FAQ: Contact Forms, Email Deliverability & Website Notifications
At WP Lifeline, we do everything we can to make sure your website runs smoothly, and that includes helping ensure your contact form submissions reach your inbox. Because email systems can sometimes be tricky, we’ve put together this guide to answer common questions and help you troubleshoot quickly.
How do I test my contact form?
Fill out the form using your name and email, and include a short, natural message, not just the word “test.” Very short or blank messages are more likely to be flagged as spam. Try something like: “Hi! Just testing the form to make sure it’s working. Thanks!”
Don’t see the form submission in your inbox?
Check your spam or junk folder. If it’s there, mark it as “Not Spam” to train your inbox.
Are you checking the right inbox?
Sometimes messages are sent to an email address you don’t regularly check. Example: Your form might send submissions to admin@yourdomain.com, but you’re checking info@yourdomain.com. If you’re unsure where form submissions are going, we can confirm and update the email address for you. Just let us know.
How do messages from my website get sent to my email?
Your website sends emails through a trusted delivery system (SendGrid), not the default WordPress method. All messages are sent from secure, authenticated domains managed by WP Lifeline:
- Sites launched before August 1, 2025 use the domain wpl-mail.net
- Sites launched on or after August 1, 2025 use the domain mailporter.net
In most cases, simply marking a form submission email as “Not Spam” is enough, but for added assurance that these emails land in your inbox, we recommend whitelisting the domains wpl-mail.net and mailporter.net in your email settings or safe sender list. This tells your email provider to trust all messages sent from these domains and helps prevent them from being marked as spam.
What is SendGrid, and why do we use it?
SendGrid is a professional email delivery service trusted by major platforms like Uber, Spotify, and Airbnb to send reliable transactional emails, things like password resets, order confirmations, and, in our case, contact form notifications.
By default, WordPress uses a built-in mail function (called PHP mail) to send messages. The problem is, PHP mail has no authentication and is frequently blocked or flagged as spam by modern email providers, which means your form submissions might never arrive.
To avoid that, WP Lifeline connects your website to SendGrid using a plugin called Post SMTP. This allows all website-generated emails to be sent through a secure, high-deliverability channel, using properly authenticated sender domains (wpl-mail.net and mailporter.net) that we manage.
The result? Your contact form emails are much more likely to land safely in your inbox, and stay out of your spam folder.
Do you manage my email service or inbox?
No. We focus exclusively on WordPress websites to deliver the best possible support for the things we do exceptionally well.
Email hosting is a specialized service that requires dedicated infrastructure, security protocols, and ongoing management. Providers like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are industry leaders in this space, offering unmatched reliability, built-in security, generous storage, and powerful features, all at a price point we simply can’t match or compete with.
For email-related questions (like inbox setup, spam filtering, or domain-level settings), we recommend reaching out to your provider directly. Their support is included with your plan and is better equipped to help with anything related to email. Our Email Support Policy explains this in more detail.
Google Workspace (Gmail):
Microsoft 365 (Outlook):
There are many other email service providers out there, and we can’t list all of them here, but if you’re using a different platform, we recommend visiting their help center or support portal for the most accurate guidance.
Could email filters or rules be moving my contact form submissions?
Yes, if you’re not seeing messages in your inbox, they may be getting moved by filters or rules you’ve set up in your email account. Messages can end up in folders like Promotions, Updates, or Trash, or even be blocked entirely.
Check your spam or junk folder, any custom folders or labels, and your email filter or rule settings.
Look for anything that might redirect or block messages from unknown senders or from wpl-mail.net or mailporter.net domains.
If you’re unsure how to review or adjust these settings, we recommend reaching out to your email service provider (like Google or Microsoft) or visiting their support center for help.
Google Workspace (Gmail):
Microsoft 365 (Outlook):
There are many other email service providers out there, and we can’t list all of them here, but if you’re using a different platform, we recommend visiting their help center or support portal for the most accurate guidance.
Why are all my contact form messages showing up in the same email thread?
If every new form submission is appearing as part of a single conversation in your inbox, it’s because your email client (like Gmail or Outlook) is automatically grouping messages with the same subject line into one thread, a feature called “conversation view.”
By default, many contact forms send emails with the exact same subject (like “New Contact Form Submission”), which causes email apps to treat them as part of a single thread.
To prevent this, we can customize the subject line to include unique details for each submission, usually the sender’s name and email address. This helps break the thread so each form submission appears as a separate message in your inbox.
While it’s possible to disable conversation view in your email settings, we can handle this on our end by making the subject line unique, so you don’t need to change anything in your email account. Just reach out to us and we can make that change.
What if I receive a spam message through my contact form? Should I mark it as spam?
No, please do not mark contact form submissions as spam, even if the message looks like junk or comes from a spam bot.
When you mark a message as spam, your email provider (like Gmail or Outlook) may automatically treat all future messages from the same sender as spam, including legitimate contact form submissions sent from your website. This can cause all future inquiries to be routed straight to your junk folder without you knowing.
What to do instead:
If you receive a spammy form submission, just delete it. Don’t report it as spam. This helps protect your inbox without accidentally blocking real messages.
Already marked one as spam?
You can usually fix this by:
- Finding the original email in your spam or junk folder
- Marking it as “Not Spam” or “Not Junk”
Getting too much spam through your contact form?
If spam messages are slipping through your contact form, you’re not alone. It happens from time to time, especially as bots become more sophisticated.
The good news is, we have several strategies to help reduce or eliminate unwanted submissions.
If spam is becoming a recurring issue, just reach out and we’ll review your setup and recommend the right solution for your site.
What about SPF, DKIM, and DMARC? Do I need to worry about those?
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are email authentication settings that help prevent spoofing and improve the deliverability of emails you send directly from your inbox, such as when emailing clients from Gmail or Outlook.
These settings have no impact on your website’s ability to send contact form notifications through WP Lifeline. We use a fully authenticated delivery system (SendGrid), which handles website-generated emails separately and securely. Your website does not rely on your domain’s email configuration to send messages, so even if SPF, DKIM, or DMARC are missing or misconfigured, your contact forms will still work and send properly.
If you’ve been told these records are missing, or you’re unsure how to set them up, your email provider (not WP Lifeline) is the best place to get support. Below are links to the two most widely used providers:
Google Workspace (Gmail):
Microsoft 365 (Outlook):
There are many other email service providers out there, and we can’t list all of them here, but if you’re using a different platform, we recommend visiting their help center or support portal for the most accurate guidance.