Google, Microsoft, and other email providers have introduced policies that impact the deliverability of emails, particularly emails coming from forms on websites and other 3rd party senders like newsletter platforms. These new policies are aimed at reducing spam and phishing emails, but also introduce issues with legitimate email notifications coming from your website.
While it’s always a good idea to periodically check the functionality of forms on your website, the introduction of these policies make it crucial that you test now.
Email Notifications Not Working?
If you do not receive an email notification after testing your contact form, you likely need to authenticate the server your website is hosted on as a valid sender for your domain. The recommended method is to update your domain’s DNS with SPF and DKIM records. Geeky explanations below, but in short this helps spam filters to know that emails coming from your website are legitimate.
Gravity Forms & Stored Entries
Most of our clients use the Gravity Forms plugin to create and manage forms on their website. One benefit is that Gravity Forms stores all entries in the backend of the website under Forms > Entries. This can be a useful to check if you have missed any recent contact requests and optionally resend email notifications. You can also export all entries to a spreadsheet under Forms > Import/Export.
What is SPF and DKIM?
SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is a technique designed to combat email spoofing by preventing spammers from sending emails using your domain without authorization. It allows you to specify which email servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain.
DKIM, which stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail, ensures that the content of your emails is secure and untampered with during transmission. It employs a digital signature associated with your domain to authenticate the source and maintain the integrity of the email.
Are there Alternatives?
If all else fails, there are some alternatives like sending via a 3rd party email sender like SendGrid or using a plugin like SMTP Mailer. As with most things, there are pros and cons to each approach, but the method outlined above is the best starting point.
Need Help?
While adding SPF and DKIM records isn’t too difficult or time consuming, managing DNS changes can be intimidating and confusing. If you need help with this or have any questions, just drop us an email and we’ll be glad to help!