I’m having trouble getting delivery notifications to work properly with certain email providers.
I’m using the SmtpClient class in my C# application to send emails through Gmail accounts. Even though I configure the DeliveryNotificationOptions property to OnSuccess, I never receive any delivery confirmations when the emails are sent successfully.
I tested the same setup with Hotmail accounts and ran into the exact same issue - no delivery receipts are generated or sent back to me.
Interestingly, when I use the identical code with an Outlook Exchange server, everything works perfectly and I get the delivery notifications as expected.
Has anyone else encountered this problem with Gmail and Hotmail? Are there specific settings or configurations needed for these providers to support delivery notifications? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
yeah, it’s super frustrating that gmail and hotmail stopped delivery receipts a while ago. i’ve been dealing with this in my apps for ages too. exchange works fine since it’s for businesses, but consumer email just blocks those receipts. maybe look into a service like sendgrid for real webhook tracking instead of relying on smtp.
Indeed, this is a common issue with consumer email services like Gmail and Hotmail, which do not support delivery notifications for their free accounts to protect user privacy. I faced a similar challenge in a production environment where tracking deliveries was essential. The solution for us was to move away from relying on SMTP delivery receipts and utilize API-based email services. These services provide reliable delivery status callbacks that function seamlessly across various email platforms.
Gmail and Hotmail do not provide delivery receipts for consumer accounts as a measure to prevent spam and safeguard user privacy. In contrast, Exchange servers facilitate these notifications since they cater to business environments where email tracking is crucial. If you’re seeking confirmation for sent emails, consider implementing read receipts in your application or opt for services like SendGrid or Mailgun, which offer more robust tracking via webhooks compared to traditional SMTP notifications.