Problems with Email Delivery

Our emails from Odyssey are being blocked

• Is your Domain (e.g. www.yourbusiness.com) validated for use with MailJet, and does it have SPF, DKIM and DMARC records created? Please check in with us at Creative Technology at support@myodyssey.app, for confirmation.

  • Here's our page on creating the correct domain records, for use with MailJet : https://support.myodyssey.app/article/644-what-are-dns-dkim-and-spf-records

    
    

    Anecdotally, we have noticed a higher incidence of problems sending to hotmail / live / outlook and older style (e.g. xtra.co.nz) email addresses, and these can result in the following message:

    The mail server [xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx] has been temporarily rate limited due to IP reputation.

  • We have found it's easier to try to find an alternative email address for the recipient.

    
    
• The recipient may have blacklisted you. Contact them and ask them to remove you from their blacklist. They could even add you to their 'whitelist' to ensure your emails get through to them.
  • Whitelisting - Creates a list of trusted email addresses that can bypass filters and be delivered directly to your inbox. Whitelisting can help prevent important emails from being marked as spam, and can also help protect against phishing attempts. 
  • Blacklisting - Creates a list of untrustworthy or spam email addresses. Blacklists are used by organizations like internet service providers (ISPs), anti-spam vendors, and free mailbox providers to prevent spam from entering their systems. 
    
    
• Another reason is because your domain has been blocked from sending by Spamhaus. Here's a really helpful page on what Spamhaus is, and how to get off their blacklist. This page is designed for Internet Service Providers and System Administrators, not end users:
  • https://folderly.com/blog/spamhaus-blacklist

Emails from Odyssey are marked as ‘delivered’ but are not reaching the recipient’s inbox

If Odyssey emails are being marked as delivered, that means they are reaching the recipient's server, therefore there is unfortunately little more we can action from our side at this stage.

Here is some advice from MailJet, Odyssey's Third Party email provider, which outlines what may be occurring on the recipient’s end, including possible causes and suggested steps that may assist in resolving the issue.

If your message is marked as "Delivered" in our system, it means we have received confirmation from the recipient's email server that the message has been successfully accepted.

However, sometimes users encounter a situation where the message shows as delivered, but the intended recipient claims they never received it. This can be confusing, but there are a few common reasons why this might happen.

Why Does This Happen?

When we receive a "Delivered" status, it confirms that the recipient's email server (e.g., Gmail, Hotmail, or another provider) has accepted the message for delivery. However, "accepted" doesn’t necessarily mean that the message has reached the recipient's inbox.

The email can be filtered, blocked, or otherwise diverted after being accepted by the server.

Here are a few possible reasons why a delivered email might not appear in the recipient's inbox:

• Spam or Junk Folder: The most common reason is that the email has been filtered into the recipient's spam or junk folder. This is often due to content in the email that triggers spam filters, such as certain phrases, links, or attachments that are flagged as potentially risky by email providers.
• Additional Spam Filters or Email Security Tools Many users or organizations use additional spam filters or security tools that go beyond the default filters provided by email providers. These tools are designed to protect against phishing and unwanted messages but can sometimes flag legitimate emails incorrectly. If the recipient has any third-party email filtering services or strict security settings, the email might be filtered out before reaching their inbox.
• Email Categorization Some email providers automatically categorize messages into different tabs or folders, such as "Promotions," "Updates," or "Social." This means the message may not appear in the primary inbox and could easily be overlooked. Encourage the recipient to check all categories and folders.  Recipient Rules and Filters The recipient might have specific rules or filters set up in their email client that automatically sort incoming messages. These rules might inadvertently send the email to a specific folder, archive it, or even delete it.
• Email Address Issues Occasionally, the email might have been sent to an alternate or incorrect email address that belongs to the recipient but isn't actively monitored. Confirming the exact address is important to ensure the intended mailbox is receiving the messages.

What Should the Recipient Do?

If the recipient cannot locate the email despite it being marked as delivered, they can take the following steps to troubleshoot the issue:

• Check the Spam or Junk Folder The recipient should begin by checking their spam or junk folder to see if the email was incorrectly flagged.
• Search for the Email Use the search bar in their email client to look for the sender’s address or any keywords from the email. This can help locate messages that have been automatically sorted.
• Review Additional Spam Filters If the recipient is using any third-party email security tools, they should review those settings to determine if the message was blocked or filtered
• Check All Folders and Categories In services like Gmail, messages might be categorized into folders like "Promotions" or "Updates." Encourage the recipient to check these tabs to see if the email ended up there.
• Contact Their Email Provider If none of the above steps help, the recipient should contact their email provider for further assistance. The provider may be able to provide more details on why the message was diverted. Proactive Steps to Avoid Delivery Issues To minimize the chances of your emails being missed by recipients, consider asking your client(s) to add your email address to their contact list or whitelist. This reduces the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam.