How to Fix Ninja Forms Not Sending Email in 4 Easy Steps

Having trouble with Ninja Forms not sending email notifications from your WordPress site? This can be a serious problem since missing out on email notifications means potentially losing valuable leads, something you definitely want to avoid.

Ninja Forms is a widely-used contact form builder designed specifically for WordPress. However, like any other contact form plugin, it can undergo issues, and email problems are not uncommon.

In this guide, we will walk you through a step-by-step process to fix Ninja Forms not sending email notifications.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Why Is My Ninja Forms Not Sending Email Alerts?

To effectively troubleshoot Ninja Forms not sending email alerts, it is imperative to understand why it isn’t sending email notifications. There are usually two main reasons behind this problem:

1. WordPress Default Mail Function.
2. Wrong Notification and Spam Settings.

Let’s explore each of these factors in detail and how they impact email delivery in WordPress.

Reason #1: WordPress WP_Mail Function

WordPress uses the wp_mail() function by default to send emails. This is a common cause of email delivery issues. Many web hosting providers block emails sent through the PHP mail function to prevent fraud and spam.

Additionally, emails sent via wp_mail() often lack proper authentication, making them appear suspicious to email servers. As a result, these emails frequently end up in spam or junk folders instead of the recipient’s inbox.

Reason #2: Wrong Notification and Spam Settings

Ninja Forms offers multiple email notification settings for different events. If there’s an issue with the notification setup, Ninja Forms may fail to send email notifications. Common problems include incorrect configuration of the ‘From’ email smart tag or an incorrect ‘From’ email address.

Furthermore, improper configuration of Google reCaptcha settings, such as incorrect Site Key and Secret Key values, can disrupt the reCaptcha feature and prevent form submission.

4 Easy Steps to Troubleshoot Ninja Forms Not Sending Email

Now that you understand why Ninja Forms not sending email notifications, let’s explore how to fix this issue. We’ll guide you through four simple steps to resolve the specific problems causing Ninja Forms to fail in sending email notifications.

Step #1: Test Your Ninja Forms by Submitting a Test Entry

When troubleshooting Ninja Forms, the first step is to submit a test entry.

Sometimes, WordPress contact forms stop working without any obvious indication. This can happen due to various factors, such as installing a new plugin or theme that conflicts with the form’s functionality.

Start by submitting a test entry to see how the form behaves, as shown in the following screenshot.

On submission, if the form functions correctly, you should see a “Thank You” page or a “Success” message, depending on your form’s configuration.

If you don’t see a Thank You page or Success Message, it means your Ninja Forms contact form likely has an issue. In such cases, contact Ninja Forms support for assistance.

However, if the submission is successful but you still aren’t receiving email notifications, it’s time to check the email notification settings in the next step.

Step #2: Review Your Ninja Form Settings

Now, let’s dive into the settings of your Ninja Form to troubleshoot the email notification issue.

• First, go to the Ninja Forms dashboard from the left-side menu.

• Find your form and click the gear icon on the right to access the options panel. Then, click Edit.

In Ninja Forms, various actions are triggered upon form submission. We’ll focus on the default settings, though your configuration might slightly differ.

By default, Ninja Forms includes four actions on the sample form, all of which are enabled. These actions are under the ‘Email & Actions’ tab.

Since the Success Message worked in the test, we’ll examine the remaining actions individually.

• To review each action sequentially, click the gear icon under the “ACTIONS” column.

1. Record Submission: This action stores your entry within WordPress.

By clicking View Submissions under the form’s name, you can access entries.

2. Email Confirmation: This action sends an email to your visitor upon form submission using the {form:email} Smart Tag.

3. Email Notification: This action sends an email to the site owner with the form submission content. By default, it goes to {system:admin_email}.

Additionally, Ninja Forms offers two other email Smart Tags:

• {wp:user_email}
• {wp:post_author_email}. 

Don’t use these tags, as they can send emails to the wrong people.

Lastly, review the spam protection settings.

• Navigate to Ninja Forms >> Settings.

• verify the ‘Site Key’ and ‘Secret Key’ under the reCAPTCHA settings.

If all settings are correct and the issue persists, proceed to the next step to fix Ninja Forms not sending email notifications using an SMTP plugin.

Step #3: Install and Configure an SMTP Plugin for Ninja Forms

Your WordPress hosting server is designed for website hosting, not for sending emails from Ninja Forms. To make your Ninja Forms contact form emails more reliable and avoid them being marked as spam, you need to use a dedicated email-sending service (SMTP service provider). These services are optimized specifically for sending emails and ensuring they reach recipients’ inboxes.

To connect your WordPress site to a dedicated email sending service (SMTP service provider), you can use an SMTP plugin. An SMTP plugin helps you route WordPress emails through these optimized servers, which improves your WordPress email deliverability.

Here are some popular SMTP plugins you can choose from:

• Post SMTP
• SMTP Mailer
• Easy WP SMTP
• WP Mail SMTP

These plugins are free, though some advanced features may require a premium upgrade. Using an SMTP plugin is an easy way to improve the reliability of your Contact Form 7 emails.

For this guide, we will use the free version of the Post SMTP plugin.

NOTE: Before we get started, backup your WordPress website. Sometimes, installing a new plugin can cause problems, so a backup allows you to quickly restore your website.

Follow these steps to install and configure the Post SMTP plugin:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to ‘Plugins’ >> ‘Add New Plugin.’
3. In the search bar, type ‘Post SMTP’ and look for ‘Post SMTP – WordPress SMTP plugin…..’
4. Click on “Install Now.” 
5. Once installed, click “Activate.”

After activation, you’ll be guided through a 3-Step Setup Wizard.

• First, select your preferred SMTP service and click “Continue.”

• Next, fill out the “From Email” and “From Name” fields with your email address and name.
• To authenticate your SMTP service, enter your API Key, then click “Save and Continue.”

• Then, provide a valid “Recipient Email Address” and click “Send Test Email.”

If your SMTP configuration is successful, you’ll see a green ‘Congratulations’ status.

• Finally, click “Finish” to complete the SMTP setup.

With the Post SMTP plugin configured, your Ninja Forms should now reliably send email notifications. However, if you are still experiencing issues, follow the final step to enforce the ‘From’ email address using the Post SMTP plugin.

Step #4: Enforce ‘From’ Email Address for All Emails

Sometimes, Ninja Forms might use an incorrect or different ‘From’ email address.

To ensure consistency and reliability in email delivery from your WordPress site, you can enforce the use of the same ‘From’ email address for all outgoing emails, including those from Ninja Forms.

Here’s how to do it with the Post SMTP plugin:

1. Access the Post SMTP plugin settings by navigating to the Post SMTP → Settings → Message tab.
2. In the settings, find the “Email Address” field and enter the email address you want to use as the ‘From’ address for all outgoing emails.
3. Check the box labeled “Prevent plugins and themes from changing this” to stop other plugins and themes from altering this setting.

4. Scroll down and click “Save Changes” to apply your settings.

By enforcing the ‘From’ email address with the Post SMTP plugin, you maintain control over the sender identity for all emails from your WordPress site. This improves email deliverability and helps prevent Ninja Forms notification emails from being marked as spam.

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Final Thoughts on Ninja Forms Not Sending Email

After each successful submission, your Ninja Forms contact form should send email notifications to both you and the user.

However, if Ninja Forms isn’t sending email notifications, it can negatively impact your business by causing you to miss important inquiries, leads, and feedback.

To resolve this issue effectively, follow these steps:

1. Submit a test entry to ensure your contact form is working correctly.
2. Review your Ninja Form settings for any discrepancies.
3. Install and configure an SMTP plugin to improve email deliverability.
4. Enforce the same ‘From’ email address for all outgoing emails.

By following these steps, you can ensure that you and your users receive reliable email notifications with each successful Ninja Forms submission.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with Ninja Forms email issues, drop a comment below!