Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting email notifications

Overview

This guide will help you diagnose and fix issues when email notifications aren't being sent to you or your clients. Client Portal relies on WordPress to send emails, so most problems stem from mail server configuration rather than the plugin itself.

Before You Start

Understand these key points about how notifications work:

  • Client Portal uses WordPress mail – All emails are sent through WordPress's wp_mail() function. If WordPress can't send mail, Client Portal can't either.

  • Public portals don't email clients – If your portal is set to "Public," client notifications are automatically skipped.

  • "Client Created" vs "Portal Created" – "Client Created" emails are sent when a new user registers. "Portal Created" emails are sent when you assign a portal to an existing user. These are different notification types with different content.

Step 1: Use the Built-In Test Feature

Start by testing whether Client Portal can send emails at all:

  1. Go to Client Portal > Settings > Notifications

  2. Select any notification type from the dropdown

  3. Click "Send Test Notification"

  4. Check the inbox for your WordPress admin email address

The test notification is sent to your WordPress admin email (the one set in Settings > General). Check spam/junk folders if you don't see it in your inbox.

If the test succeeds but real notifications still fail, jump to Step 4 to verify your notification settings.

If the test fails or you see "Please check your mail settings", continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Verify WordPress Can Send Email

Test if WordPress itself can send mail using a dedicated plugin:

  1. Install and activate the Check & Log Email plugin (or WP Mail Logging)

  2. Go to the plugin's settings page

  3. Send a test email to your personal email address

  4. Check if you receive it

If you receive the test email: WordPress mail is working. Skip to Step 4.

If you don't receive it: Your server can't send email. Continue to Step 3.

Many hosting providers block PHP mail by default to prevent spam. This is the most common cause of notification failures.

SMTP ensures reliable email delivery. Install an SMTP plugin to route emails through a trusted mail service:

Install WP Mail SMTP

  1. Install and activate WP Mail SMTP or Post SMTP

  2. Choose a mail service:

    • Gmail (free, easiest for small sites)

    • SendGrid (free tier: 100 emails/day)

    • Mailgun

    • Your hosting provider's SMTP (check with support for credentials)

  3. Enter your SMTP credentials (username, password, server)

  4. Send a test email from the SMTP plugin settings

  5. Verify the test arrives in your inbox

If using Gmail, you'll need to create an "App Password" in your Google account settings. Don't use your regular Gmail password.

Once SMTP is working, return to Client Portal > Settings > Notifications and run the test again. If it now succeeds, your notifications should work.

Step 4: Check Notification Settings

If mail is working but specific notifications aren't sending, verify your configuration:

Global Settings

  1. Go to Client Portal > Settings > Notifications

  2. For each notification type you expect to send:

    • Expand the notification

    • Check that at least one recipient is selected:

      • "Administration Email Address" (sends to you)

      • "Clients" (sends to portal users)

    • Verify the email subject and body aren't blank

If neither "Administration Email Address" nor "Clients" is checked, the notification won't be sent to anyone.

Per-Portal Overrides

Individual portals can override global settings. If one portal isn't sending notifications:

  1. Edit the portal

  2. In the sidebar, look for the Notifications section

  3. Check if "Use default notifications" is toggled off

  4. If it's off, click "Customize" and verify recipients are selected

Portals show a badge indicating "Custom" (overridden) or "Using Global Settings."

Step 5: Check Spam and Email Filters

Emails may be delivered but filtered as spam:

  • Check spam/junk folders in your email client

  • Check promotions tabs (Gmail, Outlook)

  • Add the sender address to your contacts (set in Client Portal > Settings > General > "From Email Address")

  • Ask clients to whitelist your domain

If you're using a generic sender like "[email protected]," consider changing it to a real address like "[email protected]" to improve deliverability.

Step 6: Check for Plugin or Theme Conflicts

Other plugins can interfere with email delivery. Common culprits include caching, security, and JavaScript minification plugins.

Before testing for conflicts, create a full backup of your site so you can easily restore if anything goes wrong.

  1. Install Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin

  2. Go to Tools > Site Health > Troubleshooting

  3. Click "Enable Troubleshooting Mode"

    • This disables all plugins except Client Portal only for you

    • Your live site remains unaffected for visitors

  4. Test notifications again using the test button

  5. If notifications work, re-enable plugins one by one to find the conflict

Manual Testing (Alternative)

If you can't use the Health Check plugin:

  1. Deactivate all plugins except Client Portal

  2. Test notifications

  3. If working, reactivate plugins one by one

  4. Test after each activation to identify the conflicting plugin

  5. If still broken with all plugins off, switch to a default WordPress theme (Twenty Twenty-Four) and test again

If you find a conflicting plugin, contact that plugin's support team for assistance.

Known Conflict: Caching Plugins

Caching can block login-related emails (like password resets). If you use a caching plugin:

  • Exclude /client-portal-login from caching

  • Exclude wp-resetpass cookies

See Exclude Client Portal from cache for detailed instructions.

Step 7: Special Cases

Digests and Reminders Not Sending

Digest notifications and due date reminders rely on WordPress cron (scheduled tasks). If these aren't sending:

  1. Go to Tools > Scheduled Actions (requires Action Scheduler plugin, bundled with Client Portal)

  2. Search for leco_cp_notification_digest_cron

  3. Check the status:

    • "Complete" = cron is running

    • "Failed" or "Pending" = cron isn't executing

  4. If failed, manually reschedule the action or contact your host to verify WP-Cron is enabled

Some hosts disable WP-Cron for performance. Ask your host to enable it or set up a real cron job to trigger wp-cron.php.

If password reset emails arrive but don't contain a reset link:

  1. Update Client Portal to the latest version (older versions had a bug)

  2. Go to Settings > Permalinks and click "Save Changes" (flushes rewrite rules)

  3. Test the password reset flow again

See The forgot password link is not working for more details.

Emails Bouncing Back

If emails are rejected or bounced by recipient servers:

  • Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain (ask your host or SMTP provider)

  • Verify your sending limits – Many hosts limit outbound emails to 100-300 per hour. If you're sending bulk notifications, you may hit this limit.

  • Use a transactional email service like SendGrid or Mailgun for higher limits

Upload Notifications Delayed or Skipped

Client upload notifications have a 10-minute delay to batch multiple uploads. They're also skipped if:

  • A notification was sent less than 20 minutes ago

  • No new files were actually uploaded (duplicate drag-and-drop)

Wait at least 20 minutes between uploads to ensure notifications are sent.

Step 8: Enable Debug Logging

If you're still stuck, enable WordPress debug logging to capture error details:

  1. Add this to your wp-config.php file (above the line "That's all, stop editing"): 

    define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

  2. Reproduce the issue (trigger a notification)

  3. Check wp-content/debug.log for error messages related to wp_mail

  4. Share relevant log snippets with support

Remove debug settings from wp-config.php once you're done troubleshooting. Leaving them enabled can expose sensitive information.

Still Not Working?

If you've completed all these steps and notifications still aren't sending, contact support with the following information:

  • Which notification type isn't working (e.g., "Client Created," "Module Completed")

  • Results of the built-in test (Step 1)

  • Which SMTP plugin you're using (if any)

  • Whether you found any plugin conflicts (Step 6)

  • Any error messages from debug.log (Step 8)

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