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Fix Elementor Form Not Sending Emails Problem
Are you experiencing the frustrating issue of your Elementor form not sending emails? You’re not alone! Many WordPress users, especially those leveraging Elementor’s powerful form builder, encounter this problem. Whether it’s contact form submissions disappearing into the digital void, or lead generation forms failing to notify you, an Elementor form not sending emails can significantly impact your website’s functionality and business operations.
The good news is that this common pain point usually has a straightforward solution. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the various reasons why your Elementor form might not be sending emails and provide you with actionable, step-by-step solutions. We’ll cover everything from simple configuration checks to more advanced server-side adjustments, ensuring you have all the tools to resolve the “Elementor form not sending emails” problem once and for all. Let’s get your email notifications back on track!
Why is Your Elementor Form Not Sending Emails? Understanding the Root Causes
Before we jump into the fixes, it’s crucial to understand why your Elementor form might not be sending emails. The problem rarely lies directly with Elementor itself, but rather with how WordPress handles email, or with external factors. Here are the most common culprits:
- WordPress’s Default Email Function (
wp_mail()): By default, WordPress uses the PHPmail()function to send emails. This method is often unreliable, especially with modern hosting environments, as emails sent this way can be flagged as spam or outright blocked by email providers. - Server Configuration Issues: Your web server might not be correctly configured to send emails, or its mail server might be blacklisted.
- Spam Filters: Email content, the sending address, or low sender reputation can cause emails to be caught by spam filters, preventing them from reaching the inbox.
- Elementor Form Settings Configuration Errors: Incorrect “From” email addresses, “To” email addresses, or other field mappings within your Elementor form settings can lead to delivery failures for your Elementor form not sending emails.
- Plugin Conflicts: Other WordPress plugins, especially security, caching, or other form plugins, can sometimes interfere with Elementor’s email sending capabilities.
- Hosting Provider Restrictions: Some hosting providers have strict limits on email sending or disable PHP’s
mail()function by default to prevent spam. - Outdated Software: An outdated version of WordPress, Elementor, or your theme can sometimes lead to unexpected issues, including your Elementor form not sending emails.
Solution 1: Verify Elementor Form Settings and Test Email Delivery
Often, the simplest solution to an Elementor form not sending emails is a misconfiguration within the form itself. Let’s start there.
Step-by-Step Guide for Checking Elementor Form Settings
- Edit Your Form: Navigate to the page containing your Elementor form. Click on “Edit with Elementor” or edit the form directly if it’s a global widget.
- Select the Form Widget: Click on the Elementor form widget to open its settings in the left panel.
- Go to “Actions After Submit”: Under the “Content” tab, find the “Actions After Submit” section. Ensure that “Email” (or “Email 2” if you have a secondary notification) is present and enabled. If not, add it.
- Configure “Email” Action:
- To: This is the most crucial field. Ensure the email address here is correct and actively monitored. This is where your form submissions will be sent.
- From Email: This should typically be an email address associated with your domain (e.g.,
noreply@yourdomain.comorinfo@yourdomain.com). Avoid using generic email addresses like@gmail.comor@yahoo.com, as these are often flagged as spam when sent from a different domain. - From Name: The name that appears as the sender.
- Subject: A clear subject line (e.g., “New Form Submission from Your Website”) helps identify the email.
- Message: Leave this as
[all-fields]initially to receive all form data. - Metadata: Ensure “Date,” “Time,” “Page URL,” “User Agent,” and “Remote IP” are enabled for useful context.
- Reply To: If you want to reply directly to the sender’s email (a field in your form), select that field from the dynamic tags. For example, if you have an email field named “Your Email,” you would set “Reply To” to
[field id="your_email"].
- Save Changes: Click “Update” to save your Elementor form settings.
- Test the Form: Go to the live page and submit a test entry. Check the “To” email’s inbox and spam folder.
Solution 2: Implement a Reliable SMTP Plugin for Elementor Forms
This is by far the most effective and recommended solution for addressing the “Elementor form not sending emails” issue. WordPress’s default email function (wp_mail()) is notorious for unreliability. Using an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) plugin bypasses this unreliable method and sends emails through a dedicated mail server, drastically improving deliverability.
Why Use an SMTP Plugin?
- Improved Deliverability: Emails sent via SMTP are authenticated, making them less likely to be marked as spam.
- Reliability: Utilizes a dedicated mail server, which is more robust than PHP’s
mail()function. - Logging: Many SMTP plugins offer email logging, allowing you to see if emails were sent and troubleshoot more effectively.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up an SMTP Plugin
We recommend plugins like WP Mail SMTP, Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log, or FluentSMTP. We’ll use WP Mail SMTP as an example.
- Install and Activate WP Mail SMTP:
- From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for “WP Mail SMTP”.
- Click “Install Now” then “Activate.”
- Configure WP Mail SMTP Settings:
- Go to WP Mail SMTP > Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
- From Email: Enter an email address associated with your domain (e.g.,
info@yourdomain.com). Crucially, make sure this matches the “From Email” you set in your Elementor form or enable “Force From Email” in WP Mail SMTP. - From Name: Enter your website’s name or your preferred sender name.
- Mailer: This is where you choose your email sending service. You have several options:
- Other SMTP: If you have SMTP details from your hosting provider or a custom email service. You’ll need Host, Port, Encryption, and Authentication details.
- Recommended Mailers (e.g., SendGrid, Mailgun, Sendinblue, Gmail/Google Workspace): These services offer high deliverability. You’ll need to create an account with one of them and obtain API keys or specific credentials. Follow the plugin’s setup wizard for direct integration.
- For Hostinger users: Hostinger provides email services. You can use their SMTP settings under “Other SMTP.” Typically, the host is
smtp.hostinger.com, port 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS), with your email and password for authentication.
- Test Email: Once configured, use the “Email Test” tab within WP Mail SMTP settings to send a test email. This will confirm if your SMTP setup is working correctly.
- Verify Email Log: Many SMTP plugins (like WP Mail SMTP Pro or Post SMTP) offer an email log. Check this log to see if your Elementor form submissions are being processed and sent by the SMTP service. This is invaluable for troubleshooting if your Elementor form not sending emails persists.
Solution 3: Check Spam Folders, DNS, and Email Blacklists
Sometimes, emails are indeed sent by your Elementor form but get caught in spam filters or are rejected by the recipient’s mail server. This is a common aspect of the Elementor form not sending emails problem.
Steps to Investigate Spam/Delivery Issues
- Check Spam/Junk Folders: This might seem obvious, but always check the spam or junk folder of the recipient email address. Mark the email as “Not Spam” to train your email client.
- Email Headers: If you received the email in spam, examine its headers. These contain valuable information about the sending path and why it was flagged.
- Sender Email Validation (SPF, DKIM, DMARC): These are DNS records that help authenticate your emails and prevent spoofing. If they are not configured correctly for your domain, emails are more likely to be marked as spam.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails, verifying that the email hasn’t been tampered with.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Builds on SPF and DKIM, telling receiving mail servers what to do with unauthenticated emails (e.g., quarantine, reject).
You can use online tools like MXToolbox to check your domain’s SPF and DKIM records. If these are missing or incorrect, consult your hosting provider or email service provider on how to add/correct these DNS records. This is a crucial step for boosting email deliverability and resolving the “Elementor form not sending emails” symptom.
- Server Blacklists: If your web server’s IP address has been blacklisted (often due to previous spamming activities from other users on a shared host), emails from your domain might be universally rejected. Use tools like MXToolbox’s Blacklist Check to see if your IP is listed. If it is, contact your hosting provider immediately.
Solution 4: Clear Caches and Address Plugin/Theme Conflicts
Caching can sometimes cause old configurations to persist, leading to an Elementor form not sending emails. Plugin or theme conflicts are also common in WordPress.
Troubleshooting Steps
- Clear All Caches:
- WordPress Caching Plugins: If you use a caching plugin (e.g., WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket), clear its cache from the plugin settings in your dashboard.
- Elementor Cache: Go to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data, then click “Regenerate Files.” Also, under the “General” tab, enable “Loader Methods” and “CSS Print Method” if problems persist.
- Server-Side Caching: If your hosting provider offers server-level caching (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache at Hostinger), clear it via your hosting control panel (e.g., hPanel, cPanel).
- Browser Cache: Clear your web browser’s cache and cookies, or test the form in an incognito/private browsing window.
- Check for Plugin Conflicts:
A common method for checking plugin conflicts without breaking your live site is to use a staging environment. If you don’t have one, proceed carefully on your live site during off-peak hours.
- Deactivate All Plugins: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, select all plugins *except* Elementor and Elementor Pro (if you have it), and deactivate them.
- Test the Form: Submit a test entry through your Elementor form. If it works, a plugin conflict is the cause of your Elementor form not sending emails issue.
- Reactivate Plugins One by One: Reactivate your plugins one by one, testing the Elementor form after each activation, until you find the culprit.
- Identify the Conflicting Plugin: Once identified, you can look for alternative plugins or contact the plugin developer for support.
- Temporarily Switch Theme:
Although less common for email issues, a theme