# Troubleshoot missing emails

> A step-by-step process for working out why an email never reached a recipient, and how to fix it.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/troubleshoot-missing-emails
Updated: 2026-06-10

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Emails that never arrive are frustrating for everyone. Several things can stop a message reaching the inbox, and this guide walks through them in order so you can find the cause and fix it.

:::tip
A huge proportion of delivery problems come down to domain authentication. If your sending domain isn't authenticated, that's the very first thing to fix - see **[Authenticate your sending domain](/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/authenticating-my-domain-with-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-protocols)**.
:::

## 1. Confirm the email was actually sent

Check the contact is on your list and what their status is. Open **Campaign > Contact Activity > Sent to** and look for them. If they're not marked **Active**, they can't be sent to - which points to a status problem.

## 2. Check the contact's status

A status other than Active usually explains it:

- **Unsubscribed** - they opted out. You'd need written proof they want back in before re-subscribing.
- **Hard bounce** - the address is invalid and no longer exists.
- **Spam complaint (FBL)** - they filed a spam complaint. You'd need written proof of consent and to escalate to support.

## 3. Check your suppression list

Go to **Audience > Suppression List** and see if the address is there. If they were suppressed by mistake and you have proof they want your emails, remove a **Manual** entry with **Delete**. A **Feedback loop** entry means a spam complaint, which support has to handle with proof of consent. See **[Use your suppression list](/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/use-your-suppression-list)**.

## 4. Have they received emails from you before?

If they used to and suddenly don't, that tells you the address is valid and points at a recent delivery or filtering problem. Check whether other contacts are affected too.

## 5. Is it a role-based address?

Addresses like sales@ or support@ are often suppressed by default because they're higher-risk. If you can prove opt-in, you can request whitelisting via a support ticket. See **[Role-based email addresses](/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/role-based-email-addresses)**.

## 6. Ask the recipient to check other folders

Mail sometimes lands in spam, or in Gmail's Promotions or Updates tabs - and occasionally in Trash if a rule deleted it. Ask them to look.

## 7. Make sure your domain is authenticated

An unauthenticated domain gets blocked by Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook. If yours isn't authenticated yet, that's your first fix.

## 8. Look at company-domain blocks

If only one company's addresses fail, their internal security or antivirus is probably blocking you. Ask their IT team to whitelist your sending domain.

## Still missing?

If emails are still going astray after all of that, [open a support ticket](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo) with the specific details - which messages, which recipients - and we'll dig in. Regular list hygiene and a quick test send to yourself are the best ways to catch these patterns early.

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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/troubleshoot-missing-emails · © Kualo Ltd._