What should I check before changing DNS records?

Confirm the run status, recipient inbox folders, and recipient address first, because many misses come from routing or mailbox filtering.

How do I know whether this is a run failure or a deliverability issue?

If the run itself failed, fix that first. If the run succeeded but mail is missing, continue with inbox and sender-authentication checks.

The form shows a thank-you page but nobody got the email—what next?

Treat it as a deliverability or routing issue: check spam and quarantine, confirm the form’s recipient address, then verify SPF, DKIM, and SMTP for the sending domain.

Troubleshooting

Test email or receipt not received

Checklist when FormReceipt notifications or contact-form lead mail never arrive—run failures vs deliverability, spam, SPF, and ongoing monitoring.

Published: 2026-05-19Last reviewed: 2026-08-04

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Use this checklist when mail is missing

Missing email can come from two different places: the run may have failed before sending, or mail may have been sent but filtered. Contact form monitoring only helps once you know which side failed.

When the form submits but nobody gets the email

A thank-you page or HTTP success means the visitor (or FormReceipt) completed the form UI. It does not guarantee that your CRM, shared inbox, or personal mailbox received the lead notification. Common causes after a successful submit:

SMTP credentials expired or the mail plugin is paused
Messages land in spam, promotions, or quarantine
The form’s “to” address is wrong or an old distribution list
SPF, DKIM, or DMARC failures cause receivers to reject or junk the message
Duplicate SPF TXT records make authentication unreliable for the domain

Work the sections below in order so you do not change DNS before you know the run and mailbox state.

1) Confirm run result first

Open run details in FormReceipt.
If status is failed, fix the run issue first (selector, CAPTCHA, site error).
If status is successful, continue with mailbox and deliverability checks.

2) Check recipient mailbox basics

Search inbox, spam, promotions, and quarantine.
Confirm the recipient address on your form is correct.
Wait a few minutes and refresh mailbox filters.

3) Use this implementation checklist with your IT/admin team

Verify SPF includes all sending services for your domain (and that you do not have multiple SPF TXT records at one hostname).
Confirm DKIM signing is enabled and DNS keys are published.
Start DMARC in monitoring mode before enforcing strict policy.
Confirm SMTP or the form plugin still authenticates successfully.

4) Keep watching after the fix

DNS and SMTP fixes are point-in-time. Forms break again when plugins update, credentials rotate, or spam policies tighten. After mail is flowing, keep contact form monitoring on a schedule so your team gets a yes/no confirmation that lead notifications still arrive—not only that the page loads.

See the product workflow in How it works.

FAQ

What should I check before changing DNS records?: Confirm the run status, recipient inbox folders, and recipient address first, because many misses come from routing or mailbox filtering.
How do I know whether this is a run failure or a deliverability issue?: If the run itself failed, fix that first. If the run succeeded but mail is missing, continue with inbox and sender-authentication checks.
The form shows a thank-you page but nobody got the email—what next?: Treat it as a deliverability or routing issue: check spam and quarantine, confirm the form’s recipient address, then verify SPF, DKIM, and SMTP for the sending domain.

More in this category

Allowlisting FormReceipt automation

How to allowlist FormReceipt bot identity headers, user agent, and worker IPs in WAF or anti-bot tools.

DNS propagation and TTL

Why DNS changes lag, how TTL affects rollout, and how to verify TXT records globally.

Mail arrives in spam despite passing authentication

Why authenticated mail can still land in spam and what to check next.

Multiple SPF TXT records — how to merge them

Fix multiple SPF DNS TXT records at one hostname: why receivers fail validation, how to merge includes into a single v=spf1 string, and how to verify.

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