Troubleshooting Steps for Non-Delivery of Email
- Brittany Johnson
1. Confirm the Email Address
Verify that the subscriber’s email address is spelled correctly in the subscription request.
Check for common errors (extra spaces, missing periods, wrong domain, etc.).
2. Check Subscription Status
Confirm if the subscriber is already subscribed to the list.
For Dynamic/Smart lists use the command line in list manager and type the following: REVIEW listname (RCPT NOH MSG ALL TOPICS BY NAME
Look for pending confirmation requests (if double opt-in is enabled).
Verify if the address is on a suppression list (e.g., previously unsubscribed, bounced, or blacklisted).
Log in to the LISTSERV web interface with your list owner credentials.
Navigate to your list management dashboard.
Look for the “Subscriber Management” section.
Search for the email address in question.
If the address does not appear as an active subscriber but has a status message like “Bad Address”, “Bounced”, “Deleted”, or “Hold”, it may have been automatically placed on the auto-delete/suppression list. Please reach out to your listserv administrator for additional support.
3. Review Delivery Logs
Determine whether the message was:
Delivered successfully
Deferred or delayed
Log in to the LISTSERV web interface with your list owner credentials.
Navigate to your list management.
Select List Activity Reports
4. Check Moderation and List Settings
Ensure the subscriber’s request or the message to them was not:
Held for moderation
Blocked by list policies (e.g., restricted senders)
Sent to a digest (delaying immediate delivery)
5. Inspect Bounce or Error Messages
Look for bounce notifications tied to the subscriber’s address, these will be emailed directly to the list owner
Identify common reasons:
Mailbox full
Invalid domain or recipient not found
Rejected by the recipient’s mail server (SPAM or policy filters)
6. Check Email Filters and Spam Folder
Ask the subscriber to:
Review their spam/junk folder.
Add the list’s sending address to their contacts/whitelist.
Check whether their organization blocks bulk or automated messages.
7. Test with Alternate Addresses
Try sending a test message to the subscriber from outside the listserv system.
If that fails, the issue is likely with the subscriber’s mail provider.
If successful, the problem is specific to the list system.
8. Escalate if Necessary
If list activity show delivery attempts but the subscriber still cannot receive:
Contact the listserv administrator for deeper log analysis.
Provide timestamps, the subscriber’s email address, and any bounce/error codes for further investigation.
Listserv administrator can be reach by submitting a request to either option below:
✅ Tip for List Managers: Always document what steps were taken so recurring issues with the same subscriber can be tracked and resolved more quickly.