### [Gmail Blocking Your Emails? Here's How to Fix It](https://wpmailsmtp.com/fix-gmail-blocking-emails/)

**Published:** January 18, 2024
**Author:** Hamza Shahid

**Excerpt:** Google has always been strict in its fight against spam. Now it's tightening up the rules and enforcing strict anti-spam limits that could cause your emails to bounce or fail.

That means emails you send from your website could fall into a black hole.

This article explains who's impacted by Google's new sending requirements, what exactly will change this year, and what you need to do to ensure your emails are delivered.

**Content:**

Gmail blocks emails from your domain for two main reasons: your domain is on a spam blacklist, or your emails aren’t authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. WordPress sites are particularly affected because WordPress sends emails unauthenticated by default, which means contact form notifications and order confirmations often land in spam or never arrive at all.

Since November 2025, Gmail has tightened its enforcement. Emails that fail authentication or come from senders with high spam complaint rates are now rejected outright instead of being temporarily delayed.

**This article explains why Gmail blocks emails from WordPress sites, who’s affected by the current sender requirements, and the seven steps you can take to make sure your messages get delivered.**

[Fix Your WordPress Emails Now](https://wpmailsmtp.com/pricing/)

- [Why is Gmail blocking my emails?](#aioseo-why-is-gmail-blocking-my-emails-5)
- [What do Gmail's error codes mean?](#aioseo-what-do-gmails-error-codes-mean-28)
- [Who do Gmail's sender requirements apply to?](#aioseo-who-do-gmails-sender-requirements-apply-to-34)
- [How do you stop Gmail blocking your emails?](#aioseo-how-do-you-stop-gmail-blocking-your-emails-54)
- [What to do if your emails are still blocked](#aioseo-what-to-do-if-your-emails-are-still-blocked-152)
- [Frequently asked questions about Gmail blocking emails](#aioseo-frequently-asked-questions-about-gmail-blocking-emails-164)

## Why is Gmail blocking my emails?

Gmail blocks emails for two main reasons: your domain is on a spam blacklist, or your emails aren’t authenticated. Both come down to the same problem. Gmail can’t verify that your messages are legitimate.

### Is your domain on a spam blacklist?

If your domain is on a spam blacklist, Gmail will reject your emails. Blacklisting usually happens after recipients mark your messages as spam, or when Gmail detects unusual sending patterns from your IP address.

About half of all daily email traffic is spam, and with over 1.8 billion users to protect, Gmail has every reason to be aggressive about blocking suspect senders.

It only takes a few people clicking **Mark as Spam** in Gmail for you to hit Google’s [spam threshold](https://wpmailsmtp.com/understanding-spam-rate-thresholds/) and damage your domain reputation. Once that happens, Google can add your email to a blacklist, and getting off it takes time.

 ![Rachel Adnyana, Email Deliverability Expert at SendLayer](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f31da14761f926056607c68cdd0c0569?s=360&d=mm&r=g) 

“Getting off a blacklist is often not a straightforward task. It’s usually not just a case of requesting your removal. You’ll also have to show what you’ve done to resolve the issues that lead to your blacklisting in the first place.”

-Rachel Adnyana, Email Deliverability Expert at SendLayer

The telltale sign that you’re on a blacklist is a 500 error, or a more specific message like these:

`421-4.7.0 unsolicited mail originating from your IP address. To protect our users from spam, mail sent from your IP address has been temporarily rate limited.`

`550-5.7.1 Our system has detected an unusual rate of unsolicited mail originating from your IP address. To protect our users from spam, mail sent from your IP address has been blocked.`

You can [look through the SendLayer error library](https://sendlayer.com/docs/category/error-library/) if you receive a Gmail SMTP error you don’t understand.

Sometimes you won’t get an error at all. In that case, run your domain name or sender IP through the [blacklist checker at MXToolbox](https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx), which scans dozens of major blacklists at once, including Spamhaus, Barracuda, SORBS, and SpamCop. Being listed on Spamhaus is particularly damaging because many email providers rely on it directly.

![Stop WordPress emails going to spam with blacklist check](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/wordpress-emails-going-to-spam-blacklist-check.png)We’ll cover how to remove yourself from a blacklist later in this article. First, let’s look at the other common cause of blocked emails to Gmail addresses.

### Are your emails authenticated?

If your WordPress emails aren’t authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, Gmail will block or filter them. Out of the box, WordPress sends emails through PHP’s mail function, which doesn’t authenticate them.

That’s why contact form notifications often land in your spam folder.

![Gmail contact form entry in spam folder](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/gmail-contact-form-entry-in-spam.png)Some Gmail users find their contact form emails don’t arrive at all. They just disappear. Or they may work for a while, then suddenly stop. *“I didn’t change anything, so why did my emails stop sending?”*

It’s not that your website changed. It’s that the rules for detecting spam have got tougher. Gmail has required at least SPF or DKIM authentication since February 2024, and as of November 2025, unauthenticated emails are rejected with permanent 550 errors instead of being temporarily delayed.

The telltale sign is an error like this:

`550-5.7.26 This mail is unauthenticated, which poses a security risk to the sender and Gmail users, and has been blocked. The sender must authenticate with at least one of SPF or DKIM. For this message, DKIM checks did not pass and SPF check for example.com did not pass with ip: 192.186.0.1.`

You can see [more details about error 550-5.7.26 in the SendLayer error library](https://sendlayer.com/docs/error-550-5-7-26-this-mail-is-unauthenticated/).

## What do Gmail’s error codes mean?

When Gmail blocks or defers an email, the receiving server returns an SMTP error code that tells you exactly what went wrong. The first digit indicates whether the rejection is temporary (4xx) or permanent (5xx).

Since November 2025, Gmail has issued permanent 5xx rejections for many issues that previously triggered temporary 4xx deferrals. So an error code that used to mean “try again later” now often means the message will never be delivered until you fix the underlying problem.

Here are the most common Gmail error codes for WordPress senders:

Error codeWhat it meansHow to fix it4.7.0Temporary rate limit on unsolicited mail from your IPReduce sending volume and check for compromised accounts5.7.1Blocked due to unusual rate of unsolicited mailInvestigate your domain reputation and check forms for spam abuse5.7.26Email blocked because it’s unauthenticatedSet up SPF or DKIM (and DMARC if you’re a bulk sender)5.7.27SPF authentication failedCheck your SPF record for syntax errors or duplicate records5.7.28IP rate limitedSlow down sending and investigate sending patterns5.7.30DKIM authentication failedVerify your DKIM record is published and signing correctly5.7.31DMARC record missing or undefinedAdd a DMARC record to your DNS4.7.32DMARC alignment failedAlign your From domain with your SPF or DKIM domain5.7.39Gmail From: header spoofingDon’t use @gmail.com addresses in From headers from non-Gmail serversIf you’re not seeing the exact error code in your hosting logs or notifications, send a test email from your contact form to a Gmail address you control, then check the Postmaster Tools compliance dashboard for your domain.

## Who do Gmail’s sender requirements apply to?

Gmail’s sender requirements apply to everyone, but the rules are stricter for bulk senders. A bulk sender is anyone who sends 5,000 or more messages to personal Gmail accounts in a single day.

All senders need:

- SPF or DKIM authentication.
- Valid forward and reverse DNS (PTR) records.
- A TLS connection for transmitting email.
- A spam complaint rate below 0.3% in Postmaster Tools.

Bulk senders also need:

- Both SPF and DKIM (not just one).
- A DMARC record, with the From domain aligned to either SPF or DKIM.
- One-click unsubscribe headers on marketing emails (RFC 8058).

A few things to know about bulk sender status:

- ‘Gmail recipients’ means anyone with an email ending `@gmail.com` or `@googlemail.com`, plus people using custom domains on Google Workspace.
- You only need to send 5,000 emails to Gmail in a single day *once* to be classified as a bulk sender. Once classified, the status is permanent. Reducing your sending volume later doesn’t change it.
- Microsoft and Yahoo apply similar rules. Microsoft started enforcing its own bulk sender requirements in May 2025, so authentication is now the baseline across all major inbox providers.

Even if you don’t send 5,000 emails a day, authenticating your emails is best practice. We strongly recommend setting it up regardless. Email deliverability issues can seriously harm your business, and if you use Google Workspace, they could even prevent you from sending emails to your own employees. We have a full guide to [Gmail’s bulk sender requirements](https://wpmailsmtp.com/gmail-bulk-sender-requirements/) if you want to dig deeper.

If your newsletters or WordPress notifications get marked as spam, that could mean your purchase receipts don’t get through in the future. While you’re checking your setup, it’s also worth reviewing your [Gmail sending limits](https://wpmailsmtp.com/gmail-how-many-emails-can-you-send-at-once/).

## How do you stop Gmail blocking your emails?

The fix is the same regardless of why your emails are being blocked: authenticate your domain, comply with Gmail’s sender requirements, and protect your sender reputation. Here are the seven steps in detail.

### 1. Set up Google Postmaster Tools

[Google Postmaster Tools](https://www.gmail.com/postmaster/) is a free dashboard that shows your spam complaint rate, authentication status, and overall compliance with Gmail’s sender requirements. If you send any meaningful volume of email, set it up.

**We have a separate tutorial that explains [how to set up Google Postmaster Tools](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-set-up-google-postmaster-tools/).**

![Example of a Postmaster Tools report for Gmail recipients](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/example-postmaster-tools.png)Google retired the old version of Postmaster Tools in 2025. The new Postmaster Tools v2 uses a pass/fail compliance model, which makes it easier to see exactly which requirements you’re meeting and which ones you’re not.

The two thresholds to know about:

- **0.1% spam complaint rate** is the working target. Most stable senders aim to stay below this line.
- **0.3% spam complaint rate** is the hard ceiling. If you cross it, your domain becomes ineligible for Gmail’s delivery support, and you’ll need to stay below 0.3% for seven consecutive days before it’s restored.

Google measures spam complaints based on emails sent vs spam complaints received each day:

- Let’s say you sent 1,000 emails on Monday, and nobody marked them as spam that day. Your spam complaint rate would be 0% on Monday.
- On Wednesday, your WordPress site sends 10 emails, *and* 2 people mark the Monday email as spam the same day. That’s recorded as a 20% spam complaint rate for Wednesday.

Spikes like this aren’t a fair measurement of your overall spam complaint rate, and Google measures it over a longer period. But if your spam complaints are trending higher, it’s a sign you need to find the root cause.

People mark emails as spam for all kinds of reasons. Here are a few that Google has specifically called out:

- **You might be sending emails to people who aren’t expecting to receive them.**

Focusing on the size of your email marketing lists is natural. Everyone wants a large audience. But it can damage deliverability if you focus on growth at all costs. Opting people in without permission means more people will mark your emails as spam.

- **You might not be making it easy for people to unsubscribe.**

You need a way for people to unsubscribe from your emails, including a one-click unsubscribe list header and an unsubscribe link in the footer.

- **People could be sending spam through your website forms.**

This is more common than you’d think. If you don’t [protect your contact forms from spam](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-stop-contact-form-spam-in-wordpress/), the junk that passes through hurts your deliverability because it appears to come from your domain.

- **You’re sending spam without realising.**

There are a few common causes of unintentional spam from a WordPress site:

- **Poor security on your WordPress admin account.** If passwords are easy to guess, other people can get into your dashboard and install plugins or modify code without you knowing.
- **Nulled plugins.** Any plugin that has been modified can contain malicious code, including code that sends spam or phishing emails.
- **Poor security on your hosting account.** If you have a VPS, watch out for hackers getting access to your account and setting up SMTP relays that blast out emails without you knowing.

The point is to keep a close eye on what you’re sending and who you’re sending to.

### 2. Authenticate WordPress emails with an SMTP plugin

An SMTP plugin routes WordPress emails through a proper email provider, which authenticates them on your behalf. If you’re still using WordPress without one, install one as soon as possible.

[WP Mail SMTP](https://wpmailsmtp.com/pricing/) handles all outgoing emails from your WordPress site, routing each message through a proper email provider so they pass authentication checks.

WP Mail SMTP is easy to set up thanks to the Setup Wizard. It supports many popular email platforms and can even [send WordPress emails from your Gmail account](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-send-wordpress-emails-through-gmail-1-click-setup/).

![WP Mail SMTP mailers](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/recommended-mailers.png)We know some customers aren’t comfortable dealing with DNS records or deliverability problems. You can purchase the additional plugin setup service if you need a hand getting your email authentication working.

![Add White Glove Setup](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/add-white-glove-setup.png)The Pro version of WP Mail SMTP adds useful email logging and routing features. But if you just need to fix the problem of blocked emails to Gmail, the [free version of WP Mail SMTP](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-get-an-unlimited-free-trial-of-wp-mail-smtp/) will do that.

For more detail, read our guide to [setting up WordPress emails with authentication](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wordpress-smtp-settings/).

### 3. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

To pass Gmail’s authentication checks, your domain needs SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in your DNS. These three records prove that the emails you send actually come from you, not someone spoofing your domain.

![What Are DMARC, SPF, and DKIM](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/what-is-spf-dmarc-dkim.png)If you’re seeing the 5.7.26 error from Gmail, one or more of these records is missing or misconfigured.

The domain checker in WP Mail SMTP scans your DNS when you [send a test email from WordPress](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-send-a-test-email-from-wordpress/). If something is missing, it’ll let you know.

![WP Mail SMTP DMARC warning](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/how-to-create-a-dmarc-record-sent-dmarc-warning-wpmailsmtp.png)For step-by-step setup help, we have separate guides covering each record:

- [What do DKIM, SPF, and DMARC mean?](https://wpmailsmtp.com/dmarc-spf-dkim/)
- [How to add a DMARC record to your domain](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-create-dmarc-record/)

A common issue we see is multiple SPF records, or SPF records split over multiple TXT records. This makes the SPF records invalid.

- Here’s an easy way to [fix multiple SPF records](https://wpmailsmtp.com/fix-multiple-spf-records/).

For bulk senders, DMARC alignment matters too. The domain in your From header must match either the domain validated by SPF or the domain validated by DKIM. Without alignment, DMARC fails even if SPF and DKIM both pass individually.

If you run a WooCommerce store, there’s another reason to take DMARC seriously. PCI DSS v4.0, which is now active, requires DMARC for any organisation handling credit card data. So if you process payments through your site, DMARC is a compliance requirement, not just a deliverability one.

Google also requires a PTR record, sometimes called forward reverse DNS or full circle DNS.

![Full circle reverse DNS lookup for PTR record](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dns-ptr-record-check-fcrdns-mxtoolbox.png)Your web host or email provider should handle the creation and management of your PTR record, but it’s worth checking that it’s set up correctly to rule out future problems.

- See our post on [What is a PTR record?](https://wpmailsmtp.com/what-is-ptr-dns-record/) for more detail.

Once your DNS is configured, [send a test email to AboutMy.Email](https://aboutmy.email/), which will check your email headers for you.

### 4. Send emails from the correct From address

Your From email address should match the domain you’ve authenticated. In other words, don’t authenticate your domain and then send from a totally different email account elsewhere. The sending domain and the From domain need to match.

WP Mail SMTP lets you [set the from name and the corresponding from email](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-choose-your-from-name-and-from-email/).

![from name and from email](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/from-name-and-from-email.png)What about real email addresses vs fake ones? It’s good practice to [avoid using noreply@domain.com (or any non-existent email address) as a From email](https://wpmailsmtp.com/should-i-use-a-no-reply-email-address/).

### 5. Send email over TLS

TLS (Transport Layer Security) encrypts the connection between your sending server and the recipient’s. Gmail requires it for all incoming mail, and most modern email providers use it by default.

When you’re sending emails through WordPress (or any other platform) [using an SMTP server](https://wpmailsmtp.com/what-is-smtp-how-it-works/), you should use a provider that uses TLS to make the connection.

![wp mail smtp host and port settings](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/wp-mail-smtp-host-and-port-settings.png)You don’t need to understand much about TLS to be compliant. Most email providers support it, so you may already be using it. But since this is one of Gmail’s prerequisites for email deliverability, it’s worth double-checking your settings.

### 6. Add unsubscribe links to marketing emails

Marketing emails to Gmail addresses must include a visible unsubscribe link in the footer and a list-unsubscribe header that supports one-click unsubscribe (RFC 8058). Without both, Gmail will block or filter your messages.

Most businesses send transactional emails and marketing emails. Here’s the difference:

- **Transactional emails** are necessary for the normal operation of your business. Password reset emails, renewal reminders, and receipts are all transactional. These usually need to be delivered immediately.
- **Marketing emails** promote your products and services. They don’t need to go out instantly and aren’t essential.

There are two things to think about when it comes to unsubscribe compliance.

First, marketing emails must have an unsubscribe link in the footer. The link doesn’t have to be huge, but it can’t be hidden or disguised (for example, you can’t make it the same colour as the email background).

![Unsubscribe link example](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/unsubscribe-link-footer.png)Second, your newsletters need a one-click unsubscribe link at the top.

![One click unsubscribe link](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/one-click-unsubscribe.png)In Gmail, this link triggers an instant unsubscribe popup. Without it, Gmail will block your marketing emails.

![Gmail one click unsubscribe popup](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/one-click-unsubscribe-gmail.png)To get that unsubscribe link to show, your email needs list-unsubscribe headers. We have a separate guide that [explains list-unsubscribe headers and how to add them](https://wpmailsmtp.com/how-to-add-list-unsubscribe-headers-in-wordpress/).

If you’re not sure what to ask for, the header is the technical part of the email that we don’t normally see. Here’s what it looks like:

![Example of a list-unsubscribe header in an email](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/example-list-unsubscribe-header.png)The list-unsubscribe header is preserved if you’re using WP Mail SMTP, so if you’re [sending newsletters from WordPress](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wordpress-newsletter-plugins/), you’re all set.

One question we get a lot: **Do transactional emails need unsubscribe links?** They do not. However:

- Don’t send emails with a mixture of transactional and marketing content to try to get around this rule.
- It’s OK to give people the choice of which marketing lists they want to be subscribed to, but Google requires you to also provide an option to unsubscribe from *all* marketing emails.

### 7. Use double opt-in for newsletters

Double opt-in means subscribers confirm their email address before they’re added to your list, usually by clicking a confirmation link. While Gmail doesn’t strictly require it, double opt-in keeps your spam complaint rate low by filtering out fake addresses and unwilling recipients.

The downside is that you’ll grow your list more slowly because you’ll sign up fewer leads. Most senders find the trade-off worth it because higher-quality subscribers protect your sender reputation, which is what determines whether your emails get delivered at all.

## What to do if your emails are still blocked

If you’ve worked through the seven steps above and your emails are still being rejected, run through this short troubleshooting list:

- If Gmail is rejecting emails because your domain is missing crucial DNS records, adding them might resolve the problem quickly. You’ll need an [SMTP plugin](https://wpmailsmtp.com/best-wordpress-smtp-plugins/) for this.
- If your domain or IP is on a blacklist, recovery takes longer. You’ll need to earn the trust of email providers. [Learn about email blacklists and find out how to remove yourself from one](https://sendlayer.com/blog/what-is-an-email-blacklist-and-how-to-avoid/).
- If your emails are bouncing, going to spam, or being rate limited, Google may consider you to have a poor domain reputation. Domain reputation is a complicated metric, and recovery can be challenging. This article explains [how to improve your domain reputation](https://sendlayer.com/blog/what-is-domain-reputation-and-how-to-improve-it/).
- To protect your domain reputation, make it easy for people to leave your mailing lists, and don’t send them emails they don’t want. This reduces the likelihood of spam complaints.
- It can take time to clean up your lists, but removing people who aren’t opening your emails is a good first step. Re-engagement workflows automatically unsubscribe people who aren’t responsive, helping to reduce spam complaints. Unsubscribing invalid email addresses can also help.

Email providers like [Brevo](https://wpmailsmtp.com/go/brevo/) or [SMTP.com](https://wpmailsmtp.com/go/smtp/) are used to helping customers with these issues. If you’re concerned, reach out to them. They may be able to change your sender IP or help you investigate your bounce rates.

How long recovery takes depends on the reason you were blocked and the severity of the problem. Either way, prevention is better than the cure.

If WordPress emails aren’t being delivered to Gmail and you can’t figure out why, our support team is standing by to help.

[Fix Your WordPress Emails Now](https://wpmailsmtp.com/pricing/)

## Frequently asked questions about Gmail blocking emails

Here are answers to some of the most common questions we get about Gmail blocking WordPress emails.

### Why are my WordPress emails going to Gmail spam?

Most WordPress emails go to Gmail spam because they’re not authenticated. WordPress sends emails through PHP’s mail function by default, which doesn’t include SPF, DKIM, or DMARC authentication. Installing an SMTP plugin and routing emails through a proper email provider fixes this in most cases.

### How do I check if Gmail is blocking my emails?

Send a test email from your contact form to a Gmail address you control. If the email doesn’t arrive, check your hosting logs for SMTP errors and look up the code in the table above. You can also use Google Postmaster Tools to see your authentication status, spam complaint rate, and any compliance issues affecting delivery.

### Why did my Gmail emails suddenly stop arriving?

If your emails worked before and stopped suddenly, it’s usually because Gmail tightened its enforcement. In November 2025, Gmail moved from temporary 421 deferrals to permanent 550 rejections for unauthenticated mail. Emails that previously made it through with weak authentication now get rejected outright.

### Do I need SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

All senders need at least SPF or DKIM. Bulk senders, defined as anyone sending 5,000 or more emails a day to Gmail addresses, need both SPF and DKIM, plus DMARC. Even if you’re not a bulk sender, setting up all three is best practice and protects your domain reputation.

### How long does it take to recover from a Gmail block?

It depends on the cause. Adding missing DNS records can resolve authentication issues within a day or two once DNS propagates. Recovering from a damaged sender reputation or a blacklist can take weeks. To regain access to Gmail’s delivery support after a high spam complaint rate, you need to stay below 0.3% for seven consecutive days.

### Does Gmail block emails from new domains?

Gmail applies stricter scrutiny to new domains, defined as any domain that hasn’t sent more than 5,000 emails a day to Gmail since January 2024. New domains face accelerated enforcement of bulk sender rules, so it’s worth setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before you start sending in volume.

## Next, boost your site security

Improving your site’s security helps you block malicious logins, which reduces the risk of someone using your domain to send spam.

Check out our list of the [best security plugins for WordPress](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wordpress-security-plugins/) to harden your security against common threats.

Ready to fix your emails? [Get started today](https://wpmailsmtp.com/pricing) with the best WordPress SMTP plugin. If you don’t have the time to fix your emails, you can get full White Glove Setup assistance as an extra purchase, and there’s a 14-day money-back guarantee for all paid plans.

If this article helped you out, please follow us on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/wpmailsmtp) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wpmailsmtp) for more WordPress tips and tutorials.

**Categories:** Marketing

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