Business email not working? What to check first
Emails bouncing, customers saying you never replied, or mail that simply stopped arriving. It is stressful, but the cause is usually one of a few things, and some of them you can check in ten minutes.
What's usually wrong
- The domain has expired or been changed. If the domain lapses, the website and the email on it both stop. It is the first thing to rule out.
- The mail settings (MX records) are wrong or missing. These are the DNS records that tell the internet where your email lives. They often get wiped when a website is moved to a new host or the domain is pointed somewhere else.
- The mailbox is full, or the email plan has lapsed. Free space runs out, or a hosting, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace payment fails.
- Your phone or Outlook has an old password or setting. Webmail works, but the app does not.
Things you can try yourself
- Work out what is broken: sending, receiving or both. Send a test email to your business address from a different account, such as a Gmail one, and send one back out again.
- If a message bounces, read the error. "Address not found" or "mailbox unavailable" points at the mailbox or the plan. "Domain not found" points at the domain or its DNS.
- Log in to your email provider's webmail (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or the webmail from your hosting). If it works there, the mailbox is fine and the fault is in your phone or Outlook. Remove the account from the app and add it again with the current password.
- If you cannot log in, check the mailbox is not full and the email plan is paid up. Use the provider's password reset if needed.
- Check the domain is still active. Search for it on the ICANN lookup or, for .uk addresses, on Nominet's WHOIS and look at the expiry date. If it has expired, see what to do about an expired domain.
- Check the MX records with a free tool such as MXToolbox. They should match what your email provider says to use, and the provider's setup page lists the exact records. Change them where your domain's DNS is managed, which is not always where you bought the domain.
- Give changes time. DNS updates often work within minutes but can take a few hours to reach everyone.
Questions people ask
Why did my email stop right after my website was moved?
Moving a website often means changing the domain's DNS settings. If the mail (MX) records are not copied across, email stops arriving. Putting the right records back usually fixes it, and no old mail is lost.
Will I lose my old emails?
Usually not. Old messages are stored by your email provider, not by the domain's DNS. Fixing the settings brings the mailbox back as it was.
How long does an email fix take?
Most are done within a day or two, then DNS changes can take a few hours to spread. It is usually a £40 to £60 job.
If you'd rather I sorted it
If you'd rather I sorted it: most of these are a £40 to £60 job, usually done the same week. I'm Yehor, 17, based in Easingwold, and I can come to you round York.
Prefer to talk? Ring or WhatsApp 07356 082474, or email [email protected].
Other quick fixes: Domain expired · Wrong opening hours on Google · Website "not secure" warning · Locked out of Google Business Profile