There are several reasons why your email service may not be working correctly. Email issues can be caused by incorrect email settings, DNS configuration problems, mailbox issues, exceeded storage limits, incorrect email client configuration, or temporary issues affecting your email service.
At SIRSTEVEHQ, we recommend checking the common causes below before contacting Support, as many email issues can be resolved by correcting a simple configuration problem.
Common Reasons Why Your Email May Not Be Working
1. Incorrect Email Client Settings
If you are using an email application such as:
- Microsoft Outlook
- Apple Mail
- Thunderbird
- Mobile email applications
Your email may not work correctly if the incoming or outgoing mail server settings are incorrect.
Ensure that your email client is configured with the correct:
- Email address
- Password
- Incoming mail server (IMAP/POP3)
- Outgoing mail server (SMTP)
- Port numbers
- SSL/TLS security settings
Incorrect settings may prevent you from sending or receiving emails.
2. Incorrect DNS or MX Records
Your domain's DNS records determine where your emails are delivered.
If your MX records are incorrect, missing, or pointing to another email provider, your email service may stop working correctly.
Common DNS issues include:
- Incorrect MX records
- Missing MX records
- Incorrect mail hostname
- Conflicting third-party email records
- Recent DNS changes that have not fully propagated
If you are using SIRSTEVEHQ Email Hosting, ensure that your domain has the correct email-related DNS records configured.
3. Your Email Account Does Not Exist
Emails may fail if the mailbox has not been created or has been deleted.
For example:
- info@yourdomain.com does not exist.
- The email account was accidentally removed.
- The mailbox was created incorrectly.
You can check and manage your email accounts through your hosting control panel.
4. Incorrect Email Password
If your password is incorrect, you may be unable to:
- Log in to Webmail
- Send emails
- Receive emails
- Connect your email application
If you cannot remember your password, you can reset it through your hosting control panel or request assistance through your Client Area.
5. Your Mailbox Storage Is Full
If your mailbox has reached its storage limit, you may experience problems receiving new emails.
Common solutions include:
- Deleting unnecessary emails
- Emptying the Trash folder
- Downloading and removing old emails
- Increasing your mailbox storage limit, if available
6. Your Email Account or Service Is Blocked or Suspended
Your email service may be affected if:
- Your hosting account is suspended.
- Your email account has been disabled.
- Your account has triggered security restrictions.
- Your domain or email activity has been affected by reputation or security-related issues.
If your email service has been restricted, please contact our Support Team for assistance.
7. Emails Are Going to Spam or Junk
Sometimes emails are delivered successfully but appear in the recipient's spam or junk folder.
This may happen due to:
- Missing SPF records
- Missing DKIM records
- Missing DMARC records
- Poor email reputation
- Recipient-side filtering rules
To improve email deliverability, ensure that your domain has the appropriate email authentication records configured.
8. Your Website and Email Are Using Different Providers
If you have customised your DNS records to use an external email provider, your email may not be handled by SIRSTEVEHQ.
For example:
- Your website may be hosted with SIRSTEVEHQ.
- Your MX records may point to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Amazon, or another email provider.
In this situation, your emails will be handled by the external email provider rather than SIRSTEVEHQ.
9. Temporary Email Service Issues
Occasionally, temporary issues may affect email delivery or access.
Possible causes include:
- Server maintenance
- Network issues
- Security filtering
- Temporary service interruptions
Our team monitors our infrastructure to maintain reliable email services and works to resolve service-related issues as quickly as possible.
How Can I Troubleshoot My Email Issue?
Before contacting Support, try the following:
- Confirm that your email account exists.
- Verify your email password.
- Check your DNS and MX records.
- Confirm your email client settings.
- Test your login through Webmail.
- Check your mailbox storage.
- Review your spam or junk folder.
- Confirm that your domain is pointing to the correct email provider.
How Do I Report an Email Problem?
If your emails are still not working, please open a Support Ticket through your Client Area.
When contacting our Support Team, provide:
- Your domain name
- The affected email address
- The error message received
- Whether you are unable to send, receive, or access emails
- The email application you are using, such as Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, or another email application
- Any recent DNS, hosting, or email configuration changes
Providing this information will help us investigate the issue faster and provide the appropriate solution.
Need Help Restoring Your Email Service?
Our Support Team can assist with diagnosing email-related issues, checking your hosting configuration, and identifying whether the problem is related to your mailbox, DNS records, email settings, or an external email provider.
If the issue is caused by an external email provider or third-party DNS configuration, we will help identify the cause and advise you on the appropriate next steps.
