Troubleshooting email problems

Start here: quick checklist

Before diving into diagnosis, run through these quick checks:

If webmail works but your app doesn't, the problem is in the app. If webmail doesn't work either, the problem is with the account or service.

Problem: Emails I send are going to recipients' spam

This is a deliverability problem. The receiving server doesn't fully trust your email.

Common causes and fixes:

See How to improve email deliverability for a full walkthrough. For the DNS records, see SPF, DKIM & DMARC for email senders.

Problem: I'm not receiving emails

Check your spam/junk folder first. If the email isn't there, work through Not receiving emails: filters, a full mailbox, webmail, bounces and your MX records, in that order.

Problem: I can't log in

Try these steps:

1. Confirm you're using the correct email address (the full address, including the domain)
2. Try resetting your password through the platform's login page
3. If two-step verification is involved and you don't have your phone, use one of the backup codes you saved when you set it up, and if you don't have those, ask your admin, who can help you get back in
4. Try a different browser or an incognito window

For step-by-step help:

• Resetting a user's password in Google Workspace
• Resetting a password in Microsoft 365

Problem: My email app (phone/desktop) isn't syncing

Check:

1. Your internet connection
2. Whether webmail works, if Gmail/Outlook on the web is fine, the problem is in your app
3. Whether your password has recently changed: apps need to be updated with new credentials
4. Whether your account settings in the app are correct

Try removing the account from the app and re-adding it. See Setting up email on your phone or Setting up email in a desktop app.

Problem: I'm getting a lot of spam

A sudden increase in spam can mean your email address has been added to spammer lists, or there's been a data breach involving your email address.

What to do:

• Set up or tighten spam filtering in your email platform
• Unsubscribe from legitimate mailing lists you don't want
• Don't reply to spam. This confirms your address is active
• Check haveibeenpwned.com to see if your address appeared in a data breach
• Consider whether your email address is publicly listed on your website or directories: bots harvest these

Problem: My website's contact form emails aren't arriving

This is a separate system from your personal inbox. Website emails use SMTP, not your regular email account.

See Email sent from your website explained and What is SMTP?.

Quick checks:

1. Check your spam folder for form notifications
2. Test by submitting the form yourself
3. Check whether there have been any website changes recently
4. Contact Chykalophia: we can check the SMTP configuration

Problem: A specific person is never getting my emails

If emails arrive for everyone else but not one specific person or company:

• Ask them to check their spam folder
• Ask them to add your address to their safe senders, or ask their IT admin to allow your domain
• Send from a different email address or client and see if it goes through
• The problem is likely with their email provider's spam filtering, not yours

Collecting information before contacting support

When you contact Chykalophia about an email problem, having this information ready speeds things up:

• Your email address
• The email platform you're using (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.)
• What's happening exactly (not sending? not receiving? going to spam?)
• When the problem started
• Whether it affects one person or the whole team
• Any recent changes (new device, password change, migration)

See Info to gather before contacting support.

Common questions

Related guides

• Business email, explainedEmail not sending or receiving?Step-by-step help for the most common email problems, when email won't send, won't arrive, or bounces back.
• Business email, explainedWhy your emails land in spamWhat email deliverability is, why it matters, and the main reasons your business emails might be going to spam instead of the inbox.
• Business email, explainedHow to improve email deliverabilityPractical steps to make sure your business emails reach the inbox instead of the spam folder.
• Business email, explainedEmail sent from your website explainedHow your website sends automatic emails (form submissions, order confirmations, password resets) and what needs to be set up for them to work reliably.
• Business email, explainedEmail security basicsThe essential steps to keep your business email accounts secure: passwords, two-factor authentication, and everyday habits.
• Troubleshooting: start hereMy email is going to spamWhy your business emails land in recipients' spam or junk folders, and what can be done to fix it.