Prior Period Comparison: Side-by-side comparison of current vs. prior period for four key metrics with proportional bar charts.
- Message Table: Paginated list of sent messages showing message preview, list name, date sent, total sent, delivered count, failed count, delivery rate %, and recurring flag.
- Day of Week & Hourly Patterns: Visual charts showing which days and times messages are typically sent.
- Top Lists by Delivery: Ranked table of subscriber lists by delivery volume with rate color coding and volume share bars.
- AI Delivery Intelligence: GPT-powered analysis of delivery patterns, failure rates, and timing recommendations.
- CSV Export & Email Scheduling: Export message data as CSV and schedule automated report delivery.
Table of Contents
- Report Overview
- Filters and Sorting
- Summary Statistics
- Prior Period Comparison
- Message Table
- Day of Week Pattern
- Hourly Pattern
- Top Lists by Delivery
- Failure Detail Section
- AI Delivery Intelligence
- CSV Export and Email Scheduling
- Frequently Asked Questions
Report Overview
How to Access the Report
To open the Sent Messages Report:
- Log in to the control panel.
- Click “Text Marketing” in the left navigation menu.
- Click “Reports”.
- Click “Sent Messages” (or navigate directly to /admin/textmessagingreports/sent_messages).
Plan and Role Requirements
Access to the Sent Messages Report requires the Text Marketing plan and a courtesy number. Users must have the role Text Marketing Admin or Donor Admin. If you do not see the report, verify your plan and role with your domain administrator.
Filters and Sorting
The report includes a persistent filter bar at the top. Use it to narrow results by date range, list, frequency, and status. Quick range segments (Last Week, Last Month, Last Quarter, Year to Date) provide one-click date changes. Click “Run Report” to apply your selections.
Date Range
Use the date range picker to select a custom start and end date. Preset ranges are also available: Last Week (previous Monday through Sunday), Last Month (previous calendar month), Last Quarter (previous three months), and Year to Date (January 1 through today). The report defaults to the current month when no range is specified.
List Filter
Filter messages by a specific subscriber list. Select “All Lists” to see messages across all lists, or choose a single list from the dropdown. The list filter is useful when you want to analyze delivery performance for a particular list, such as the youth group or volunteer list.
Frequency and Status
Filter by Frequency: All, One-time, or Recurring. One-time messages are single send campaigns; recurring messages are scheduled to repeat (e.g., weekly reminders). Filter by Status: All, Sent, or Failed to focus on messages that completed or encountered delivery issues.
Sort and Pagination
The message table supports sorting by clicking column headers. Default sort is by Date (newest first). You can also sort by Delivered, Failed, or Rate. The table paginates at 25 rows per page with Previous/Next navigation. A footer totals row shows aggregated Sent, Delivered, Failed, and overall Rate.
Summary Statistics
Five at-a-glance metric cards appear at the top of the report. Each shows the current period value with a percentage change indicator compared to the prior period of equal length:
- Messages Sent: Total number of scheduled messages (campaigns) sent in the period.
- Total Delivered: Total individual messages successfully delivered to recipients.
- Delivery Rate: Percentage of sent messages that were successfully delivered.
- Recipients: Total number of individual recipients targeted across all messages.
- Failed: Total messages that failed to deliver. Highlighted in red when greater than zero.
Each card includes a trend arrow (up/down) with percentage change vs. the prior period. Use these cards to quickly assess whether your delivery health is improving or declining.
Prior Period Comparison
A side-by-side comparison section shows the current period vs. the prior period for four key metrics: Messages Sent, Total Delivered, Failed, and Delivery Rate. The prior period is automatically calculated as the same duration immediately preceding your selected date range. For example, if you select Last Month (March 1–31), the prior period is February 1–28 (or 29 in a leap year). Proportional bar charts and percentage change indicators make it easy to spot trends.
Use this comparison to answer questions like: “Are we sending more messages than last month?” “Is our delivery rate improving?” “Are failures increasing?”
Message Table
The message table is a sortable, paginated list of every text message sent during the selected period. Each row represents one campaign.
Table Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Message | Truncated message preview (up to 60 characters) with link to schedule edit. Recurring messages show a repeat icon badge. |
| List | Subscriber list name with link to list edit page. |
| Date Sent | Formatted send date and time. |
| Sent | Total recipients for that campaign. |
| Delivered | Successfully delivered count. |
| Failed | Failed count. Highlighted in red when greater than zero. |
| Rate | Delivery rate with mini progress bar and color-coded percentage (green ≥95%, blue ≥85%, yellow ≥70%, red <70%). |
Click column headers to sort. Pagination: 25 rows per page. A footer totals row aggregates Sent, Delivered, Failed, and overall Rate.
Recurring Flag
Recurring messages are marked with a small repeat icon badge in the Message column. Recurring messages are scheduled to send automatically on a repeating schedule (e.g., weekly, monthly). One-time messages are single send campaigns. Use the frequency filter to focus on one type or the other.
Day of Week Pattern
A horizontal bar chart shows which days of the week see the most message sending activity. The peak day is highlighted with a teal gradient. Each row displays the day abbreviation, proportional bar, percentage share, and count. Use this to understand when your congregation is most likely to receive messages and when to schedule your most important announcements.
For example, if Sunday shows the highest volume, your church is likely sending service reminders or announcements on that day. If Wednesday evening is strong, you may be sending midweek updates. Align your sending schedule with these patterns for maximum engagement.
Hourly Pattern
A 24-hour bar chart shows the distribution of messages by hour of day. Each bar represents the number of messages sent during that hour. The peak hour is highlighted in teal. Hours are displayed in your organization’s timezone. Use this to identify the best times to send messages and avoid sending during low-engagement hours.
For example, if 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM show the highest volume, those are likely when your congregation is most receptive. The AI Delivery Intelligence panel may also suggest timing recommendations based on this data.
Top Lists by Delivery
A ranked table of subscriber lists ordered by delivery volume shows which lists have the best and worst delivery rates. Each row includes:
- Rank: Numbered badge (1, 2, 3, …).
- List Name: Subscriber list title with campaign count.
- Sent: Total messages sent to this list.
- Delivered: Successfully delivered count.
- Failed: Failed count (highlighted in red when > 0).
- Rate: Delivery rate with color coding (green ≥95%, blue ≥85%, yellow ≥70%, red <70%).
- Volume Share: Visual progress bar showing this list’s share of total volume.
Use this table to prioritize list cleanup. If a list has a low delivery rate, investigate invalid numbers, opted-out subscribers, or carrier blocks.
Failure Detail Section
When any message has a failure rate above 5%, a Delivery Issues section appears automatically with a yellow warning banner. It lists the specific messages that had trouble, explains common causes (invalid numbers, carrier filtering, opted-out subscribers), and links directly to each message so you can investigate.
Common failure causes include: invalid or disconnected phone numbers, carrier blocks due to spam complaints, subscribers who opted out before the send, or numbers that have been ported to a different carrier. Cleaning up invalid numbers and respecting opt-outs can improve delivery rates over time.
AI Delivery Intelligence
An expandable AI panel provides GPT-powered analysis of your report data. The AI summary includes:
- Quick Snapshot: 3–4 bullets on overall delivery health.
- Delivery Patterns: Timing, list performance, recurring vs. one-time analysis.
- Failure Analysis: Patterns and possible causes for delivery failures.
- Recommendations: 2–3 specific, actionable next steps for the communications team.
The panel is collapsible with a “View Full Analysis” / “Collapse Analysis” toggle. The briefing is cached per domain and date range for performance. A “Briefing PDF” button generates an executive-style PDF of the AI summary only for sharing with leadership.
CSV Export and Email Scheduling
CSV Export
Click “Export CSV” to download the report data as a CSV file. The export includes columns: Message, List, Date Sent, Total Sent, Delivered, Failed, Delivery Rate, Recurring. The export respects the current filters and date range. Use the CSV for spreadsheets, external analysis, or archiving. Exports up to 10,000 rows.
Email Scheduling
Click the email (envelope) icon to open the Email Notification Settings modal. Configure automated delivery of the report on a recurring schedule (e.g., weekly, monthly). Select recipients from your admin email list or text marketing admin emails. Reports are sent at the configured frequency with the selected period. This keeps key staff informed without requiring them to log in.
You can also send the report immediately to selected recipients. Use “Print” to print the report from your browser, or “Save as PDF” to download the full report including all charts and tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can access the Sent Messages Report?
Users with the Text Marketing Admin or Donor Admin role can access the report. Your domain must have the Text Marketing plan and a courtesy number. If you don’t see the report, contact your domain administrator to verify your plan and role.
Why did messages fail?
Common failure causes include invalid or disconnected phone numbers, carrier blocks due to spam complaints, subscribers who opted out before the send, or numbers that have been ported to a different carrier. The Delivery Issues section (when applicable) and the AI Delivery Intelligence panel provide guidance. Review your subscriber lists and remove invalid numbers. Ensure you’re following carrier best practices (opt-in consent, reasonable send frequency).
What’s a good delivery rate?
A delivery rate of 95% or higher is generally considered healthy. Rates between 85% and 95% may need attention. Rates below 85% often indicate list quality issues or carrier problems. The report color-codes rates: green for ≥95%, blue for ≥85%, yellow for ≥70%, and red for <70%. Use the Top Lists by Delivery table to identify which lists need cleanup.
What does Recurring mean?
Recurring messages are scheduled to send automatically on a repeating schedule (e.g., weekly reminders, monthly newsletters). One-time messages are single send campaigns. The message table shows a repeat icon badge for recurring messages. Use the frequency filter to focus on one type or the other. The report also shows a compact stat for total recurring vs. one-time messages in the period.
How does the prior period comparison work?
The prior period is automatically calculated as the same duration immediately preceding your selected date range. For example, if you select Last Month (March 1–31), the prior period is February 1–28. This allows you to compare apples to apples: same length of time, different calendar period. The comparison helps you spot trends and answer questions like “Is our delivery rate improving?”
Can I schedule the report to be emailed automatically?
Yes. Click the email (envelope) icon on the report to open the Email Notification Settings modal. Configure the frequency (e.g., weekly, monthly), select recipients, and save. Reports will be sent automatically at the configured schedule.
What date range presets are available?
The report supports: Last Week (previous Mon–Sun), Last Month (previous calendar month), Last Quarter (previous three months), and Year to Date (Jan 1 through today). You can also select a custom date range using the date picker.
Need help setting up or interpreting the Sent Messages Report? OnlineGiving.org offers courtesy setup assistance. Contact us at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000.