In this article, you will learn how to fix WordPress not sending email notifications.
WordPress has been a popular platform for building websites and blogs since the early 2000s.
However, when you are running a website on WordPress it can be difficult to know what to do if your email notifications aren’t working properly.
In this blog post, we will show you how to fix WordPress not sending emails issue with three different methods that all have their own pros and cons.
Why does this happen?
There can be a number of reasons why WordPress might not send email notifications properly.
One common reason is that the site’s host server has blocked outgoing mail from WordPress, usually because they receive too many spam messages.
Another possibility is that the contact form plugin you are using isn’t configured correctly.
Method One: Editing the .htaccess File in WordPress
The first method you can use to fix your email problem is by updating the “.htacces” file within your web hosting account via FTP software.
This will update all of the settings for your site, so it should be used only if other options are not available or don’t work.
If you are not comfortable editing files via FTP, then skip this method and try the next one. In order to use this method properly, access your hosting account through an FTP program such as FileZilla or Cyberduck. Once connected open up the “.htacces” file in a text editor like Notepad++.
You will need to change the following lines:
SetEnv SERVER_PORT 80 # Comment out this line and add a new one below it.
SetEnv IP-Addresses “111.222.333.444, 111.222.4445” #
Add another line for each additional IP address you have on your server.
RewriteEngine On # Comment out this line and add a new one below it. RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} "111\.222\.[0-255]\.22" [OR] RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} "111\.222\.[0-255].33" RewriteRule ^(.*)$ "-" [R=301,L]and replace them with the following:
SetEnv SERVER_PORT 80 #
Add a new line below it.
SetEnv IP-Addresses “111.222.333.444, 111.222.4445” # Add another line for each additional ip address you have on your server.
RewriteEngine On # Add a new line below it. RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} “111\.222\.[0-255]\.22” [OR] RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} “111\.222\.[0-255].33” RewriteRule ^(.*)$ “-” [R=301,L]
Once you have updated the file, save it and then close your FTP software. You may need to restart your web server for the changes to take effect.
Method Two: Editing the wp-config File in WordPress
The second method you can use to fix WordPress not sending email notifications is by editing the “wp-config” file in your WordPress installation. This will update all of the settings for your site, so it should be used only if other options are not available or don’t work.
In order to use this method properly, access your hosting account via SFTP software such as FileZilla or Cyberduck.
Open up the “wp-config” file in a text editor like Notepad++ and edit the following lines: define(‘WP_DEBUG’, false); # Change this line to true if you want WP Debug on at all times. define(‘DISABLE_WP_CRON’, true); # Comment out this line by adding a hashtag before it so that WP-Cron doesn’t run when WordPress updates, etc…
Once you have updated the wp-config file, save it and then close your SFTP software. You may need to restart your web server for changes to take effect.
Method Three: Using a Plugin with Email Notifications
For example, if you are using Contact Form DB then here are some steps for how to set it up:
Go into the WP Admin of the site and go to “Tools” > “Contact Forms” Click on each individual contact form that has problems saving an email address Add an email address in under Settings > Mail Options Save Now click on Configuration For all of these forms check off “Do NOT store submissions on the server”
Now, go to “Forms” > select a form > click on the “Test Form” button at the bottom If you get an email notification then your contact form is working properly and sends emails. If not, then check out the troubleshooting tips below.
If you are using a different plugin for your contact forms, then please consult that plugin’s documentation for instructions on how to set it up correctly.
Troubleshooting Tips:
- Check to make sure your website URL is correct in the contact form settings.
- Ensure that your email address is correct in the contact form settings.
- Make sure that SMTP is enabled in WordPress by going to Settings > Writing > and checking the box that says “Enable SMTP Authentication”.
- If you are using a self-hosted email server, then make sure to check the box that says “Use an Existing Server” and enter in your hostname, username, and password.
- If you have an SSL certificate installed on your website, then make sure to check the box that says “Use SSL for outgoing mail”.
- If you are still having problems sending email notifications from WordPress, then please contact your hosting provider for further assistance. They will be able to help you troubleshoot the issue and find a solution.
Bonus Method: Install WP SMTP Plugin
If you don’t want to edit the wp-config file or use a plugin for email notifications, then there is another method that you can try. This involves installing the WP SMTP plugin, which will allow you to send emails from your WordPress site using a different mail server.
To install this plugin, go into the WP Admin and go to “Plugins” > “Add New”. Search for “WP SMTP”, install the plugin, and then activate it.
Once the WP SMTP plugin is activated, you will need to set it up by going to Settings > WP SMTP. In this section, you will need to enter your SMTP settings.
If you are using the same host as for email notifications then these should be set up already, otherwise please contact your hosting provider and ask them what these settings are.
Make sure that they match exactly with what is on their end before continuing further or else this method will not work correctly.
Once everything is set up, test the plugin by sending a test email. If it goes through then your WordPress site is now able to send emails using a different mail server.
Wrap
If you are still having problems sending email notifications from WordPress, then please contact your hosting provider for further assistance. They will be able to help you troubleshoot the issue and find a solution.
These are some tips that you can use to fix the WordPress not sending email issue.
Again, if you are still having problems after trying all of these methods how to fix WordPress not sending email notifications, then please contact your hosting provider for further assistance.