Test and troubleshoot email delivery

Test inbound and outbound delivery separately. This makes it clear whether a problem is in the forwarding path, domain verification, or reply delivery.

Run an end-to-end test

1. Open Settings → Email and confirm that email is active.
2. Select Send test email and confirm that the message reaches the destination shown by Protodesk.
3. From an unrelated email account, send a new message to your customer service address.
4. Confirm that the message appears in Threads.
5. Reply from Protodesk and confirm that the reply reaches the original sender.

Use an unrelated account for the inbound test. Some providers handle messages sent from and to the same mailbox differently from real customer mail.

If inbound email does not appear

• Confirm that the message reached your customer service mailbox.
• Check that the forwarding rule points to the exact Protodesk forwarding address.
• Make sure the rule is enabled, not only approved as a destination.
• Select Test & verify forwarding and wait for the test to finish.
• Check provider filters, routing rules, and spam handling that might run before forwarding.

If replies do not arrive

• Confirm that Sending emails (DNS verification) shows DNS verified.
• Confirm that Enable email shows Email is active.
• Review the destination's spam or quarantine folder.
• Look at Outbound delivery metrics for delivered, sent, queued, bounced, or failed messages.
• Try another destination to determine whether the problem affects one mailbox or all outbound mail.

Read the delivery metrics

In Settings → Email, the Outbound delivery metrics card summarizes the last 7, 14, or 30 days.

• Delivered means the receiving system accepted the message.
• Sent means Protodesk handed the message off for delivery.
• Queued means delivery is still pending.
• Bounced means the receiving system rejected the message.
• Failed means the message could not be sent.

A delivered message can still be filtered by the recipient's mailbox. A bounce usually includes a destination-specific reason; correct the address or ask the recipient's email administrator to review it.

If the page reports a setup or credential error that you cannot correct, contact your Protodesk administrator or support and include the workspace, approximate test time, sender, and destination. Do not include passwords or DNS account credentials.