Password and Verification Emails Don’t Land in Inbox
Sometimes our clients have been unable to re-set their WordPress password because the email has not landed in their inbox. But it’s not limited to people editing WordPress websites. Most online sites have forgot password functionality and the process invariably emails a code or link.
Often it might be a verification code, or course link or some other email that goes astray.
Email hosts, such as Gmail and Outlook are constantly changing their algorithms to deliver you a better inbox. They’re trying to avoid sending spam to your inbox and in doing so, emails you want to receive may also be prevented from getting there.
Gmail and Outlook have created folders or tabs in addition to their inbox.
If you're reading your emails on a mobile you may not have discovered a bunch of other folders that Gmail and Outlook use. Even if you are on a laptop or desktop, if these folders have not been set up for viewing, they could be missed.
In Outlook the folders are called
- Focussed
- Other
- Clutter
- Spam
In Gmail the folders are called
- Inbox
- Social
- Promotions
- Updates
- Junk
So where do the password and verification emails end up?
- Inbox – rarely
- Spam / Junk – occasionally
- Updates / Other – almost always
Check your spam or junk folder, as well as your inbox, for these emails. However, in most cases the email ends up in the Updates folder (Gmail) or Other folder (Outlook). Many people are unaware these folders even exist and therefore are not checking them to see if that is where the email for the password reset has been sent.
What other goodies are lurking in the Updates and Other folder?
- Payment notifications
- Newsletters from your favourite networks
- Email delivery failed notifications
Check your account or inbox settings to reveal your Updates or Other folder.
If emails are persistently landing in these secondary folders that you want to have appear in your primary inbox look at whitelisting, or creating a rule that tells your email platform to send them there.
Another thing to double check is the email address you are using. Most of us have more than one email address. A work email address, a home one and perhaps one from 5 years ago. Check you are using the right email address when you are requesting a reset password link.
If you’re asking for a reset password link it may indicate you don’t have a reliable method for storing, filing and retrieving your passwords. Check out our article on using a password manager here.
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