Why aren't my emails being delivered?

Why aren't my emails being delivered?

What you'll learn: the most common reasons your emails go missing or land in spam, and how to fix each one.

Email delivery is fiddly. The good news is the fixes are well-understood. Work through these in order — most issues are in the first three.

1. Check spam folders (yours and theirs)

Sounds obvious, but it's the most common one. Ask the recipient to check their spam folder. If your message is there, ask them to mark it "Not spam" — receivers' filters learn over time.

2. Check your DNS records (SPF and DKIM)

Receiving email servers ask "is this server actually authorized to send mail for this domain?". Two records answer that question:

  • SPF — a TXT record that lists who's allowed to send for your domain.
  • DKIM — a cryptographic signature that proves the mail came from your server unaltered.

When you create your first mailbox, the panel adds these for you automatically. To check they're there:

  1. Sidebar → Sites → DNS → click your domain.
  2. Look for records starting with v=spf1 (SPF) and one named something like default._domainkey (DKIM).

If either is missing, contact your hosting provider — they can re-publish them in a click.

3. Add a DMARC record

DMARC is a "policy" record that tells receivers what to do with mail that fails SPF/DKIM checks. A simple, friendly DMARC record helps a lot:

  • Type: TXT
  • Name: _dmarc
  • Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com

This says "no enforcement, just send me reports". Add it via your DNS settings, save, and wait an hour for it to take effect.

4. Check the recipient isn't blocking your domain

Some companies (especially big email providers and government agencies) keep lists of senders they trust and reject everyone else. If you're consistently failing to reach one specific recipient, this might be why. There's not much you can do other than ask them to whitelist you.

5. Check your sending IP isn't on a blacklist

Spam filters check whether your sending IP has a bad reputation. Test yours at https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx — paste the IP, run the check.

If you're listed, your hosting provider can help you request removal. Often this is from a previous occupant of the same IP, not anything you did.

6. Check your message isn't spammy

Spam filters look at the content too. Avoid:

  • Lots of CAPS or excessive !!!
  • Suspicious link shorteners
  • Unverified attachments

Test your messages at https://mail-tester.com — it gives a score and concrete tips.

7. Check your mailbox isn't full

If you can send but can't receive, your mailbox might be full. Open your panel home and check usage — if you're near your limit, delete some old mail and try again.

Tips

  • Warm up new domains gradually. A brand-new domain sending lots of mail looks suspicious. Start with a few emails a day for the first week.
  • Use a "From" address that matches the sending domain. Sending as you@gmail.com from yourbusiness.com's servers will fail SPF.
  • Don't email lists from your hosting. For newsletters and marketing, use a service like Brevo, Mailchimp, or Loops — they handle deliverability for you.

If you've tried everything

Contact your hosting provider with:

  • The email address you're sending from
  • The address you're sending to
  • A copy of any bounce message you received (this is gold for diagnosing)

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