Form Email Not Sending
Overview
Form email delivery failures occur when form submissions are processed successfully but the resulting message is not delivered to the intended recipient. This typically involves problems with the website’s email transport configuration.
Common Causes
- server using the PHP mail function without SMTP authentication
- hosting providers blocking outbound mail from web servers
- incorrect SMTP credentials configured in form plugins
- missing SPF records preventing message acceptance
How the Problem Appears
- form confirmation appearing but no email received
- email messages arriving intermittently
- messages delivered to spam folders
- mail delivery logs showing rejected messages
How It Is Diagnosed
- checking email logs generated by the form plugin
- testing SMTP authentication using the configured mail server
- reviewing DNS SPF configuration
- sending test messages from the email plugin
Typical Fix
- configure authenticated SMTP for form delivery
- verify SMTP credentials and ports
- publish SPF records authorizing the mail server
- route form mail through a transactional email provider