### [[SOLVED] WordPress Contact Form Not Sending Email (2026)](https://wpforms.com/how-to-fix-wordpress-contact-form-not-sending-email-issue/) **Published:** April 24, 2020 **Author:** Hamza Shahid **Excerpt:** Are you not receiving email notifications from your WordPress contact forms? Unfortunately, the WordPress contact form not sending email issue is very common. However, you can quickly fix this issue and start receiving those emails by setting up Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) on your website. This tutorial shows you exactly how to fix the WordPress contact form sending email issue. **Content:** Are you not receiving email notifications from your WordPress contact forms? The WordPress contact form not sending email issue is one of the most common problems site owners run into. If you’re dealing with this in 2026, the fix is the same reliable approach that’s worked for years. You can quickly fix this problem and start receiving those emails by setting up Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) on your website. - [How to Fix The WordPress Contact Form Not Sending Email Issue](#how-to-fix-the-wordpress-contact-form-not-sending-email-issue) - [Step 1: Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin](#aioseo-step-1-install-the-wp-mail-smtp-plugin-15) - [Step 1: Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin](#step-1-install-the-wp-mail-smtp-plugin) - [Step 2: Configure Your From Email](#step-2-configure-your-from-email) - [Step 3: Configure Your From Name](#step-3-configure-your-from-name) - [Step 4: Choose Your Mailer](#step-4-choose-your-mailer) - [Step 5: Send a Test Email](#step-5-send-a-test-email) - [Important: Set Up Email Authentication](#set-up-email-authentication) - [Bonus Tip: Enable Email Logging](#enable-email-logging) ### Why You’re Not Receiving Notifications Are you frustrated because your forms aren’t sending emails and they keep disappearing? It’s a big issue in the WordPress community, and can really hurt your [lead generation](https://optinmonster.com/lead-generation/) efforts. And if you’re here because you were searching for the answer to “[Where does WPForms send emails?](https://wpforms.com/where-does-wpforms-data-go/)” then I’ve got you covered. There can be a lot of reasons behind the lack of email notifications: - Your WordPress hosting server (even unmanaged or [managed WordPress hosting](https://wpforms.com/best-managed-wordpress-hosting/)) is not configured to use the [PHP](http://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/php/) mail function that WordPress uses to send emails that are generated by a [contact form plugin](https://wpforms.com/best-free-wordpress-contact-form-plugins/) like WPForms. - Your email server is blocking it as spam. To reduce spam emails, your email provider often checks whether your email is originating from the location it claims to be originating from. - For example, if your email server is yahoo.com, chances are your form notifications won’t even make it into the spam folder since they’re sent out from a completely different server. - This can cause tons of issues including [WooCommerce emails being lost](https://wpforms.com/woocommerce-not-sending-emails/), [Gravity Forms not sending email](https://wpforms.com/fix-gravity-forms-not-sending-email/), or [Ninja Forms not sending email](https://wpforms.com/how-to-fix-ninja-forms-not-sending-email/). - The recipient’s email provider may be blocking your domain. If [WPForms isn’t sending form notifications to Gmail](https://wpforms.com/wpforms-not-sending-email-to-gmail/ "WPForms Not Sending Email to Gmail? How to Fix It"), this is the likely reason. In this post, I’ll be using the free WP Mail SMTP plugin to send form notifications using a simple setup with any email account. ![WP-Mail-SMTP-infographic](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/WP-Mail-SMTP-infographic.png)## How to Fix The WordPress Contact Form Not Sending Email Issue Fixing the WordPress contact form not sending email issue is super easy with WP Mail SMTP. Follow the steps below to get started! But first, let’s run through a few quick checks. **Quick Check Before You Start** Before you install anything, it’s worth ruling out the basics: - **Check your spam folder.** Your form notifications might actually be sending, but landing in spam or junk. This is the quickest thing to rule out. - **Verify your notification email address.** Head to your form’s [notification settings](https://wpforms.com/docs/setup-form-notification-wpforms/) and make sure the “Send To” email address is correct. A typo here is more common than you’d think. - **Submit a test entry.** Fill out your form yourself and see what happens. If the form submits successfully but no email arrives (even in spam), you’ve confirmed the problem is email delivery. If you’ve checked all three and you’re still not getting emails, it’s time to set up SMTP. ### Step 1: Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin [WP Mail SMTP](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-mail-smtp/) is the best option for sending emails since it uses proper authentication methods to ensure email deliverability. ![The WP Mail SMTP homepage](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WP-Mail-SMTP-Review-Home.png)The first thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. Check out this guide on [how to install a WordPress plugin](http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-for-beginners/) for step-by-step instructions. ### Step 1: Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin [WP Mail SMTP](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-mail-smtp/) is the best option for sending emails since it uses proper authentication methods to ensure email deliverability. ![The WP Mail SMTP homepage](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WP-Mail-SMTP-Review-Home.png)The first thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. Check out this guide on [how to install a WordPress plugin](http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-for-beginners/) for step-by-step instructions. ### Step 2: Configure Your From Email After installing and activating this plugin, go to **WP Mail SMTP » Settings** to configure the mail options. Here, you’ll first be asked to enter your **From Email**. This is the email address that all of your site’s emails (including [instant form notifications](https://wpforms.com/features/instant-notifications/)) will be sent from. If you’re setting this up on your business website, you should use an email address that matches your domain (like yourname@yourdomain.com). Using a free email like Gmail or Yahoo here is a common cause of delivery problems, since the emails are being sent from your server, not theirs. If you don’t have a domain email yet, here’s how to [set up a free business email address](https://wpforms.com/how-to-setup-a-free-business-email-address/). ![Editing the From Email in WP Mail SMTP](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wp-mail-smtp-from-email.png)**Note:** Make sure to enter the same email address you will be using to send SMTP emails. **Pro Tip** I strongly recommend that you also check the box labeled **Force From Email**. Since any email sent from your site must use this email address in order for SMTP to work, this will save you the trouble of editing the [WordPress email settings](https://wpforms.com/how-to-configure-your-wordpress-email-settings-the-right-way/) throughout your site. ### Step 3: Configure Your From Name Next, change your **From Name**. By default, this will be set to the site name. However, you can change this to anything you’d like, like your actual name. You can also choose to **Force From Name** to apply this setting to emails site-wide, similar to how we used the Force from Email option earlier. ![Changing the From Name in WP Mail SMTP](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wp-mail-smtp-from-name.png)I also recommend checking the optional **Return Path** checkbox to Set the return-path to match the From Email. ![Setting the return path in WP Mail SMTP](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wp-mail-smtp-return-path.png)With this enabled, you’ll be emailed at that address if any messages bounce as a result of issues with the recipient’s email. ### Step 4: Choose Your Mailer Now it’s time to set up your mailer. This is the service that actually handles sending your emails. WP Mail SMTP comes with dedicated mailers for the most popular email providers. ![wp mail smtp recommended mailers](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/recommended-mailers-768x630-1.png)Each one uses API-based authentication, which is more secure and reliable than entering SMTP credentials manually. Here are the options I’d recommend: - **Gmail / Google Workspace.** Use the [built-in Gmail mailer](https://wpforms.com/how-to-securely-send-wordpress-emails-using-gmail-smtp/). It supports a [1-click setup](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/how-to-set-up-the-gmail-mailer-in-wp-mail-smtp/) that connects your Google account in seconds. - **Outlook / Microsoft 365.** The Outlook mailer also supports 1-click setup. Connect your Microsoft account and you’re done. - **SendLayer.** A dedicated email delivery service built for reliability. Great if you send a high volume of emails. - **Brevo.** A solid transactional email service with a generous free tier. - **SMTP.com, Mailgun, Amazon SES.** Additional options for higher-volume senders. For a full comparison, check out our guide on the [best SMTP servers](https://wpforms.com/best-smtp-servers/) to find the right fit. Each mailer has its own setup guide in the WP Mail SMTP documentation. Select the one that matches your email provider, follow the walkthrough, and you’ll be connected in a few minutes. **Pro Tip** Not sure which mailer to pick? If you already use Gmail or Outlook for email, start there. The 1-click setup makes it the fastest option by far. ### Step 5: Send a Test Email Once your mailer is set up, it’s important to send a test email to make sure everything is working. WP Mail SMTP makes this super easy. To send a test email, click on the **Email Test** tab on the **Settings** page. ![fixing wordpress contact form not sending email with wp mail smtp send test](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/wp-mail-smtp-send-test-.jpg)On this tab, you can enter any email address that you have access to and click the **Send Email** button. ![button to send wp mail smtp test email](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/button-to-send-wp-mail-smtp-test-email.jpg)After sending the email, you should see a message telling you that the test HTML email was sent successfully. ![success message smtp](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/success-message-smtp.jpg)If you check the inbox for the email address you just entered, you should receive the email for this test. ![wp mail test success message email fix for wordpress contact form not sending email](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/wp-mail-test-success-message-email.jpg)Be sure to also test out your form emails by submitting a couple of test entries after completing this setup. That way, you can confirm that form notifications are delivering successfully. And don’t forget to set the **From Email** in your form’s notification settings to the same email you set up this SMTP with. That’s it! You’ve successfully configured SMTP on your WordPress site. You should now start getting notifications from your WordPress forms. ### Important: Set Up Email Authentication You’ll probably come across this when setting up an SMTP service, but make sure to always set up email authentication for your domain. This tells email providers that messages from your domain are actually authorized, which significantly reduces the chance of emails landing in spam. There are three records to add to your domain’s DNS settings. Most SMTP services provide the exact DNS records you need: - **SPF (Sender Policy Framework):** Specifies which mail servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain. - **DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail):** Adds a digital signature to your emails so recipients can verify they haven’t been tampered with. - **DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication):** Tells email providers what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail (reject, quarantine, or allow). ![spf dmarc skim](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/spf-dmarc-skim.png)When you set up your mailer in WP Mail SMTP, check the provider’s documentation for the specific SPF and DKIM values to add. Your hosting company or domain registrar can help you add these if you’re not sure how. ### Bonus Tip: Enable Email Logging Once everything is working, consider turning on email logging in WP Mail SMTP. This gives you a record of every email your site sends, including whether it was delivered successfully or failed. Go to **WP Mail SMTP » Settings » Email Log** and enable logging. From there, you can track delivery status, see open rates, and quickly troubleshoot if an email goes missing down the road. ![email logs wp mail smtp](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/email-logs-wp-mail-smtp-1024x829.png)### FAQs About WordPress Contact Form Not Sending Email WordPress form emails going missing is a frustrating problem, but it’s almost always fixable. Here are answers to the questions that come up the most. #### Why is my WordPress form not sending emails? The most common reason is that your hosting server isn’t properly configured to send emails using PHP’s built-in mail function. WordPress relies on this by default, and many hosts restrict or disable it. The fix is to use WP Mail SMTP to route your emails through a dedicated SMTP service. This gives WordPress an authenticated path to deliver emails reliably. #### Why are my WordPress emails going to spam? This usually happens when your domain doesn’t have email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) set up. Without these, email providers can’t verify that messages from your domain are legitimate. Setting up SMTP with a dedicated mailer and adding authentication records to your DNS fixes this in most cases. #### Why am I not receiving emails from my website contact form? If emails aren’t arriving, they might be getting lost between your site and your inbox. Start by checking your spam folder. If they’re not there either, set up WP Mail SMTP and send a test email. If the test email works but form emails don’t, check your notification settings in your form builder to make sure the “Send To” address is correct. For WPForms specifically, see the [email notification troubleshooting guide](https://wpforms.com/docs/troubleshooting-email-notifications/) for step-by-step help. #### How do I test if WordPress can send emails? Install WP Mail SMTP and use its built-in Email Test feature. Go to **WP Mail SMTP » Settings » Email Test**, enter an email address you can check, and click **Send Email**. If it arrives, your SMTP setup is working. If not, review your mailer configuration and credentials. ### Next, Start Getting More From Your Forms Now that your email notifications are working, you can focus on getting more out of your forms. Check out our guide on how to [send confirmation emails to users after form submission](https://wpforms.com/how-to-send-confirmation-emails-to-users-after-form-submission/) so your visitors know their message was received. Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. [WPForms Pro](https://wpforms.com/pricing) includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. [Get WPForms Pro Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing) If this article helped you out, please follow us on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/wpforms) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/easywpforms) for more free WordPress tutorials and guides. **Categories:** WordPress Tutorials **Tags:** email, gmail, php mail, smtp ---