If your emails are not being delivered or are landing in spam folders, follow this guide to diagnose and resolve common email delivery problems.
Step 1: Check Your Email Authentication Records
Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are the most common cause of delivery issues.
1. Visit mxtoolbox.com and enter your domain.
2. Check for SPF record: It should exist and include your mail server.
3. Check for DKIM record: It should be valid and properly signed.
4. Check for DMARC record: Having one improves trust with receiving servers.
If any records are missing or incorrect, update them in your DNS settings.
Step 2: Verify Your IP Is Not Blacklisted
Mail servers maintain blacklists of IP addresses known to send spam. If your server's IP is blacklisted, emails may be rejected.
1. Go to mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx.
2. Enter your mail server's IP address.
3. If listed on any blacklists, follow the delisting instructions for each list.
4. Contact support if you need help with the delisting process.
Step 3: Check Email Content
Spam filters analyze email content. Avoid:
- ALL CAPS in subject lines
- Excessive exclamation marks
- Spam trigger words ("free," "act now," "limited time")
- Large attachments (use file sharing links instead)
- Image-only emails with no text
- Misleading subject lines
Step 4: Test with Mail-Tester
1. Visit mail-tester.com.
2. Send an email from your hosting account to the address shown on the site.
3. Click "Then check your score."
4. Review the detailed report showing what is working and what needs improvement.
5. A score of 9/10 or higher is considered good.
Step 5: Check Server Configuration
Verify that your mail server is properly configured:
- Reverse DNS (PTR) record should match your mail server's hostname.
- HELO/EHLO identity should resolve to your server's IP.
- Your server should not be an open relay.
Step 6: Review Bounce Messages
When an email fails to deliver, you usually receive a bounce-back message. Read it carefully as it contains the reason for rejection:
- "550 User not found" — The recipient address does not exist.
- "550 Blocked" — Your IP or domain is blocked by the recipient's server.
- "452 Too many connections" — You are sending too many emails too quickly.
If You Still Have Issues
Contact our support team with:
- The full bounce-back error message
- The recipient's email address
- The approximate time the email was sent
We will investigate server-side logs to determine the cause.