Elementor forms successfully send email notifications whenever a visitor submits a message or inquiry.
But those emails often land directly in the spam folder instead of reaching the primary inbox.
The website owner checks the spam folder and finds messages from weeks ago that were never seen.
This problem causes missed business opportunities and frustrated customers who think no one responded.
The issue has nothing to do with Elementor and everything to do with email delivery configuration.
Why Elementor form emails go to spam instead of the inbox
Elementor forms use the standard WordPress wp_mail() function to send email notifications.
That function asks the hosting server to send emails on behalf of the website domain name.
Most shared hosting servers have terrible reputations for email delivery because spammers abuse them.
Email providers like Gmail and Outlook block or spam-filter messages from these untrusted servers.
The form submission emails get delivered but they land in the spam folder instead of the inbox.
Missing SPF and DKIM DNS records makes the problem even worse for email deliverability rates.
How SMTP improves email delivery for Elementor forms
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) sends emails through professional email services instead of hosting servers.
These services maintain excellent reputations with email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.
Emails sent through SMTP services have much higher chances of landing in the primary inbox.
SMTP also allows proper SPF and DKIM authentication which proves the email came from a legitimate source.
Without these authentication records, email providers assume the message might be spam and filter it accordingly.
Step by step guide to fixing Elementor form email delivery
Follow these steps to ensure Elementor form notifications reach the inbox instead of the spam folder.
- Install an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP from the WordPress plugin repository
- Connect the SMTP plugin to a professional email service such as Brevo, SendLayer, or SMTP2GO
- Create a free account on Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) which offers 300 free emails per day
- Copy the SMTP credentials from the email service dashboard into the SMTP plugin settings
- Send a test email using the SMTP plugin to verify that the connection works properly
- Add SPF and DKIM records to the domain DNS settings as instructed by the email service
- These DNS records prove that the website has permission to send emails from that domain
- Wait up to 48 hours for DNS changes to propagate across the global internet system
- Test the Elementor form again and check whether the email arrives in the primary inbox
- Use mail-tester.com to score the email and identify any remaining deliverability problems
How to configure SPF and DKIM records for better email delivery
Log into the domain hosting account and navigate to the DNS settings management area.
Add a TXT record for SPF with the value provided by the chosen SMTP email service.
A typical SPF record looks like this: v=spf1 include:spf.brevo.com ~all
Add another TXT record for DKIM with the value provided by the email service dashboard.
DKIM records typically have a name like “brevo._domainkey” and a long string as the value.
Save both DNS records and wait for propagation before testing email delivery again.
Elementor email delivery troubleshooting reference table
Here is a reference table for diagnosing Elementor form email problems based on specific symptoms.
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Recommended solution |
|---|---|---|
| Email never arrives anywhere (not even spam) | Hosting server cannot send emails at all | Install SMTP plugin and use professional email service |
| Email arrives in spam folder consistently | Poor server reputation or missing DNS records | Add SPF and DKIM records and use SMTP for sending |
| Email arrives but formatting looks broken | HTML email settings not configured correctly | Enable HTML email format in Elementor form settings |
| Only some email providers mark as spam | Inconsistent authentication across providers | Check SPF and DKIM records for errors |
| Emails delayed by hours or days | SMTP service rate limiting or queue delays | Upgrade to paid SMTP plan for higher priority |
For more information about fixing WordPress email delivery, visit the WP Mail SMTP page on wpwizzy.com.
Preventing Elementor form email problems in the future
Use SMTP for all WordPress emails, not just Elementor form notifications and confirmations.
Regularly check the spam folder to catch any delivery problems before they become critical issues.
Monitor email delivery reports provided by the SMTP service to identify potential problems early.
Keep DNS records updated when switching to a different SMTP provider or email service.
Test form submissions periodically from different email providers to ensure consistent delivery.
Consider using a transactional email service for high-volume websites that send many notifications.