Email fixes
Email going missing? Start here.
Short guides to the email problems small businesses run into most, written in plain English. Each one tells you what's going on, what to do, and what to forward to whoever looks after your website.
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The most common problems, in plain English.
- Why are my business emails going to spam?Why Gmail and Outlook send your business email to junk, what to change, and what to check when everything looks right. Plain English, no jargon.
- What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained in plain English: what each one does, why you need all three, and how to check yours. No tech background needed.
- Customers say they never got my invoiceYour invoice probably went out and landed in junk. How to get this one paid today, and how to stop it happening again. Plain English.
- It says “delivered” but they never got it“Delivered” doesn't mean it reached the inbox. Where those emails end up, what “opened” and “viewed” really mean, and what to do.
- New business email going to spamNew domains get less trust at first. What to set up on day one, how to start sending, and what to avoid in your first few weeks.
Invoices and business tools
When email from QuickBooks, your website or another tool goes missing.
- Xero invoices going to spamXero sends invoices from its own address, and you can't change it. Why that lands in spam, and how to send the invoice link yourself.
- Shopify order emails going to spamShopify emails coming from shopifyemail.com or landing in junk? How to set up your domain in Shopify, step by step, in plain English.
- QuickBooks invoices going to spamQuickBooks sends invoices from its own address, not yours. Two fixes that work: send through your Gmail, or send the invoice link yourself.
- Website contact form emails not arrivingForm messages going missing or landing in junk? Why websites struggle to send email, and the simple fix for WordPress, Squarespace and Wix.
Something changed
Email that used to work and suddenly doesn't.
- My emails suddenly started going to junkEmail that worked for years now lands in junk? The usual causes, in the order to check them, starting with the quickest.
- Someone is sending fake emails in my nameScammers sending emails or invoices as your business? What to tell customers today, where to report it, and how to stop it happening again.
- Sent a newsletter, now my email goes to junkOne big send from your everyday email can hurt all your email. Why it happens, how to recover, and what to use for newsletters instead.
Error messages
Got a bounce-back with a code in it? Look it up here.
- 550 5.7.515 Access denied (Microsoft)Microsoft bounced your email with 550 5.7.515? What it means in plain English, why it started, and the steps to fix it.
- 550 5.7.26 (Gmail bounced my email)Gmail bounced your email with 550 5.7.26? The three versions of the message, what each means, and how to fix it.
- Set up SPF and DKIM but still in spam?Your settings pass but email still lands in spam? Usually a tool is vouching for itself instead of your business. How to check and fix it.
- “You weren't recognized as a valid sender” (550 5.1.8)Microsoft 365 stopped your mailbox from sending (550 5.1.8)? Why it happens, how to check you weren't hacked, and how to get unblocked.