Emails not arriving in the inbox can be frustrating, whether you're the sender or the recipient. There are several factors that could prevent an email from being delivered or seen. This guide will walk you through the steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
Side note: One common factor affecting deliverability is domain authentication. Make sure your domain is authenticated to avoid potential delivery issues.
1. Confirm the Email Was Sent
First, verify that the email was actually sent, by checking if the contact is actually part of your list and what their status is. If it is not marked as Active, that means it can't be sent to.
Navigate to your Campaign > Contact Activity > Sent to and check if the contact is present in your list. If the email wasn’t sent, it’s likely due to an issue with the contact’s status.
2. Review the Contact’s Status
If the contact hasn’t received your emails, check their status in your list. If the status is anything other than active, then it likely isn’t receiving your emails:
Unsubscribed: If the contact is unsubscribed, get written proof they want to resubscribe, then escalate it to your service provider.
Hard Bounce: A hard bounce indicates the address is invalid and no longer exists.
Spam Complaint: If the status is displaying “FBL”, then it is a SPAM complaint. Obtain written proof the contact wants to resubscribe, and escalate it to our support team
3. Check Your Suppression List
It’s possible the contact is on your suppression list. Click on the ⚙️ icon > Suppression List and see if the address is listed. If you have proof that the person wants to receive emails but was mistakenly suppressed, simply remove them from the suppression list.
4. Determine if the Contact Has Received Emails Before
If the recipient has received emails from you in the past, but not this time, it’s important to figure out what changed. Investigate any recent complaints, unsubscribes, or forwarding actions they might have taken.
5. Is the Email Address a Role Account?
Role accounts (e.g., sales@, support@, marketing@) often belong to groups or departments rather than individuals, making them prone to higher scrutiny. These accounts are usually suppressed by default. If you can prove opt-in for these addresses, you’ll need to request whitelisting by opening a support ticket.
6. Ask the Recipient to Check Other Folders
Sometimes, emails land in unexpected places. Ask the recipient to check their Spam folder, or in Gmail’s Promotions or Updates tabs. It’s also worth checking the Trash folder in case the email was accidentally deleted.
Which is why it is essential to ensure that your emails are reaching your recipient’s inbox by authenticating your domain.
7. Ensure Domain Authentication
If you’re using your own domain, make sure it’s authenticated. Unauthenticated domains can lead to emails being blocked by providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail.
If your domain isn’t authenticated, this is the first step you should take. Authentication significantly improves deliverability and reduces the chances of being flagged as spam.
8. Investigate Issues with Company Domains
If emails sent to a specific company domain are not being delivered, it's likely due to restrictions on the recipient's side. These emails might be blocked by internal security measures, such as monitoring or antivirus tools within the company’s system.
To resolve this, contact the IT department of the recipient's company and request that they whitelist your domain, ensuring that your emails can reach the intended recipients.
By following these steps, you can identify the root cause of undelivered emails and take the appropriate action to resolve the issue, ensuring your emails reach their intended recipients.