Business Email Not Sending or Receiving — How to Fix It

Step 0: Test in webmail first

Open https://yourbusiness.co.ke/webmail, log in with the full email address, and send a test to your Gmail — then reply to it.

• Works in webmail but not in your app → it is an app settings problem (go to Not sending — app settings below).
• Fails in webmail too → it is a server, DNS or reputation problem (start at Step 1).

Step 1: Use Track Delivery

cPanel logs every message. Go to Email → Track Delivery, type the other person’s address in Recipient Email, and click Run Report.

Read the Result column:

Result	Meaning	Go to
Success — accepted by the other server	Delivered; if they cannot see it, it is in their spam	Ask them to check spam and mark Not spam
Failure — SPF, DKIM, DMARC	Your domain’s authentication is missing or wrong	Step 4
Failure — mailbox full, quota exceeded	Recipient’s (or your) mailbox is full	Step 3
Failure — user unknown, no such user	Address does not exist	Check spelling
Failure — blocked, listed, spamhaus	Reputation/blacklist	Step 5
Deferred	Other server asked us to retry later	Usually resolves within hours

Step 2: Not receiving — check MX records

Incoming mail goes wherever your domain’s MX records point.

1. Look up your domain at mxtoolbox.com → MX Lookup.
2. For email hosted with us, MX should point to your domain/mail server (e.g. yourbusiness.co.ke or mail.yourbusiness.co.ke).
3. If it shows Google, Microsoft or an old host, email is going there. Fix it in Domains → Zone Editor (or at your DNS provider) — see Manage DNS records.

Also check Email → Email Routing: it should be Automatically Detect Configuration or Local Mail Exchanger for mail hosted with us. Remote means mail is meant to go to another provider.

Step 3: Mailbox full

A full mailbox rejects new mail. In Email → Email Accounts, look at Storage Used / Allocated. If it is at or near 100%, increase the quota or delete old mail — see Fix a full mailbox.

Step 4: Emails rejected or landing in spam — SPF, DKIM, DMARC

Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo now reject or junk mail that is not authenticated.

1. Go to Email → Email Deliverability.
2. Your domain should show Valid for DKIM and SPF. If it shows Problems Exist, click Manage and then Install the suggested record for each.
3. Add a DMARC record — full walkthrough in SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
4. Send a test to mail-tester.com and aim for 9/10 or better.

Step 5: Blacklists

If rejections mention a blacklist (e.g. Spamhaus, Barracuda, SpamCop):

• Check at mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx with your domain or server IP.
• If listed, WhatsApp us — we investigate the server, remove the cause and request delisting.
• Meanwhile, check that none of your mailboxes or website forms has been compromised and is sending spam: change email passwords and add a CAPTCHA to website forms.

Not sending — app settings (Outlook, phone, Gmail)

Compare your app with these settings:

Setting	Correct value
Outgoing (SMTP) server	mail.yourbusiness.co.ke
Port / security	465 SSL/TLS or 587 STARTTLS
Authentication	Required — same username/password as incoming
Username	The full email address

Common symptoms: messages stuck in Outbox, or “Relaying denied” — outgoing authentication is off. “Connection timed out” on port 25 — use 465 or 587 instead (many Kenyan ISPs block 25).

Step-by-step app guides: Outlook, Android, iPhone.

Website contact forms not sending

• Make the form send from an address on your domain (e.g. noreply@yourbusiness.co.ke) — not from the visitor’s Gmail address. Put the visitor’s address in Reply-To.
• For WordPress, install WP Mail SMTP and configure it with a real mailbox and SMTP (port 465).

Troubleshooting summary

Symptom	Most likely cause	Fix
Can receive, cannot send from app	SMTP authentication or port	Enable auth; use 465/587
Nothing arrives	MX points elsewhere / domain expired	Fix MX; renew domain
Some senders bounce “mailbox full”	Quota reached	Increase quota / clean up
Mail to Gmail goes to spam	Missing DKIM/SPF/DMARC	Email Deliverability → install records
Sudden bounces mentioning blacklist	Compromised account or form	Change passwords; contact support

Still not working?

Open a ticket or WhatsApp +254 104 666 000 with: the sender, the recipient, the time sent and a screenshot of any bounce message.