Website contact forms fail when mail is sent without authentication, recipient rules are misconfigured, or the application cannot connect to the intended SMTP service.
Common symptoms
- Users submit the form but no email arrives
- No error is shown on the page
- Only form mail fails while mailbox sending works
Troubleshooting steps
- Check the form plugin or application settings and confirm the recipient address is correct.
- Use authenticated SMTP instead of basic local mail where your application supports it.
- Test delivery to a mailbox on the same domain and then to an external address to compare behavior.
- Review spam folders and sending logs if available.
- Confirm the sending domain has valid SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment for the chosen SMTP path.
Additional notes
- A contact form can appear to submit successfully even when the mail step fails silently.
- Authentication and domain alignment are critical for reliable delivery.
When to contact support
Contact support if SMTP is configured correctly but form messages still do not leave the application.