What to Do When You Aren't Receiving Emails from Your Website Contact Forms

Sometimes I'll hear from clients that they aren't receiving emails from their Concrete5 and Wordpress contact forms on their website. Usually the assumption is that something is broken with the forms. Typically that isn't the case however. Here are some things to try if you aren't receiving emails when the forms are submitted:

• Check to make sure an email address has been entered into the contact form to send emails to when the form is submitted and check to make sure their isn't a typo in the email address.
• Check to make sure the DNS zone isn't set to local on your server if you are using a 3rd party email address. If the DNS zone is set to local then all the emails get routed locally on the server so the emails never go out.
• Make sure that in your domain name's DNS a SPF and DKIM record is setup so that your server can be authenticated by other servers receiving the emails. SPF and DKIM records essentially tell other servers that the server the email came from is "approved" to send emails for a particular domain name. Some email servers, particularly servers with spam filters that are turned on high, will block emails that can't be authenticated.
• This tool can also help you find specific issues with your DNS.

If you are still having problems, contact us and we can help you fix the form to make sure you are receiving emails from all of your contact forms. Or give this tool a try: mail-tester.com