Ultimate Guide to Fixing WordPress Emails Not Sending

It can be frustrating when your WordPress emails are not getting sent to the user's inbox. You work hard on creating Newsletters but the WordPress emails are stuck and not working properly.

Well, what to do when the error of WordPress not sending emails crops up? To answer that, we have come up with a detailed tutorial to guide you with all the possible issues for WordPress emails not working with its solution. Let’s get rolling.

Common Reasons of WordPress Emails Not Sending

It is important to maintain smooth communication between you and your website visitors. However, The WordPress mail handling system can lead to a lot of missed messages and frustration. WordPress’s PHP mail () function is not reliable. It is not an authenticate function and is blocked by multiple hosting providers for spam safety.

• Server Configuration Issues: There’s a high chance that your hosting environment is not supporting the PHP mail function. Sometimes, there are also strict settings for limiting the email delivery WordPress emails delivery.
• Email Provider Block: When your emails are flagged or recognized as spam, email service providers like Gmail will block your emails leading to WordPress not sending emails.
• Incorrect WordPress Settings: If there is an issue with your WordPress automated emails setup, the emails will go haywire and not land in the right inboxes
• Plugin Conflicts: Contact Form Plugins, Security Plugins, and Backup Plugins can interfere with your mail delivery system and ha,per your WordPress mailing list.

Before you start fixing the issue, you must know the exact reason for WordPress emails not sending. Based on that, you can pick a solution.

Troubleshooting WordPress Emails Not Sending

Sometimes, the solution is very simple and basic. Thus, we shall first check the list of basic email delivery solutions and then observe the advanced ones.

1. Check WordPress Mail Settings 

First of all, let us check the WordPress email settings. For that, head to the dashboard of your WordPress.

• Check the Admin Email Address and ensure that it is correct. If this is wrong, there is bound to be an issue with WordPress email delivery
• Make sure all user settings have a correct email address for receiving timely notifications

2. Check Spam or Junk Folders

There is a high chance that your emails are being sent. But not to user inboxes, but to spam folders. This happens due to a lack of authentication like SPF & DKIM or some sensitive, suspicious content in the mail. Ask the users to check their spam folders and report back to you.

3. Verify Hosting Provider’s Email Sending Limits

Is there a limit to sending emails on your hosting service? There can be per hour or per-day limits to send emails in a shared hosting. This can result in WordPress emails not sending. Have a chat with your hosting provider to understand any limits or contact the WordPress support email.

4. Test with a Plugin

If all your settings are perfect, then opt for an easy WP SMTP Plugin. This analyzes all the email delivery attempts by WordPress but not being delivered. This lets you understand if the problem is lying with WordPress or not.

Using the WordPress Email SMTP Plugin to Fix Emails Not Sending

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and is a communication specific protocol used for emails. You must replace the WordPress’s PHP mail () with wordpress SMTP plugins method so that your mails are not marked spam or stay undelivered.

Recommended SMTP Plugins for WordPress

Herein, you do not have to gain all the technical knowledge. You can install an SMTP Plugin to improve WordPress emails delivery.

• WP Mail SMTP: Get support to all the major email providers with WP Mail SMTP. Get detailed email logs to understand and troubleshoot all the issues.
• Post SMTP: Get support for all SMTP email providers along with email failure alerts. It can also auto-resend failed emails and comes with a mobile app support.
• Easy WP SMTP: Easy WP smtp Plugin also helps you set a robust email system so that your lead generation and marketing efforts do not stop.

Learn to set up SMTP Plugin and get going. This will solve a lot of your problems regarding WordPress emails not sending.

Check DNS Settings for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records

I know I know the terms SPF, DKIM, and DMARC sound a bit technical but it’s actually very simple. Many email providers might still mark you as spam after WordPress email SMTP setup. Thus, you need these. Let’s understand what they are and how they work.

What Are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This ensures that no spammers can send emails by pretending to be you. All the emails are sent in your name and domain address only.
• DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail): Just like you sign your physical documents, DKIM works as a digital signature for your email documents. This ensures that your message has not been altered by anyone else. This is an assurance to your email providers regarding the authenticity and trustworthiness of your emails.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC is a combination of SPF and DKIM for all-rounder protection against email spoofing. This ensures the delivery of legitimate WordPress emails only from your domain name.

How to Add These Records

You will need to log in to your domain registrar’s account. So, get the credentials of the domain providers and follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Domain Registrar Account: This is the platform where you register your domain name and set up your website. For instance GoDaddy, Namecheap, BlueHost, Hostinger.
2. Find DNS Settings: Search for the DNS that is Domain Name System settings in the domain management panel or settings.
3. Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records: Now, you need to generate and add the record for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Multiple automatic tools would help you generate these records.
4. Verify the Records: Use the MX Toolbox for verifying the added records. It will help you understand whether all the DNS records are working well.

With this, a very strong, extra layer of trust is added to your WordPress emails that help the issue of WordPress emails not sending. Your emails will be in the right inboxes and will not be spammed time and again.

Fix WordPress Not Sending Emails by Using Third-Party Services

If you have tried and tested all these methods and nothing works, opt for a third-party email service provider. When running a high-traffic website, you cannot sit back and wait for the solution to come to you. Third-party services are designed to handle voluminous amounts of WordPress emails and drive high delivery rates.

There are various third-party email services to choose from. They have a system to improve email deliverability and avoid spam filters. These ensure that the emails are sent from trusted servers. They come with report and track features to help you keep a watch on your WordPress mailing list and ensure email delivery.. Check out these third-party services.

• Sendgrid
• Mailgun
• Brevo (formerly SendinBlue)
• MailPoet
• Amazon SES
• Zoho
• SparkPost

Choose a service that fits your budget and requirements. Use an SMTP Plugin to connect your WordPress site with the third-party tool. With this, your third-party service will get to work and deliver emails right in your user’s inboxes.

Using third-party services can be an excellent solution for businesses that rely heavily on emails, such as eCommerce websites, membership sites, or any site where missing an email can cause issues.

Solve WordPress Emails Not Sending Using ARForms

With ARForms, it is very easy to set up email configuration. You can choose to send mail through a WordPress Server, SMTP Server, PHP Mailer, or Google/Gmail API. Based on your choice, you will have to fill up the further details. You can run a test email as well to check whether your emails are being sent correctly or not. And all these facilities with the Lite version of ARForms! 

On top of it, ARForms Pro is configured with several email marketing tools like AWeber, MailChimp WordPress integration, Get Response, iContact, Constant Contact, and so on. These WordPress mailing list Plugin helps you power up your marketing game and generate multiple leads.

Why is My WordPress Site Not Sending Emails: Wrapping Up

As promised, this article compiled all the WordPress email-sending issues along with their solutions. The issue might seem to be techie, but with this guide, you can sort it out. Try basic troubleshooting before going for advanced solutions like SMTP and Third-party service configuration.

For creating robust forms along with assured email delivery, ARForms is your answer. With an in-built facility for email setup and marketing, you can avoid WordPress emails not sending.

Solve the email issues soon so that your site is not slowed down. Keeping in touch with your customers and engaging them is the most important task. Further, the success of your landing page also depends on robust email delivery.

Let our readers know what issues you faced with WordPress email delivery & how you solved it.