# What if an email says delivered but the recipient has not received it?

### Why does this happen <a href="#why-does-this-happen" id="why-does-this-happen"></a>

When an email is sent, it is marked as `Delivered` once the recipient server accepts it with a `250 OK` response. However, the server can then direct the email to the inbox, queue it for later, route it to the spam folder, or even discard it.&#x20;

This is done by major inbox providers (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook), as well as by IT departments and individual users who set up firewalls or filtering rules.As a result, even though most legitimate emails should land in the intended inboxes, your message might end up in the spam/junk folder or, in rare cases, be deleted.&#x20;

**Inbox Providers do not share any information on how the messages are later filtered.** Humanic is only notified about the initial acceptance and marks the email as `Delivered`. Any subsequent events (e.g., open/click events, unsubscribes) require recipient engagement.

### [​](https://resend.com/docs/knowledge-base/what-if-an-email-says-delivered-but-the-recipient-has-not-received-it#how-to-avoid-this)How to avoid this? <a href="#how-to-avoid-this" id="how-to-avoid-this"></a>

#### [​](https://resend.com/docs/knowledge-base/what-if-an-email-says-delivered-but-the-recipient-has-not-received-it#if-you-are-in-contact-with-the-user)If you are in contact with the user <a href="#if-you-are-in-contact-with-the-user" id="if-you-are-in-contact-with-the-user"></a>

The easiest way to solve this is by cooperating with the end user. If you have direct communication with the recipient, you can ask them to **check these places for your email**:

* Corporate spam filters or firewalls
* Personal inbox filtering
* Promotional, spam, or deleted folders
* Group inboxes or queues

If they find it, ask them to mark the email as `Not Spam` or add your domain to an allowlist.

#### [​](https://resend.com/docs/knowledge-base/what-if-an-email-says-delivered-but-the-recipient-has-not-received-it#if-you-are-not-in-contact-with-the-user)If you are not in contact with the user <a href="#if-you-are-not-in-contact-with-the-user" id="if-you-are-not-in-contact-with-the-user"></a>

Debugging without direct contact with the user is challenging. However, there are some optimizations that can **improve your chances of delivering to their inbox next time**:

* [Configure DMARC](/humanic/getting-started-with-humanic/domain-setup/domain-and-or-ip-warm-up-guide.md) to build trust with the inbox provider
* Warm up new domains slowly before sending large volumes
* Change all links in your email to use your own domain (matching your sender domain)
* Turn off open and click tracking
* Reduce the number of images in your email
* Improve wording to be succinct, clear, and avoid spammy words

We have an [extensive but practical deliverability guide](/humanic/campaign-execution-and-monitoring/avoiding-spam/how-do-i-avoid-gmail-spam-folder.md) that covers these topics in more detail.


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