How to Fix WPForms Not Sending Email Notifications After Form Submission

ByAman Updated on

WPForms is one of the most popular WordPress form plugins — but what happens when you’re not receiving email notifications after someone submits a form? If you’re facing this issue, you’re not alone. Email delivery problems are one of the most common complaints in WordPress, and thankfully, they’re also usually easy to fix.

In this post, we’ll walk you through why WPForms might not be sending emails and how to fix the issue step by step.

Why WPForms Email Notifications Might Not Work

Here are some common reasons:

  • Incorrect email notification settings in WPForms
  • Emails marked as spam by the recipient’s email server
  • No SMTP plugin installed (WordPress uses the mail() function, which isn’t reliable)
  • Hosting provider blocking email functions
  • Emails going to the wrong address or misconfigured “From” email

Let’s troubleshoot each of these and get your email notifications working again.

Step 1: Check WPForms Email Notification Settings

Go to WPForms > All Forms and edit the form in question.

  1. Click on Settings > Notifications
  2. Make sure notifications are enabled
  3. Check the Send To Email Address — it should be a valid email, preferably not the same as the domain (e.g., not admin@yourdomain.com if you’re having deliverability issues)
  4. Confirm the From Email is something like wordpress@yourdomain.com or a verified email
  5. Review the Email Subject, Message, and Reply-To fields

Pro Tip: Avoid using generic or unverified email addresses like noreply@gmail.com as the From Email. Use a domain-based email instead.

Step 2: Test WordPress Email Delivery

You need to check if WordPress itself can send emails, regardless of WPForms.

Install the Check & Log Email plugin or use WP Mail Logging to verify this.

  • Install and activate one of the plugins
  • Go to Tools > Check Email
  • Send a test email to your inbox
  • If it doesn’t arrive, the problem is with WordPress, not WPForms

Step 3: Use an SMTP Plugin (Highly Recommended)

WordPress uses the PHP mail() function by default, which is unreliable. Most emails land in spam or get blocked entirely.

Instead, install a dedicated SMTP plugin.

Popular SMTP Plugins:

Configure WP Mail SMTP:

  1. Install and activate WP Mail SMTP
  2. Go to WP Mail SMTP > Settings
  3. Choose your mailer (e.g., Gmail, SendLayer, SendGrid, Mailgun, SMTP)
  4. Follow the guided setup wizard to authenticate your domain and email address

Once configured, send a test email from the SMTP plugin to ensure everything is working.

Step 4: Whitelist Email Addresses and Avoid Spam Triggers

If emails are still not arriving:

  • Check your spam or junk folder
  • Add your “From Email” to your email client’s safe sender list
  • Avoid spammy words in the subject line like Free, Buy Now, or Congratulations

Also, ensure the domain you’re sending from has proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records set up in DNS. These records help prevent your emails from being marked as spam.

Step 5: Enable Email Logging

To make sure emails are being sent and track delivery attempts:

  1. Install WP Mail Logging or use WP Mail SMTP’s built-in logging
  2. Every time someone submits a form, you’ll get a detailed log of the email, headers, and send status

This is incredibly helpful when debugging intermittent email issues.

Step 6: Use Conditional Logic Carefully

Sometimes emails are not sent because of conditional logic settings in the notification configuration.

  • Check if the notification is set to only send under specific conditions
  • If these conditions are not met during form submission, the email won’t send

Review those settings in WPForms > Settings > Notifications and adjust them if needed.

Bonus: Enable Debugging for Advanced Users

You can enable WP_DEBUG in your wp-config.php file to catch errors during email send processes.

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

Check the log at /wp-content/debug.log for errors after submitting a form.

Final Checklist

  • WPForms Notification settings are correct
  • SMTP plugin is installed and tested
  • DNS settings (SPF, DKIM) are valid
  • Emails aren’t landing in spam
  • Email logging is enabled
  • Conditional logic is configured properly

Still Not Working?

Sometimes it’s easier to ask for help. You can:

  • Contact your hosting provider to check if they block PHP email functions
  • Reach out to WPForms support
  • Check for plugin conflicts by temporarily disabling other plugins

Conclusion

Getting WPForms to send email notifications reliably comes down to a combination of correct settings, using a proper SMTP setup, and avoiding common pitfalls like spammy subject lines or incorrect addresses. Follow the steps above, and your forms will be delivering like a champ in no time

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