If your WooCommerce store isn’t sending emails — order confirmations, new order notifications, password resets, or customer invoices — you are not alone. This is one of the most common issues in WooCommerce, and it kills conversions, breaks customer trust, and leads to support nightmares.
The good news?
👉 You can fix WooCommerce email issues permanently in less than 15 minutes.
This ultimate guide (2025 updated) covers every reason why WooCommerce emails fail — and gives you the exact fixes that actually work.
Whether you’re using Cloudways, Hostinger, SiteGround, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Bluehost, cPanel, or any shared hosting — this guide works for all.
Let’s begin.
Why WooCommerce Emails Are Not Sending
WooCommerce email problems usually happen due to:
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Hosting blocking emails
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No SMTP server configured
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Wrong email settings
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Emails going to spam
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PHP mail() disabled
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Misconfigured DNS records
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Plugin conflicts
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SSL/HTTPS issues
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Wrong sender email address
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Webmail not set properly
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Cron jobs not running
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Staging mode enabled
If order emails aren’t sent, WooCommerce itself is NOT the problem — your server configuration is.
Let’s fix everything step-by-step.
1. Check WooCommerce Email Settings (The Most Overlooked Step)
Go to:
WordPress Dashboard → WooCommerce → Settings → Emails
Check the following:
✔ Ensure “New Order,” “Processing Order,” “Completed Order,” and “Customer Invoice” are enabled.
✔ Click each email → Check “Enable this email notification.”
✔ Verify “Recipient” email.
Many store owners forget to add their admin email.
2. Fix the “From” Email Address (90% Servers Reject It)
Most hosting providers block emails sent from a domain that does not exist.
Example of wrong email:
Correct format:
Set correct sender email:
WooCommerce → Settings → Emails → Email Sender Options
Update:
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From Name → your site name
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From Address →
no-reply@yourdomain.com
3. Use SMTP (The REAL Fix for WooCommerce Emails)
WooCommerce cannot reliably send emails using default PHP mail().
You MUST use SMTP.
Recommended SMTP Providers (2025):
| Provider | Free Emails | Reliability | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | 300/day | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | All stores |
| Mailgun | 5,000/mo | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Tech & dev stores |
| SMTP.com | Paid | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Large stores |
| Postmark | 100/mo | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Transactional emails |
| Google Workspace SMTP | Paid | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Small stores |
| Microsoft 365 SMTP | Paid | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Businesses |
Set Up SMTP Using WP Mail SMTP (Recommended)
Step 1: Install plugin
Plugins → Add New → Search:
WP Mail SMTP
Activate it.
Step 2: Choose your SMTP provider
Select:
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Brevo
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Mailgun
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Gmail
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Postmark
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Amazon SES
Step 3: Add API Keys
(Specific to your SMTP provider)
Step 4: Force email routing through SMTP
Step 5: Send test email
WP Mail SMTP → Tools → Email Test
If it succeeds → WooCommerce emails will now work 100%.
4. Fix WooCommerce Emails Going to Spam
Even if emails “send,” they may never reach inbox.
You MUST fix DNS.
Required DNS Records:
✔ SPF
✔ DKIM
✔ DMARC
These ensure your domain is trusted.
Example SPF record:
Example DMARC record:
Check DNS using:
5. Check If Hosting Blocks Email Ports
Some hosting companies (especially cheap ones) block ports:
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Port 587
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Port 465
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Port 25
If SMTP cannot connect:
→ No WooCommerce emails.
Fix:
Ask your host:
“Please open outbound SMTP ports (587/465) for email delivery.”
6. Check WooCommerce System Status
Go to:
WooCommerce → Status → Logs
Filter by:
Email log or fatal errors
Common issues include:
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SMTP not connecting
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Plugin conflicts
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Missing templates
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Deprecated hooks
7. Fix Plugin Conflicts (Common with Builders & Security Plugins)
Plugins that often break email delivery:
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WPBakery
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Elementor Pro
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Security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri)
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Email customizer plugins
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Cache plugins (LiteSpeed, WP Rocket)
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Speed plugins (FlyingPress, NitroPack)
Quick Conflict Test:
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Disable ALL plugins except WooCommerce
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Send a test order
-
If email works → re-enable plugins one by one
8. Fix Theme Issues (Badly Coded Themes Break Emails)
Some themes override WooCommerce templates incorrectly.
How to test:
Switch to:
✔ Twenty Twenty-Four
✔ Storefront (official WooCommerce theme)
If emails start working → issue is in your theme.
9. Fix Email Template Override Issues
Many themes override WooCommerce email templates.
Check:
/wp-content/themes/yourtheme/woocommerce/emails/
If there are old templates → update theme or delete overrides.
10. Check If Your Site Is in Staging Mode
Many hosting providers disable emails in:
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staging
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development
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subdomains
Examples:
staging.yoursite.comdev.yoursite.com
Check your hosting panel.
11. Check Server Cron Jobs
WooCommerce relies on cron to send scheduled emails.
Check WordPress cron:
Install plugin:
WP Crontrol
Check if wp_cron is disabled.
Enable normal cron:
Add to wp-config.php:
12. Use an Email Log Plugin (To See What’s Happening)
Install:
✔ WP Mail Logging
✔ FluentSMTP (free & excellent)
These show:
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Which emails sent
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Which emails failed
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Error messages
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SMTP status
13. Fix WooCommerce Emails for Cloudways Hosting
Cloudways blocks php mail().
You MUST configure SMTP:
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Use Elastic Email addon
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Or use Mailgun plugin
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Or WP Mail SMTP
14. Fix WooCommerce Emails for Hostinger
Steps:
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Create an email account
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Go to Email → DNS
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Add SPF + DKIM
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Connect SMTP using WP Mail SMTP
15. Fix WooCommerce Emails for cPanel Hosting
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Create Email Account
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Open “Connect Devices”
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Copy SMTP details
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Use WP Mail SMTP to connect
16. Fix WooCommerce Admin Emails Not Sending
Typical symptom:
Customer gets email
Admin doesn’t get new order email
Fix:
Go to:
WooCommerce → Settings → Emails → New Order
Set:
Recipient(s):
Check spam folder.
17. Fix WooCommerce Customer Emails Not Sending
If admins receive emails but customers don’t:
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Your SMTP sender reputation is low
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Gmail/Outlook blocks your domain
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DMARC not set
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Spam keywords in email content
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Customer used fake email
Use Postmark or Mailgun for best inbox delivery.
18. Fix WooCommerce Email Styling / Templates
If your email template breaks, reset to default:
WooCommerce → Settings → Emails → Email template → “Restore Default Content”
19. Code Snippet: Force WooCommerce to Use SMTP
In rare cases, plugins override SMTP routing.
Use this to force outgoing emails to your SMTP:
20. Code Snippet: Test WooCommerce Email from Code
Run via Code Snippets plugin or theme functions file.
21. Code Snippet: Disable All Email Overwrites
If your theme breaks emails:
22. Code Snippet: Enable Logging for All Emails
Check logs in:
wp-content/debug.log
23. Build an Email Delivery Checklist (2025 Best Practice)
Before going live, verify:
✔ SMTP working
✔ DNS configured
✔ WooCommerce emails enabled
✔ Templates updated
✔ No plugin conflicts
✔ Cron enabled
✔ Email logs clean
✔ Test order works
✔ Admin + customer receive emails
This prevents 99% of issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why are my WooCommerce emails not sending?
Most likely because your hosting server blocks PHP mail(). Solution: Use SMTP.
2. Do I need SMTP for WooCommerce?
Yes. It’s the only reliable method for sending transactional emails.
3. Which SMTP is best for WooCommerce?
Brevo, Postmark, Mailgun, WP Mail SMTP, or Amazon SES.
4. Why do WooCommerce emails go to spam?
Missing SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or bad sender reputation.
5. Why are customer emails not arriving but admin emails work?
Your domain reputation is low or customer email service is rejecting it.
6. Can caching plugins break email delivery?
Yes — especially if object cache interferes with email hooks.
