When your WordPress website fails to send emails, it can lead to serious user experience issues. Although WordPress itself has basic email functionality, due to incorrect settings, spam filters, server configuration issues, or plugin malfunctions, it can beMail delivery failureThe situation.
To help you solve this problem once and for all, we will analyze in detail the common reasons why WordPress emails are not being sent and provide a comprehensive solution.
Cause 1: Incorrect email settings
In WordPress websites, email delivery usually relies on the site's administrator email address. If this address is not set up correctly, emails may not be sent at all, or may be sent to the wrong address.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Unable to receive system notifications or contact form emails from WordPress.
- No confirmation email received for new user registration or password reset.
Solution:
Check the administrator email address:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and click the Settings > GeneralThe
- Check."Administrator e-mail address" field. If this address is incorrect or empty, enter the correct e-mail address and save the changes.
- Make sure you save it and send a test email to make sure the issue is resolved.
Make sure the domain name of the email address is the same as the website:
- Many email service providers willFiltering for mismatched mailboxes and domains. For example, it may be possible to
gmail.com
on the web site using theyourdomain.com
As an email address, this may result in emails being blocked or categorized as spam. - It is recommended to use an email address that matches your website's domain name (e.g.
name@yourdomain.com
), ensuring a higher rate of successful mail delivery.
Reason 2: Emails are marked as spam
Even if your WordPress emails are configured correctly, emails can be marked as spam by the recipient's email service for various reasons.spam filterThe machine will determine if the email should be classified as spam based on the sender's reputation, the content of the email, and the mail server settings.
Common Symptoms:
- Your users report not receiving the email, or the email is automatically categorized asunsolicited mailThe
- Email open rates and click-through rates have dropped significantly.
Solution:
1,Avoid generic prefix mailboxes:
- If you use an e-mail address with a prefix such as "sales@" or "info@".Some e-mail servicesmay think it's a bulk email or marketing email, and thus will beMark as spamThe
- Try using a more personalized and professional email address, such as prefixing it with your name (e.g.
name@yourdomain.com
), which contributes to a higher level of trust.
2,Verify your domain name:
- If you're using a custom domain, make sure the domain passes the SPF,DKIM cap (a poem) DMARC Validation. These validation records help the mail server determine that you are the legitimate sender and not an imposter.
- How to set up these records:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Allow mail serversprobeWhether the IP address to which the email is sent is authorized.
- DKIM (Domain Key Identification Mail): Use encryption keys to authenticate the origin of emails and prevent them from being tampered with in transit.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): Provide detailed reports and strategies to minimize email fraud.
- You can add these records in your domain name hosting provider or DNS management platform. For most users, this process is easily accomplished using the instructions provided by Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
3,Request the user to whitelist you:
- If some users are not receiving your emails, suggest that they include your email address in thewhitelisting. This way, their email service will no longer categorize your emails as spam.
- In the mailing list subscription confirmation email, you can attach a reminder suggesting the user to add your email address to the contact list.
Cause 3: Server misconfiguration
Sometimes, your WordPress site is configured correctly and the server itself may not be able to handle mail delivery requests. This is usually due to the server not enabling PHP's mail()
function, or the mail server is not properly configured.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Your WordPress is unable to send any emails including system notifications, contact form emails, etc.
- Even with the plugin configured correctly, the test email could not be sent successfully.
Solution:
1,Install and use the Check & Log Email plug-in:
- This plugin helps you to check and log WordPress emails sent. You can download and activate this plugin from the WordPress plugin repository.
- After activation, go to Check & Log Email→ Test Email, enter your email address and send the test email. If you receive the test email, then the problem may be with the specific configuration of the email or the plugin.If no email is received, the problem may be a server configuration issue.
- Server configuration issues can be addressed using SMTP instead of the PHP mail() function.
2,Use an external SMTP service:
- If your serverPHP is not supported
mail()
function (math.)or misconfigured, you can use the SMTP(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used instead of SMTP, which is more reliable and prevents messages from being mistaken for spam. - The recommended SMTP plugin is WP Mail SMTPIt supports a variety of SMTP services, including Gmail, SendGrid, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), Amazon SES, and more.
- Setup Steps::
- Installation and activation in WordPress Dashboard WP Mail SMTP Plug-ins.
- Configure the SMTP host, port, sender email and other information. The specific configuration steps vary depending on the SMTP service provider. For example, the SMTP host for Gmail is
smtp.gmail.com
The port number is 465 (SSL)The - After saving the settings, send a test email to check if the problem is solved.
Cause 4: Contact form plugin misconfiguration
WordPress uses a number of plugins to handle contact form requests, such as Contact Form 7,Gravity Forms cap (a poem) Ninja Forms etc. If these plugins are not configured properly, emails may not be sent.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Users have not received any confirmation emails after submitting their information via the contact form.
- Recipients are unable to receive emails submitted via the contact form.
Solution:
1,Check the Contact Form 7 plug-in settings:
- In the WordPress dashboard, go to Contact > Contact formSelect the form being usedcompilerClick mails Tab.
- Ensure"From: (email header)The e-mail address entered in the "field isWebsite administrator's e-mail address. If this field is filled in with an email address entered by the user, the email may be flagged as fraudulent.
2,Configure the Gravity Forms plug-in:
- Gravity Forms is a powerful contact form plugin that allows you to adjust plugin settings to avoid email delivery failures.
- Ensure that the form configuration in theSender's email and recipient's emailFill in correctly andAvoid using the same addressas sender and recipient.
3,Reconfigure the Ninja Forms plugin:
- The settings of the Ninja Forms plugin can also affect the delivery of emails. In the Ninja Forms > Dashboards in the form settings, edit the form settings to ensure that all relevant notifications are enabled, and check the "To: (email header)"and"From: (email header)"Are the fields filled out correctly.
summarize
The problem of WordPress not sending emails can be caused by a number of factors, but by troubleshooting and fixing these issues step by step, they can usually be resolved. Start by checking the basic email settings and contact form plugin configuration, then consider server configuration issues. If the email delivery failure is due to a spam filter, you can improve email reachability by verifying the domain name and using an SMTP service.