Understanding Size Restrictions for SMS and Email Attachments

SMS Attachment Size Restrictions

Overview: Sending multimedia messages (MMS) via SMS is an effective method to capture your audience's attention. However, being aware of the size restrictions imposed by both carriers and your CRM system is essential for ensuring that your messages are delivered without issues.

Key Points:

• MMS Functionality: Verify that your phone number is enabled for MMS by checking under the "phone numbers" section in your account settings. If you're uncertain, reach out to our support team or consult your Twilio account for guidance.

• Attachment Limits: The CRM allows for up to 10 attachments, with the combined size of the text and attachments not exceeding 5 megabytes. Carrier limitations, however, can differ, typically ranging from 300 kilobytes to 3.5 megabytes. To maximize delivery success, it's best to keep individual attachments under 500 kilobytes.

• Supported Formats: SMS attachments can be sent in JPEG, PNG, and GIF formats.

• Specific Considerations: When using toll-free numbers, attachments should be no larger than 600 kilobytes due to particular carrier restrictions.

Troubleshooting Suggestions:

• If an MMS fails to send, check the total size of the message and attachments. Reducing the file size might help in resolving the issue.

• Ensure that your phone number is MMS capable and that the attachments are in a supported file format.

FAQs:

• Can MP4 files be sent via SMS? MP4 files can't be sent directly via SMS at this time. However, if you record a video using the mobile app, it will create a clickable link for recipients. Ensure that this link aligns with your domain and your client's brand name to comply with carrier regulations.

Email Attachment Size Restrictions

Overview: Email servers impose limits on attachment sizes to avoid overwhelming their systems. Understanding these limits is crucial to ensuring that your emails reach their intended recipients.

Key Points:

• Server Restrictions: Email servers typically have a maximum size limit for emails, including both the body text and attachments. Exceeding this limit will cause the email to bounce back.

• Provider Differences: Attachment size limits vary depending on the email provider. For example, Mailgun supports emails up to 25 megabytes in size. To accommodate various providers, it's advisable to keep attachments as small as possible.

• Error Alerts: If your email exceeds the size limit, you'll receive an error message in your conversation tab, often indicating that the attachment size was too large.

Troubleshooting Suggestions:

• To avoid exceeding size limits, try compressing attachments or using lower-resolution images.

• If an email bounces due to size limits, reduce the size of the attachments and attempt to resend the email.

FAQs:

• Can maximum email size limits be bypassed? No, it's not possible to bypass these limits. As an alternative, consider uploading the files to a cloud service and including a download link in your email.