Hey folks, I’m having trouble with my email setup. I’ve got a web app and I’m trying to set up SMTP to send emails from it. I installed mailx on my CentOS machine and everything seemed fine at first.
I tested sending an email like this:
echo "Just testing" | mail -s "Test email" [email protected]
The logs look good:
Jul 19 16:48:12 myserver postfix/smtp[23196]: 4163841204: to=<[email protected]>, relay=ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.com[64.233.166.26]:25, delay=0.47, delays=0.02/0.01/0.24/0.2, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (250 2.0.0 OK 1468943292 l4si11397516wmf.56 - gsmtp)
But here’s the weird part. The email never shows up in my Gmail inbox. It’s like it’s vanishing into thin air. Any ideas what could be going wrong? I feel like I’m missing something obvious but I can’t figure it out. Thanks for any help!
Have you considered checking your email server’s reverse DNS (PTR) record? Gmail and other major email providers often use this as part of their spam filtering process. If your server’s IP doesn’t have a valid PTR record that matches your domain, it could cause deliverability issues.
To check this, you can use the ‘dig’ command in reverse:
dig -x YOUR_SERVER_IP
If the result doesn’t match your domain, you’ll need to set up a proper PTR record with your hosting provider or ISP.
Also, ensure your server isn’t inadvertently acting as an open relay. This can get you blacklisted quickly. You can test this using online tools like mxtoolbox.com.
Lastly, if all else fails, consider implementing TLS for your SMTP connections. This can help improve your server’s reputation with email providers.
I’ve encountered this issue before, and it can be frustrating. One thing to check is your SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records. Gmail is pretty strict about email authentication, and if your server isn’t properly authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain, they might be getting silently dropped.
Try adding an SPF record to your domain’s DNS settings. Something like:
v=spf1 ip4:YOUR_SERVER_IP ~all
Replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with your actual server IP.
Also, check your spam folder in Gmail. Sometimes these emails end up there, especially if it’s a new sender.
Lastly, consider setting up DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) for additional authentication. It’s a bit more complex to set up, but it greatly improves email deliverability.
If none of these work, you might want to use a transactional email service like SendGrid or Mailgun. They handle a lot of the deliverability issues for you.
check ur spam folder, bro. gmail can be picky sometimes. also, make sure ur server IP ain’t blacklisted. u can use mxtoolbox to check. if that don’t work, try using a diff smtp server like sendgrid. they handle all the tricky stuff 4 u.