# Email troubleshooting checklist

> Email not sending, not arriving or not connecting? Work through these checks to find and fix the problem.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/email-setup/troubleshooting-e-mail-problems/

> **Let us find the cause:**
Our [Email not arriving? troubleshooter](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/tools/email-troubleshooter/) checks your domain's email records automatically, then walks you through the likely causes step by step.

Start by matching your problem below. If you're not sure which email product you have, see [Which Ruachost email do I have?](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/which-ruachost-email-do-i-have/)

| Problem | Go to |
| --- | --- |
| Can't log in, or password not accepted | [Can't log in to your email](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/cant-log-in-to-your-email/) |
| Can send but not receive | [You can send emails but can't receive them](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/webmail/are-you-able-to-send-emails-but-not-receive/) |
| Can receive but not send | [Able to receive emails but not send](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/webmail/are-you-able-to-receive-emails-but-not-send/) |
| A specific email never arrived | [Missing emails](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/missing-emails/) |
| Your emails land in spam | [Preventing outgoing email from being marked as spam](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/preventing-outgoing-email-from-being-marked-as-spam/) |
| Gmail warns it "couldn't verify" your domain | [Fixing Gmail's "couldn't verify" warning](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/gmail-couldnt-verify-domain/) |
| "Mailbox full" or "quota exceeded" | [Exceeding mailbox storage quotas](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/cpanel-email/exceeding-mailbox-storage-quotas/) |
| "Max defers and failures" error | [Fixing the max defers and failures error](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/cpanel-email/fixing-the-max-defers-and-failures-error/) |
| Email app or phone won't connect | See step 3 below |

## 1. Check webmail first

Log in to webmail. See [How do I log in to my webmail?](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/email-setup/how-do-i-login-to-my-webmail/)

- **Webmail works:** your mailbox is fine, and the problem is in your email app or device. Go to step 3.
- **Webmail doesn't work either:** go to step 2.

## 2. Check the domain and DNS

- **Is the domain active?** An expired or suspended domain stops all email. Check **Domains → My Domains** in the client area.
- **Do the MX records point to the right place?** For cPanel email they should point to your domain on our server (they're set up automatically when you use `nsa.ruachost.com` and `nsb.ruachost.com`). For Business Email, they should be `mx01.emailpnl.com` and `mx02.emailpnl.com`. See [Managing DNS records](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/domains/dns/dns-resource-records/).
- **Recently changed nameservers or MX records?** Allow up to 24–48 hours. See [DNS propagation explained](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/domains/dns/when-can-i-see-changes-in-my-domain-if-i-just-edited-my-dns-records/).

## 3. Check your email app settings

Compare your app's settings with the correct ones, especially the server names, ports and security type:

- cPanel email: [Email settings for apps and devices](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/cpanel-email-settings/)
- Business Email: [Access parameters](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/business-email/access-parameters/)

Then:

- Make sure the **username is your full email address**.
- If you recently changed the password, update it in every app and phone that uses the account.
- Remove the account from the app and add it again.
- Gmail app users: Gmail no longer fetches mail by POP. See [Using your website's email with Gmail](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/webmail/using-your-websites-email-via-gmail/).

## 4. Check for blocks and limits

- **Too many wrong passwords** can block your IP address. Wait 15–30 minutes, or [open a ticket](https://dashboard.ruachost.com/submitticket.php) with your IP address so we can unblock it.
- **Sending limit:** cPanel email can send 200 emails per hour. See [Email sending and mailbox limits](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/guides/email-sending-and-mailbox-limits/).
- **Attachments:** very large attachments can bounce. See [When I send an email with an attachment, it bounces](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/email/webmail/when-i-send-an-e-mail-with-an-attachment-it-is-not-delivered-or/).

## Still not working?

[Open a support ticket](https://dashboard.ruachost.com/submitticket.php) with:

- the email address affected
- the exact error message, or a screenshot
- if a message bounced, the full bounce message

That helps us find the cause quickly.