I Can Receive Emails But Cannot Send — Troubleshooting Guide
If your email is receiving messages fine but you can't send, the problem is almost always with your outgoing (SMTP) settings. This guide walks through the most common causes and fixes.
Check Your Outgoing Server Settings First
The most common cause is simply wrong settings. Verify these in your email client:
| Setting | Correct Value |
|---|---|
| SMTP Server | mail.yourdomain.com |
| SMTP Port | 465 |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS |
| Authentication | Required / Enabled |
| Username | Your full email address |
| Password | Your email account password |
The most common mistakes are using port 25 (often blocked by ISPs), using STARTTLS instead of SSL/TLS, or leaving authentication disabled.
Fix 1: Enable SMTP Authentication
Your email client must authenticate with the outgoing server using your username and password. Without this, the server will refuse to send.
In Outlook: Go to File → Account Settings → select your account → Change → More Settings → Outgoing Server → tick "My outgoing server requires authentication"
On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings → Mail → Accounts → your account → SMTP → tap your server → make sure Authentication is set to Password
On Android: Go to your email app settings → account settings → Outgoing server → make sure "Require sign-in" is enabled
Fix 2: Change Your SMTP Port
Port 25 is the old default SMTP port but most internet providers (including major SA ISPs) block it to prevent spam. If you're using port 25, switch to port 465 with SSL/TLS.
Fix 3: Check Your Password
Your email sending password must be the email account password from DirectAdmin or cPanel — not your Hostking portal password, and not your domain password. These are different things.
Verify it by logging into webmail at mail.yourdomain.com. If you can log in there, the password is correct. If not, reset it in DirectAdmin under Email Accounts.
Fix 4: Check Your Sending Limit
Hostking shared hosting plans have an email sending limit to prevent spam. If you hit the limit your outgoing mail will be temporarily blocked.
The limits are:
- Shared hosting: 250 emails per hour per domain
- Business / higher plans: higher limits apply
If you need to send bulk email or newsletters, use a dedicated email sending service such as Mailchimp, SendGrid or Brevo rather than your hosting email account.
Fix 5: Check if Your Domain is on a Blacklist
If your emails were flagged as spam in the past, your domain or IP may have been added to a blacklist. Check at mxtoolbox.com/blacklists. If your domain appears on a blacklist, open a support ticket with us and we'll help you get it removed.
Still Can't Send?
Open a support ticket at my.hostking.host and include:
- Your email address
- The exact error message you're seeing
- What email client and device you're using
- A screenshot if possible
Our team is available every day from 7am to 10pm.
