Troubleshooting: confirmation emails not arriving

Confirmation emails not arriving is the silent failure that erodes guest trust — they assume the booking didn't go through, they call to confirm, sometimes they re-book somewhere else. Fix it once and the silent failures stop.

Check 1 — Guest's email address

Open the reservation → guest profile → email field. Typos are common (gmial.com instead of gmail.com, missing dots). Verify by sight, ideally by reading it back to the guest. Fix and re-send the confirmation.

Check 2 — Spam folder

Most common cause. Ask the guest to check their spam/junk folder. If it's there, ask them to mark as 'not spam' — improves future deliverability for them and slightly for the next guest at the same provider. For systemic spam landings, jump to check 4.

Check 3 — SMTP working at all

Settings → Communications → SMTP. The page shows the configured server, port, username, and a Test Connection button. Run the test:

• Success — SMTP works; the issue is downstream (deliverability, address).
• Authentication failure — wrong credentials. Common with Gmail when an app password expires or the account loses 2FA. Generate a new app password, update SMTP.
• Connection refused / timeout — wrong host/port, or your network firewall is blocking outbound SMTP (port 587 or 465). Verify with your IT or hosting provider.
• TLS/SSL error — encryption mismatch. Switch the TLS toggle, retest.

Check 4 — Sender domain reputation (SPF/DKIM)

If SMTP works and emails still land in spam, the issue is the receiving server's trust in your domain. Two DNS records fix this for any reasonable sender domain:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework) — a TXT record on your domain listing the IP addresses or services authorized to send mail as your domain. Without it, anyone can claim to be you, so receivers distrust it.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) — a TXT record with a public key; outgoing mail is signed with the matching private key. Receivers verify the signature.

Both are one-time DNS additions. Your hosting provider (Gmail Workspace, Microsoft 365, your SMTP provider) gives you the exact values to publish. Check them with online tools (mxtoolbox.com, mail-tester.com) — both should pass for clean delivery.

Check 5 — Specific provider blocking you

Sometimes one provider blocks you specifically — Gmail OK but Outlook always spam. Check Microsoft / Google's sender blocklists. If you're listed, request delisting through their portals (free but takes 24-48h). Prevent recurrence by not sending bulk marketing from the same domain you use for transactional confirmations.

Practical fix order

1. Verify guest email is correct. Re-send. (30 seconds.)
2. Ask guest to check spam. (1 minute.)
3. Test SMTP. Fix authentication or connection issues. (5-15 minutes.)
4. Set up SPF and DKIM if persistent spam landings. (One-time, 30-60 minutes including DNS propagation.)
5. If still failing, contact support with the affected reservation IDs and a sample email address — diagnostic logs help isolate.