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When an email doesn't arrive

"I never got it" is a common conversation. CoreHue tracks what happened to every email it sends, so you can answer with facts rather than apologizing for something that did arrive.

In a message thread​

A message you've sent shows its own state underneath it:

  • Sending... while it goes out
  • A small green tick once it reached their mail provider
  • This email wasn't delivered. when it failed. View details gives the reason where there is one, and Try again appears where trying again makes sense

A conversation with a delivery problem is marked on the contact's Message threads tab too, so you don't have to open each one.

The statuses​

Documents you send record a fuller history. Each email in it carries one of these:

StatusWhat it means
On the wayWaiting to be sent
SendingBeing handed over now
SentAccepted for sending
DeliveredIt reached their mail provider
Taking longerDelayed, still trying
Not deliveredIt didn't arrive
Marked as spamDelivered, then they reported it
Could not sendFailed before sending
Not sentHeld back, usually after previous failures to that address

Delivered means it reached their mail provider. It doesn't prove they saw it, and CoreHue can't tell you whether they opened it. Nothing tracks opens, so a read email and an ignored one look identical here.

Working out what happened​

Not delivered. The address is wrong or doesn't exist. Check the spelling on their contact record. A single wrong character is by far the most common cause.

Delivered but they say they didn't get it. Ask them to check spam and promotions. If it's there, ask them to mark it as not spam, which improves your future delivery to them.

Taking longer. Their mail provider is being slow, or turning the email away for now. It usually sorts itself out. Give it a few hours.

Marked as spam. They pressed the spam button, possibly by accident when clearing their inbox. Don't keep emailing that address without asking them another way first.

Not sent. CoreHue has stopped trying to reach an address that keeps failing. Confirm the address is right, ideally by another route.

After any of the last three, opening that person's thread in Messages shows a warning above the reply box: the address reported or blocked a previous email, and delivery may be refused. You can still send.

Where to look​

Bookings, inquiries, invoices, payment receipts, proposals, contracts, questionnaires and galleries each keep an Email history showing what was sent about them and what happened to each one. When a client says they never got their invoice, that's where you check before resending.

Reducing the odds​

Check the address when you add a contact. Most failures are typos.

Set expectations for where it comes from. Telling someone during a call that you'll email a proposal makes them look for it.

Don't send only a link with no context. Short messages that are mostly a link are what spam filters are built to catch.

If they still can't find it​

Proposals, invoices, contracts, questionnaires, bookings and galleries each have a shareable link. Copy it and send it however you're already talking to them: WhatsApp, text, or the email thread they're clearly receiving.