How to Fix Email Not Sending or Going to Spam (cPanel Email Troubleshooting Guide)

If your emails are not being delivered, going to spam, or bouncing with error messages, the problem is usually related to DNS configuration, authentication, or mailbox limits. This guide covers the most common causes and how to fix them on Fast2host cPanel hosting.

---

1. Check Your Domain’s DNS Records

For email to work correctly, your domain must have the correct DNS records pointing to your server.

MX Records  
A Records  
SPF  
DKIM  
DMARC (recommended but optional)

Verify DNS using:

https://dnschecker.org

Make sure the MX record points to the hostname of your cPanel server.

---

2. Check MX Records in cPanel

In cPanel go to:

cPanel → Email → Email Routing

Select:

Local Mail Exchanger

This ensures email stays on your server instead of being routed elsewhere.

---

3. Enable SPF, DKIM & DMARC (Email Authentication)

Email authentication helps prevent your outgoing emails from being blocked or marked as spam.

cPanel → Email → Email Deliverability

If SPF or DKIM are missing, click:

Repair

SPF Record Example:

v=spf1 +a +mx +ip4:YOUR.SERVER.IP ~all

DMARC Example (optional, recommended):

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com

DMARC helps prevent spoofing and improves deliverability.

---

4. Check Your Email Password & Mail Client Settings

Incorrect passwords or outdated mail client settings (Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird) can prevent email from sending.

Correct cPanel email settings:

• Incoming (IMAP): 993 with SSL
• Incoming (POP3): 995 with SSL
• Outgoing (SMTP): 465 with SSL or 587 with TLS
• Username: Full email address
• Password: Email account password

In cPanel, click:

cPanel → Email → Email Accounts → Connect Devices

---

5. Check Mailbox Quota (Full Mailbox Problem)

If your email account reaches its storage limit, you will not be able to receive emails. This often causes bounce messages like:

Mailbox quota exceeded

To fix:

cPanel → Email → Email Accounts → Manage → Increase Storage

---

6. Check Email Queue & Blacklists (Server-wide issues)

If the server is temporarily blocked or blacklisted, emails may fail to deliver.

You can test using:

https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

If you see blacklist entries, contact Fast2host support — we will resolve it and rotate IPs if necessary.

---

7. Clear Outbox / Disable Antivirus Email Scanning

Local antivirus apps (AVG, Avast, Bitdefender) often block SMTP connections.

Try:

• Disable “Email Shield” or “Mail Scanning” feature
• Restart your mail client
• Resend messages stuck in the Outbox

---

8. Try Webmail (to isolate the problem)

Access webmail directly:

https://yourdomain.com/webmail

If webmail works but your mail client doesn’t, the issue is local to your device.

---