WordPress relies on PHP mail on most hosting platforms. This method offers no modern authentication and often runs from IP ranges that have poor or unknown reputation.
Inbox providers increasingly distrust these messages, especially when they claim to be from branded domains without corresponding SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment.
Shared hosting providers commonly restrict or throttle outbound email to prevent abuse. When limits are exceeded or certain patterns are detected, emails may be silently dropped.
Site owners often don’t see clear error messages, so the website appears to “work” while critical emails are never delivered.
Without aligned SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, there is no consistent way for inbox providers to distinguish legitimate website email from spoofed attempts.
This ambiguity results in spam-folder placement, bulk inbox filtering, or outright rejection at the gateway.
Moving WordPress email onto a dedicated, reputation-managed SMTP path dramatically improves deliverability.
GuardianSend does this for clients by routing website email through secure SMTP providers we operate, and then updating DNS so those senders are recognized as valid for the domain.
If you would rather not debug headers, DNS, and SMTP yourself, GuardianSend can take over website email routing and authentication for you. Visit our Services page or contact us.