How To Fix WordPress Not Sending Email

The main problem is that WordPress uses PHP’s mail function to send emails, and many hosting servers either block or heavily restrict this function because spammers have historically abused it. When PHP mail is blocked, WordPress sends no error: emails are simply dropped without any notification.

A second issue is sender reputation. Email providers check whether the sending IP address is authorized to send mail for the domain it claims to be. A shared hosting server sending email “from” your domain typically has no SPF or DKIM record authorizing it to do so, which means receiving email servers treat the message as suspicious and either block it or route it to spam.

The solution is to use SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), which authenticates your connection properly and routes email through a service that email providers trust.

Before you install an SMTP plugin, check these common causes first:

Wrong delivery email in your contact form. Many contact form plugins default to sending to the developer’s email address during setup. Open your form plugin’s settings and confirm the “To” address is actually yours.

Emails are going to spam. Check your spam folder and any email filters before assuming delivery is failing. Ask a test contact to check their spam folder too.

The correct email address isn’t set in WordPress general settings. Go to Settings > General and verify the “Administration Email Address” is a valid address you control.

A recent plugin change broke email. If email stopped working after you installed or updated a plugin, deactivate the new plugin and test again. Some security plugins block outgoing connections.

If none of these explain the problem, proceed with an SMTP plugin.

Post SMTP is a powerful WordPress plugin designed to solve email delivery issues by using modern, secure email protocols. Here are the key highlights:

1. Advanced Email Logging – Post SMTP offers detailed email logs, making it easy to track and troubleshoot any failed email deliveries.
2. Supports Modern Protocols – Unlike traditional mail plugins, it supports SMTP, OAuth 2.0, and API-based services like Gmail, SendGrid, and Mandrill, ensuring secure and reliable email sending.
3. Easy Setup Wizard – The plugin provides a step-by-step configuration wizard, helping users set up email settings quickly and effortlessly.

This plugin ensures your WordPress site’s emails are sent securely and reach their intended recipients without fail.

This is a great option if you want a simple fix that won’t need much time investment. You can start receiving emails just by specifying SMTP ports and entering email credentials inside the plugin’s settings.

However, this can make your email credentials less secure as the details are stored in the WordPress administration area and other admins can then gain access to these.

This is one of the most popular solutions for this problem. You send emails using numerous other email providers including Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail.

There is a tutorial which shows you how to integrate this.

SendGrid is a dedicated email delivery service that offers a free plan for low-volume sending. As of writing, the free plan allows up to 100 emails per day indefinitely after a 30-day trial period.

To use SendGrid with WordPress, install one of the official SendGrid WordPress plugins or a generic SMTP plugin (like WP Mail SMTP) and configure it with your SendGrid API key. The API key method is more reliable than password-based SMTP because it doesn’t require storing email credentials in WordPress. You’ll need to verify your sending domain by adding DNS records, which takes a few minutes but significantly improves deliverability.

SendGrid is a good choice if you want better delivery analytics or if you expect to send more than a few hundred emails per month, since its paid plans scale up at reasonable rates.

Mailgun is a developer-focused email API service with a generous free tier. New accounts include a 3-month trial with 1,000 free emails per month. After the trial, pricing is based on volume.

To use Mailgun with WordPress, you’ll need to verify your domain by adding a few DNS records. Once verified, configure any SMTP plugin to connect using your Mailgun SMTP credentials or API key. The plugin routes outgoing emails through Mailgun’s servers, which sidesteps most PHP mail blocking issues entirely.

Mailgun is well suited for WooCommerce stores that send order confirmation and shipping notification emails, since those volumes can add up quickly and Mailgun’s infrastructure handles high-volume sends reliably.