Summary: If contact forms, order confirmations, or password-reset emails from a client's website aren't arriving, switch the site to authenticated SMTP and check the domain's SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
Why website email goes missing
By default, many websites send mail straight from the web server without logging in to a mail service. Receiving providers like Gmail and Outlook treat that kind of mail with suspicion. It often lands in spam or gets rejected outright, especially if the "From" address uses a domain whose DNS records don't authorize your server to send for it.
The reliable fix is to have the website log in to a proper mail service and send through it. This is called authenticated SMTP.
Our email recommendation
- Business mailboxes: Run your clients' business email through Liberation Email / Hub for Teams. Please don't create mailboxes in cPanel on your reseller VPS.
- Website-generated email (forms, receipts, notifications): Send it through authenticated SMTP. Contact support for SMTP relay details.
Step 1: Set up authenticated SMTP on the site
- Open a ticket to request SMTP relay details for the domain.
- In the website, install or configure an SMTP option. For WordPress, use a reputable SMTP plugin. Many other CMSs and form tools have SMTP settings built in.
- Enter the SMTP host, port, encryption type, username, and password from support.
- Set the From address to an address on the client's own domain, such as
[email protected]. Don't use a Gmail or Yahoo address as the From address. - Use the plugin's test feature to send a test message, and confirm it arrives.
Step 2: Set email routing correctly
If a domain's email is hosted with Liberation Email, and not on your server, tell the server that. Otherwise, the server may try to deliver form messages to a local mailbox that doesn't exist.
- Open the client's cPanel and go to Email » Email Routing.
- Select the domain and choose Remote Mail Exchanger.
- Save your changes.
This only tells the server where mail for the domain lives. It doesn't create mailboxes.
Step 3: Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
These three DNS records help receiving providers trust mail from the domain.
| Record | What it does | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| SPF (TXT) | Lists the services allowed to send mail for the domain | A domain can have only one SPF record, starting with v=spf1. Include every service that sends for the domain in that single record. |
| DKIM (TXT) | Adds a digital signature that proves a message wasn't altered | The sending service gives you the record to publish. Copy it exactly. |
DMARC (TXT at _dmarc) | Tells receivers what to do when SPF and DKIM checks fail | Start with v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]. Tighten it later. |
Our support team can tell you the exact SPF and DKIM values for Liberation Email and the SMTP relay. Ask in the same ticket.
Where to edit DNS
- If the domain uses your private nameservers, edit DNS in WHM » DNS Functions » DNS Zone Manager, or in the client's cPanel Zone Editor.
- If DNS is hosted somewhere else, such as a registrar or Cloudflare, make the changes there. Changes made on your server won't take effect for that domain.
To check the records:
dig +short TXT clientdomain.com
dig +short TXT _dmarc.clientdomain.comStep 4: Test and read bounces
- Send test messages to a Gmail address and to an Outlook address. Check the inbox and the spam folder.
- In Gmail, open the message and choose Show original to see whether SPF, DKIM, and DMARC say PASS.
- If a message bounces, keep the full bounce message. It usually says exactly why the mail was refused.
Common mistakes
- Two separate SPF records on one domain. Merge them into one.
- A form that sends "From" the visitor's own address. Send from the domain's address, and put the visitor's address in Reply-To.
- SMTP credentials that were changed but not updated in the site's settings.
Still stuck? Open a ticket
Our U.S.-based support team is available 24/7. Open a support ticket from the Liberation Client Area and include the domain, the From and To addresses, the time you sent the test, and any bounce message. Tickets are private, so they are the safe place to share server details. Never post passwords in public forums or chats.
