Website emails aren't arriving
Missing order confirmations, password resets, or form notifications can result from sending failures, delayed delivery, or recipient filtering. These checks cover outgoing website emails, not incoming mail to your domain.
Narrow it down
- Send one test email from the website and record the time including time zone and recipient. Open
/var/log/msmtp/mail.logthrough SFTP or SSH and find the matching entry. A matching entry confirms that email used Templ SMTP; read it for sending errors. It doesn't confirm delivery to the recipient's inbox. - If there's no matching entry, check WordPress for a plugin configured to use a third-party sending service (often called an "SMTP plugin"), then check that service's delivery logs and settings. No entry can also mean WordPress never attempted to send the email.
- Check the recipient's spam folder and test another address. Avoid repeatedly resending because queued messages may arrive later as duplicates.
- For Templ SMTP, check SPF and DKIM and domain verification. These authorize sending for your domain; they don't fix authentication failures.
Common errors and delays
| Symptom or error | Next step |
|---|---|
authentication failed | Check which sending service is configured. For Templ SMTP, ask support to check account activation, particularly on a new trial; for another provider, check its credentials. Never send passwords in chat. |
Sender address rejected: not owned by user | The sending account isn't authorized for the sender address used during delivery. For Templ SMTP, ask support to check the sending configuration; changing the visible From address alone may not fix it. |
Rate limit exceeded | Check sending limits. Templ queues messages over the limit for later delivery. Recurring delays warrant checking for form spam or a plugin repeatedly sending the same message. |
message file too big | Reduce attachment size or send a download link. If the original is already queued, ask support to check it before resending. |
Bulk or marketing mail needs a dedicated sending service, not a higher Templ SMTP limit. If you upgraded your plan but still hit the previous limit, ask support to verify the applied limit.
Get help
Contact support with the website, sending time including time zone, recipient, sending service, and exact error. Support can check Templ's mail queue and sending configuration; a successful form submission alone doesn't confirm email delivery.