Overview
Occasionally, test emails or other types of communications may not show up in your inbox despite being sent successfully. This situation can be quite perplexing, but gaining a clear understanding of the distinction between email delivery and email deliverability can provide valuable insight.
By knowing the differences, you can better diagnose the problem and take the necessary steps to resolve it efficiently and effectively.
Email delivery means your email was accepted by the recipient’s mail server. It reached the server successfully, but this doesn’t guarantee it appeared in the inbox.
Email deliverability is about whether the email actually lands in the inbox rather than being filtered into spam, junk, or another folder.
Knowing this difference makes it easier to troubleshoot missing emails. Even when emails are delivered successfully, they may not always appear in your inbox due to filters or spam detection. Checking spam folders and confirming with your IT team helps ensure that your messages are visible and accessible.
Email Delivery
Delivery shows that your email reached the recipient’s mail server.
A delivered email means it was received by the server.
It does not guarantee the recipient has seen it.
Email Deliverability
Deliverability shows whether the email actually arrives in the recipient’s inbox.
Emails may be redirected to spam, junk, or blocked by filters.
High deliverability means your emails are more likely to be seen and acted on.
Troubleshooting Missing Emails
If you don’t see a test email in your inbox, there are several steps you can take to locate it or understand why it hasn’t arrived yet.
First, check your spam or junk folder. Many email systems automatically filter certain messages and redirect them to these folders to protect you from unwanted emails. It’s possible that the test email was mistakenly flagged as spam and placed there instead of your main inbox. Be sure to look through these folders carefully, as sometimes legitimate emails can end up there.
Next, consult with your IT team or email administrator. In many corporate environments, email systems are configured with additional security measures that can quarantine or block certain emails before they reach your inbox. Your IT team has access to these controls and can check if the test email was intercepted or held back by the system. They can also provide guidance on how to whitelist the sender if necessary.
Finally, verify your email filtering settings. Sometimes, specific rules or filters set up within your email client or by your IT department can affect the delivery of messages. These rules might automatically move, delete, or redirect emails based on certain criteria. Your IT team can review these settings to ensure that nothing is inadvertently preventing the test email from appearing in your inbox.