Debugging email issues involves a systematic approach, starting with simple checks and progressing to more technical investigations of **logs** and **server configurations**.
Initial User-Side Checks
Start with the simplest potential problems:
- Verify the email address spelling: A simple typo can prevent delivery.
- Check the recipient's spam/junk folder: Legitimate emails sometimes end up filtered incorrectly.
- Confirm mailbox storage limits: A full inbox cannot receive new mail.
- Review personal email settings: Check for accidental filters, forwarding rules, or blocked addresses that might divert or delete incoming messages.
- Rule out device/connection issues: A poor internet connection, sync problem, or temporary app glitch can prevent emails from displaying properly.
Technical and Server-Side Debugging
If user-side checks don't resolve the issue, the problem likely lies in the server or application configuration.
- Check email logs: The most effective way to debug is by reviewing mail server logs. These logs capture every step of an email's journey and provide specific SMTP error codes that pinpoint the exact problem (e.g., invalid address, connection timeout, spam flag).
- Verify SMTP server details: Ensure that the server name, port number (commonly 25, 587, or 465 with SSL/TLS), and authentication credentials are correct.
- Send a test email: Use a test tool or script (e.g., PowerShell, specific application functions) to send a controlled test email. If the test fails, focus on troubleshooting that specific failure; if it succeeds, the issue is likely with the specific content or timing of the original email(s).
- Inspect email authentication records: The absence or misconfiguration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can cause recipient servers to reject emails or mark them as spam, regardless of content.
- Monitor your sender reputation: If your domain or IP is blacklisted due to spam complaints or high email volume spikes, your emails may be blocked. Tools like Google Postmaster or SNDS can help monitor this.
- Check for application-specific issues: If emails are sent from a specific application (like WordPress or Salesforce), check for plugin conflicts, incorrect settings within that application, or enable its dedicated debug logging features.
We can narrow this down by the specific type of email issue you're facing. Are you having trouble sending, receiving, or are your emails landing in the spam folder?
