Common Issues and Solutions
Issue: Message stuck in "processing" status
Solution:
Wait a few minutes as large distributions may take time
Check your internet connection.
Refresh the page
If still stuck after 15 minutes, contact support
ℹ️ Looking to add photos to a newsletter? Newsletters are a separate CMS website feature, not part of Mass Communication — see CMS Newsletters. (A future update will unify newsletters into Mass Communication; for now they live in the CMS.)
Issue: Images not displaying properly in emails
Solution:
Verify image format (JPG, PNG, GIF recommended)
Check image file size (under 1MB recommended)
Try re-uploading the image
Ensure the image URL is accessible if linking externally
ℹ️ Choosing who receives a message? Use Groups (People > Groups) to build and reuse audiences. See Groups — Overview & Management.
Issue: Message reaching beyond intended recipients (e.g. unintended grades or families receiving messages)
Solution:
Check Multi-School & Building Selection: On district accounts or multi-school dashboards, verify the school/building dropdown in Step 2. If "All Schools" or a parent building is selected, the message broadcasts across campuses.
Verify Relationship Mode: Open the group under People > Groups and check its Relationship setting. Selecting Include Children or Include Family expands audience targeting to connected siblings and households. For single-cohort student messages, use Normal; for parents of those students only, use Only Family.
Audit Dynamic Filter Rules: In People > Groups, inspect the group's dynamic rules. Ensure filter criteria use AND instead of OR between conditions (e.g., Grade Equals "3" AND School Equals "Elementary"). An "OR" rule between conditions broadens membership to anyone matching either condition.
Check for Multiple Classroom Groups: If a teacher teaches multiple sections or multi-grade classes, confirm only the specific class group was selected in Step 2, rather than all assigned classroom cohorts.
Issue: Message not reaching all intended recipients
Solution:
Verify target selection criteria
Check recipient contact information in the People > Manage People section
Confirm that recipients haven't opted out of communications in the Mass Communication > Email & Phone Activity section
Review delivery reports for specific failure reasons
Issue: Text message content truncated
Solution:
Reduce message length (standard SMS limit is 160 characters)
A text message over 160 characters will be sent with a link
Remove special characters that may cause encoding issues
Simplify language and be concise
🐞 Editing a message creates a duplicate, or the Save/Send button does not work on a scheduled message. If this happens, you are experiencing an issue, not a setup mistake on your end. Do not keep clicking Save/Send. Open an Eddy ticket and support will fix the affected message.
To open a ticket: log into your Edlio admin site, click the Eddy chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the dashboard, and describe what you're seeing (message name, channel, and the recipient's email/phone if relevant). Eddy will route you to a support agent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What languages are available for message translation, and how do I add more?
A: Edlio supports all Google Translate languages across messaging channels. The specific languages shown in your message composer's translation dropdown are provisioned at the organization level. If a language needed by your community is not appearing in the dropdown, contact Edlio Support through the Eddy chat icon or reach out to your Client Success Manager at [email protected] to have the language provisioned for your school.
Q: Can I create a Mass Communication message directly from news published on my Edlio website?
A: Yes! If your school has an Edlio CMS website, you will see a Mass Communication button appear right after publishing your news story on your website. Clicking this button automatically copies over your entire article into your Mass Communication dashboard so you can send it as voice, text, or email without any manual copying and pasting. For details, see Cross-Posting CMS News to Mass Communications.
Q: How many recipients can I send to at once?
A: The system supports mass distribution to your entire community, but best practices suggest keeping target groups focused for more relevant communication.
Q: Can I recall a message after sending?
A: Once a message is sent, it cannot be recalled. For scheduled messages, you can cancel them before the scheduled send time by finding the message in "View Messages" and selecting "Cancel."
Q: How do I know if my message was delivered?
A: Check the delivery reports in the "View Messages" section. Click on a sent message to see detailed delivery statistics by channel.
Q: Can I send a message to only parents of students in a specific grade?
A: Yes, you can use the "Groups" targeting option with grade-specific criteria, or create a group with the desired filtering in the People > Groups section. See Groups — Overview & Management.
Q: How do attachments work across different channels (Email, App, and Text)?
A: For Email and App Push notifications, files up to 10MB can be directly uploaded and attached. For SMS Text Messages, uploaded attachments automatically generate a shortened, secure web link included in the text so families can tap and view the full PDF or image on their phone browser without carrier size rejections.
Q: What's the difference between Categories and Lists for targeting?
A: Categories are subscription-based groups that users can join or leave themselves within the app. Lists are administrator-created groupings based on specific criteria that users cannot modify, these can be used on the app, voice, text, and email channels.
Q: Can I reuse a previously sent message?
A: Yes, find the message in "View Messages," select it, and choose "Copy." This will create a duplicate that you can edit and send to a new audience.
Q: How do I ensure my message doesn't go to spam folders?
A: Follow these best practices:
Use clear, non-promotional subject lines
Avoid excessive use of capital letters and exclamation points
Maintain a balanced text-to-image ratio
Ask recipients to add your sending address to their contacts
Keep a consistent sending schedule
Q: Are message templates shared across administrators?
A: Yes. Message templates are administrator-managed and shared across your school or district, allowing your communication team to maintain consistent messaging and reusable formats.
Q: Can I send text messages directly from my computer desktop?
A: Yes. Mass Communication allows administrators and authorized staff to compose and send SMS text messages directly from your desktop browser. In Step 1 (Channels), check the Text box, select your recipient audience in Step 2, and compose your message in Step 3. Texts are dispatched from your school's verified sender pool.
Q: Can I send non-public newsletters via text message?
A: CMS Newsletters is an email-only website tool designed for formatted email distribution. If a newsletter has the "Allow newsletter to be viewed publicly on our website" option unchecked, sharing a direct web link via text will not work for recipients. To send private announcements by text, compose your message in Mass Communication using both the Email and Text channels targeted to your families group.
Q: How are text messages routed if a parent has multiple phone numbers?
A: Mass Communication prioritizes the primary mobile/cell phone number on file in the recipient's record. If no cell number is specified, the system will attempt delivery to Phone 1 or Phone 2 if recognized by telecom networks as SMS-capable.
💡 Best-Practice Adoption Tip — Character Count Discipline: Single SMS segments are capped at 160 characters. When sending urgent or time-sensitive notices, keep your text within 160 characters to ensure immediate single-message delivery on all mobile networks. For longer updates, rely on the automatic web link or multi-channel email broadcasts.
Still need help?
To open a ticket: log into your Edlio admin site, click the Eddy chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the dashboard, and describe what you're seeing (message name, channel, and the recipient's email/phone if relevant). Eddy will route you to a support agent.