How To Resend A Fax

When an outgoing fax fails, SigmaMD gives you a few ways to get it delivered. Which one you use depends on why the fax failed, so this article covers how to read the failure and what to do about it.

1. Spotting a failed fax

In the fax list on the left side of the screen, a Transmission failed tag appears at the bottom of the fax.
When you open the fax, the Transmission failed tag appears again, to the right of the contact information you sent to.

Whoever sent the fax also receives an email notification when it fails.

2. Automatic retries

For most failures SigmaMD retries on its own, up to three times — after 5 minutes, then 15, then 30. While a retry is scheduled, a red banner on the fax shows the reason and the time of the next attempt, for example: "The call was dropped before the fax was fully sent. Retrying at 3:00 pm."

That banner gives you two actions:

Retry now — send immediately instead of waiting for the scheduled attempt.
Cancel retry — stop the scheduled attempt.

Once the three attempts are used up, the banner stays but the "Retrying at" line disappears. Retry now is still available, so you can keep trying manually.

3. When there is no Retry now button

Some failures mean the fax cannot go through as addressed, so SigmaMD does not retry and does not offer Retry now. You will see one of these messages:

"The fax number is not in a valid format. Please check the number and try again."
"The fax number is not in service. Please verify the number and try again."
"The fax number didn't connect to a valid fax machine. Please verify the number and try again."
"The fax couldn't be sent due to a system error. Please try again later."

In these cases, use Change recipient below to re-send the fax. You do not need to build a new fax from scratch.

4. Re-sending with Change recipient

On any failed outgoing fax, a pencil icon appears next to the recipient's name at the top of the fax. Click it to open Change recipient.

Enter the corrected fax number, or pick a contact from your contact list.
If you corrected the number for an existing contact, you can save the change back to that contact.
Click Send.

The same document is sent again — there is no need to re-upload the file or rebuild the fax. You can also use Change recipient to re-send to the same number, which is worth one attempt before you conclude the number is wrong.

5. Confirming the fax is on its way

After a retry or a re-send, the Transmission Failed tag is replaced by the Transmitting tag.

What each failure message means

Message	What it means	What to do
The connection timed out.	The receiving fax machine did not complete the handshake in time.	Retried automatically. Wait, or use Retry now.
A signaling error occurred during transmission.	A technical error between the two fax machines.	Retried automatically. Wait, or use Retry now.
The call was dropped before the fax was fully sent.	The receiving side hung up mid-transmission — often a busy or shared line.	Retried automatically. Wait, or use Retry now.
A transmission error occurred.	Line noise or a general transmission problem.	Retried automatically. Wait, or use Retry now.
The recipient didn't respond.	The receiving number did not answer.	Retried automatically. If it keeps failing, confirm the number with the recipient's office.
The fax was declined by the recipient.	The receiving machine rejected the call.	Retried automatically. If it keeps failing, ask the recipient whether they block outside fax numbers.
This fax could not be sent. Please try again.	A general failure with no specific reason reported.	Use Retry now.
The fax number is not in a valid format. Please check the number and try again.	The number is not a valid fax number — usually a typo or a missing digit.	Not retried. Correct the number with Change recipient.
The fax number is not in service. Please verify the number and try again.	The number has been disconnected.	Not retried. Get a current number from the recipient, then use Change recipient.
The fax number didn't connect to a valid fax machine. Please verify the number and try again.	Nothing answered as a fax machine. This is often a voice line, but it also happens when a real fax line answers slowly or is in use.	Not retried. Try once more with Change recipient using the same number. If it fails again, confirm with the recipient's office that it is a dedicated fax line.
The fax couldn't be sent due to a system error. Please try again later.	A temporary problem on our side or with our fax carrier.	Not retried. Wait a few minutes, then re-send with Change recipient. If it keeps happening, contact our support team.

If a fax keeps failing after these steps, work through Troubleshooting the Fax Delivery, or contact our support team.