If email to or from your domain has suddenly stopped working, the cause is usually one of a handful of common issues: a full mailbox, a DNS record that changed, a spam filter rule, or an account temporarily restricted for sending too much mail. Work through the checks below in order and you'll usually find the problem without needing to contact support.
1. Test webmail directly
Before checking anything else, confirm whether the problem is with the mail server itself or just with the email program (like Outlook or your phone's mail app) you normally use. Log in to your webmail account directly through your browser and try sending yourself a test message.
- If webmail works fine, the issue is likely in your email client's settings, not your mailbox.
- If webmail also fails, the problem is on the mail account or server side, and you should continue with the checks below.
2. Check your domain's MX records
MX records tell the internet which mail server handles email for your domain. If these changed recently, for example during a domain transfer or a move to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and still point to the wrong server, incoming mail will fail to arrive. Check your DNS zone in your control panel's DNS Zone Editor and confirm the MX record points to your current mail server, not an old one.
3. Check your mailbox storage quota
A mailbox that has hit its storage limit can't receive new mail, and senders will usually get a bounce message saying the mailbox is full.
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open Email Accounts under the Email section.
- Find your email address in the list and check the Usage column against your quota.
- If it's near or at the limit, delete old messages or increase the quota by clicking Manage next to the account.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and open Email Accounts.
- Check the Usage figure shown next to each mailbox.
- Click Modify next to the account to clear space or raise the quota.
For the full steps, see how to check and increase your email account's storage quota.
4. Check if the account was restricted for spam or abuse
If an email account on your hosting account sent an unusually high volume of messages, or messages that were flagged as spam by receiving servers, the mail service may automatically restrict sending to protect your domain's reputation. This usually clears on its own after a short period, but if you suspect it, contact ZIPROF support so it can be reviewed and lifted sooner.
5. Check your spam filter and mail filter rules
A filter or spam setting you or a previous admin configured can silently block or redirect incoming mail with no visible error.
In cPanel
- Open Email Filters and review any rules for the account, since a rule set to Discard Message deletes mail with no notice.
- Open Spam Filters and check the sensitivity isn't set so high that legitimate mail is being blocked outright.
In DirectAdmin
- Open Filters under the Email section and review any custom rules for the account.
- Check the spam settings for the mailbox to confirm messages aren't being deleted rather than moved to a spam folder.
6. Check SPF and DKIM if outgoing mail is bouncing
If the problem is specifically that mail you send is bouncing back or landing in recipients' spam folders, the issue is usually missing or incorrect SPF and DKIM records rather than anything in your mailbox. See how to set up SPF and DKIM records to fix this.
Changes to DNS records, including MX, SPF, and DKIM, can take a few hours to propagate fully across the internet. If you've just made a change, give it time before assuming it hasn't worked.
Still not resolved?
If you've worked through all the checks above and mail still isn't sending or receiving correctly, contact ZIPROF support with the exact error message you're seeing, from your email client or a bounce-back email, so the team can look at your account directly.