Registration activation link rarely sends

[Innertraveller]

We don't offer support for 3.2 anymore, update to 3.3.15 I'm not positive but 3.2 may not support php 8.1. Regardless you can use up to php 8.3 with phpBB 3.3.X

If you are using Cpanel and possibly some other hosting panels under email settings make sure Force from email address: is set to yes.

You can use this for testing outgoing email, simply register an account using the email they provide.

https://www.mail-tester.com/

This is likely a DNS/SPF/DKIM/DMARC issue unrelated to phpBB software.

That mail tester utility is very useful, thanks. See my latest reply below for more comments.

[Innertraveller]

HEY..... partial success

I've reverted my mail settings from SMTP to the board's native php. Now these were what i was using anyway until a few days ago and they weren't sending activation emails. So, on the advice of my host helpdesk i changed to smtp using their own (new) mail provider, Soverin, and this didn't work either - i think this was (and still is) issues with the settings they have suggested including the SPF entries.

So i've recently updated from 3.3.2 to 3.3.14 and changed my php version to 8.1, the highest my host supports. Still no luck..... then i changed back to native php mail settings. I also deleted the file io_lock.lock from the Store directory on the advice of warmweer (see thread).

Result: I've now sent out test registrations from four different email addresses, and they've all received an activation email. I've got to say at this juncture that i'm not sure whether that was due to reverting to the native php or deleting that io_lock.lock file.

BUT..... one problem: all four activation emails ended up in the respective SPAM folders. Is this a common problem with the Board php? I've used the mail testing app suggested by thecoalman above and got a 10/10 store, but it did note that the reverse DNS does not match with the sending domain. Now i'm guessing that this is because i have created a redirect so that mails being sent from my board using the mail addresses native to my host are then redirected to my Outlook email addresses so that i get to read all my mail without having to keep logging in to my host. Has anybody got any observations as to whether this is likely to be the cause of the mails ending up in the Spam folders? I'm still going to pursue getting the SPF entries sorted to give me the option of using the host's email provider via SMTP - especially if this reduces the likelihood of activation mails being flagged as Spam. I'll test and compare if i can get those SPF settings sorted with my host's helpdesk.

Anyway, things are decidedly moving in the right direction and as a bonus the problems finally prompted me to update the Board.

[Innertraveller]

Thanks to everybody who provided help on this issue. The only problem remaining is activation emails regularly ending up in spam folders, see my previous post for further details. If anyone can offer advice on this, or point me to a good link where it's been discussed, I'd be grateful.

[thecoalman]

If it's going to spam it's likely because of missing or wrong SPF/DKIM/DMARC records. All three are important to have to go to inbox but an incorrect record is worse than missing record. You can use various tools. For Gmail you can "view original" under the three dots, if the record exists it will give you information.

Along with the other testing tool I already linked to here is another one:

https://www.learndmarc.com/

[Innertraveller]

If it's going to spam it's likely because of missing or wrong SPF/DKIM/DMARC records. All three are important to have to go to inbox but an incorrect record is worse than missing record. You can use various tools. For Gmail you can "view original" under the three dots, if the record exists it will give you information.

Along with the other testing tool I already linked to here is another one:

https://www.learndmarc.com/

Thanks. My incoming mails are being redirected from my hosting accounts in-house email accounts to my personal Outlook account (i have a dedicated email account specifically for messages from the Board's Contact form so i can see them immediately), do you think that might have a bearing on the problem given that 'reverse DNS doesn't match with sending domain' warning?

[thecoalman]

If any of those tools indicate reverse DNS issues you are lucky they are getting to spam box. Contact your host to fix this issue.

[Innertraveller]

If any of those tools indicate reverse DNS issues you are lucky they are getting to spam box. Contact your host to fix this issue.

Thanks. (We could do with a 'thumbs-up emoticon )

[warmweer]

If any of those tools indicate reverse DNS issues you are lucky they are getting to spam box. Contact your host to fix this issue.

Thanks. (We could do with a 'thumbs-up emoticon )

:thumbsup: --->

[Innertraveller]

Ah, thanks

[Innertraveller]

UPDATE TO ONGOING ISSUE
This problem is STILL ongoing and I really need to resolve asap: as per original post, the forum board activation email is rarely being received by new registrants.

I've recently reverted to the native phpBB php email settings (i.e. non-SMTP). I seem to remember when I set up the Board a few years ago that this was recommended in the Board set-up process for some reason, I think it was something about maximising the chances of a successful configuration (correct me if I'm wrong).

Now since I've done this, plus some changes to the DNS, I have had some limited success. Attempts to register from a GMail account leads to the activation email being received in the Inbox with 100% success (tested about 20 times). HOWEVER: every attempt to register using an Outlook/Live.co.uk account has a 100% FAILURE - the email doesn't even reach the Spam folder. Is there a known issue with regard to Microsoft/Outlook accounts?

I don't know whether this has any bearing, but the email address I'm using is one native to my hosting service, registered to my website. However, I then have these messages redirected to a dedicated Outlook account so that I get them instantly on my smartphone rather than having to log in to my hosting service mailboxes all the time.

So if I look at the Inbox of my hosting service mailbox (i.e. the messages before they are redirected to my Outlook account) I see Mail Delivery Failure - Returning Message To Sender messages. An extract of the content of these messages includes the following text:
Reporting-MTA: dns; mta-web1.extendcp.co.uk..... Action: failed..... Please contact your Internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list (S3150).
I'm assuming that the network in question is Microsoft's Outlook servers? My hosting service (Heart Internet) has recently started using Soverin as their mail provider partner.

So..... 100% success rate with activation emails sent to GMail accounts and 100% FAILURE rates with Microsoft's Outlook/Live Mail accounts. These are the only mail providers I can test because they are the only ones I have accounts for.

Any ideas folks? It's driving me crazy and I've sent innumerable messages to Heart's Customer Service team who have been unable to resolve.

[harryk]

The message says what your problem is: your server is on the block list (black list). You can only bypass this by using SMTP, because then the sending server is different from the blocked server.

[Innertraveller]

The message says what your problem is: your server is on the block list (black list). You can only bypass this by using SMTP, because then the sending server is different from the blocked server.

So it seems a bit unclear to me, is it saying that part of Heart Internet's server (possibly their new mail provider, Soverin), is on Outlook's blocklist, or is it vice versa, i.e. part of Outlook's server is on Heart's server blocklist?

[Innertraveller]

Ok, I've just registered a new Username on this forum using a Microsoft (Live.co.uk) account (which is impossible on my own Board) and yes, I received an activation email. HOWEVER, it did end up in the Spam folder, so maybe even the DNS on this Board needs some tweaking?.... or maybe there is some inherent fault with Microsoft's Outlook/Live mail servers? Is anyone aware of any such issues? From my experience, Microsoft has gone right downhill in recent years and their Windows OS (Windows 10) is very clunky and slow (am unable to upgrade to Windows 11 with current laptop).

Anyway..... I'm still left with the same registration link issue as per my previous message. If anybody can advise on whether they think the returned messages are the fault at Microsoft's end or Heart Internet's I'd be grateful so that I can pursue this with Heart's Customer Support.

UPDATE: I've tried following harryk's advice to revert to using SMTP. When I enter my SMTP password into the SMTP settings field in the ACP and press Submit it strips the password down to 8 characters. What's going on here??

[thecoalman]

Please contact your Internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list

What this error means is that Outllook has blocked your host which could be for many reasons like them being unresponsive to spam reports from their network. It could just be the IP you are on their entire range. You need to contact the host, this is not something you can resolve on your own. If host is unwilling to fix it or can't fix it find another host.

[Innertraveller]

Please contact your Internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list

What this error means is that Outllook has blocked your host.....

Thanks for this information. I did query this with them in passing in a ticket submission a couple of weeks ago but they neglected to cover it in their reply. Heart's customer service seems to have gone right downhill recently, mainly in terms of response time, which used to be minutes and is now sometimes days (I notice they have gone from English ownership when I first used them as host, to US, and recently to Dutch, which is where I think the downturn began, perhaps due to staff reductions). Anyway, I'm going to mention this to them again and see what they say.

But I have some good news I've reverted to SMTP again, and with some tweaks on the Board and DNS I think things just might be working properly again. I'll report back in the next day or two when I'm sure.

Nobody has explained why the SMTP password in the ACP Email settings gets stripped down to a max of 8 characters though. I had to change my password to get around this.