The issue of WordPress not sending emails doesn’t come with flashing lights or error messages. It’s quiet. It slips under the radar. You assume things are ticking away in the background — that the messages are landing in your inbox as they should — until someone says, “I sent you a message through your site last week…” and you realise they never got through.

The root of the issue lies in how WordPress sends mail. Out of the box, it leans on a built-in function called phpmail(). It’s basic, it’s outdated, and most hosting companies either don’t support it properly or block it altogether. Even when the emails do go out, they often get flagged as spam or blocked completely. That means the contact forms, order notifications, password resets — anything relying on email — can fail silently.

The proper fix is to bypass WordPress’s default behaviour and send emails through SMTP — a more secure, authenticated, and reliable method. It’s how most actual email systems work, and it ensures your messages are properly handed over to email providers like Gmail, Outlook, or custom mail servers.

There are a few ways to do this. For a straightforward setup, you can use a plugin like WP Mail SMTP. It lets you connect your WordPress site to a real email service — Gmail, Outlook, or better again, a transactional email provider like Mailgun, Postmark, or SendGrid. These services are designed for high deliverability, proper security, and tracking. They know how to get emails where they’re supposed to go.

If you’re using a Gmail account, there are a couple of steps involved — you’ll need to create an App Password, enable two-factor authentication, and plug those details into the plugin settings. It takes ten minutes, but once done, it works without fuss.

For Irish business owners running busy sites — online shops, booking systems, or anything with customer interactions — using a dedicated email delivery service is the smart choice. Not only do they provide better deliverability, but they also give you visibility. If an email bounces or fails, you’ll know. No more hoping. You’ll have a log of what was sent, when, and whether it landed.

Another important part of the puzzle is your domain’s DNS records. If you’re sending emails from info@yourdomain.ie but haven’t added SPF, DKIM or DMARC records, your emails might look suspicious to receiving servers. These records tell the world that your domain is allowed to send mail — they act like a signature, or a seal of trust. Without them, your emails are more likely to be binned before they’re even opened.

It’s the kind of thing that gets overlooked in the flurry of launching a new site — but it’s one of the fundamentals. If your site can’t communicate with your customers, then what’s it really doing? A sleek layout or clever copy won’t make up for silent email failures.

So if you’ve ever wondered why messages seem to go missing, or if you’re relying on hope more than certainty when it comes to site emails, it might be time for a once-over. A proper setup means peace of mind — and in business, that’s worth more than any plugin or patch.