If you see this message after submitting a form, it means the website tried to send an email but something went wrong and no clear reason was provided.
This isn’t a problem with WS Form or the form itself. It’s usually caused by an issue with the website’s email setup. A common cause is an email plugin (like SMTP) that isn’t working properly but also isn’t showing a helpful error message.
This article outlines possible causes and solutions for resolving this issue.
SMTP Plugin Silently Failed
If you are using an SMTP plugin it is possible it failed but did not report an error message.
Some SMTP plugins override wp_mail() but fail to fire the wp_mail_failed action when an error occurs, preventing WS Form from detecting what went wrong.
Solution: Check your SMTP plugin to see if it has a logging feature you can use to identify the error. If no logging is available, try using a different SMTP plugin with full error handling support.
Check that you are sending emails using an email address that has been validated / verified by your SMTP provider.
SMTP Plugin Does Not Support Display Names
WS Form supports display names in email addresses (e.g., Joe Bloggs <joe.bloggs@emailtmp.com>), as allowed by RFC 2822.
However, some SMTP plugins do not support this format and may cause emails to fail.
Solution: Try clearing the Display Name settings in the Send Email action and try sending again.
PHP mail() Function Silently Failed
If you’re not using an SMTP plugin, WordPress relies on PHP’s native mail() function. If this function fails without triggering wp_mail_failed, WS Form cannot log a detailed error.
Solution: Install an SMTP plugin to bypass PHP mail() and ensure email delivery is logged and traceable.
Invalid Send Email Action Settings
Malformed or missing email fields in your WS Form Send Email action can cause wp_mail() to fail.
Solution:
- Ensure all email addresses are valid
- Set a valid subject line and email body
Local Development Server
Local web servers (such as WAMP, MAMP, or LocalWP) typically don’t have a mail server configured, so wp_mail() fails silently.
Solution: Use an SMTP plugin with credentials from a real email service provider.
Plugin Conflict
Another plugin may be interfering with the email process or blocking errors from being reported.
Solution:
- Deactivate all plugins except WS Form
- Test your form
- Reactivate plugins one at a time to identify the source of the conflict
Outdated or Incompatible PHP Version
Older versions of PHP may not handle email operations correctly or may be missing required extensions.
Solution: Upgrade your server to a supported PHP version (e.g., PHP 8.1 or higher).
No Error Logging Available
Because wp_mail_failed was not fired, WordPress provided no additional error details to WS Form.
Solution: Enable WordPress debug logging by adding the following to your wp-config.php file:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );Then check the /wp-content/debug.log file for any email-related messages after submitting your form.
Summary
The “Error sending email” message means WordPress’ wp_mail() function returned false without providing an explanation. This usually indicates a misconfigured email setup or an incompatible plugin.
The most reliable solution is to use an SMTP plugin with a verified email provider and ensure your Send Email action settings are correct. If the issue persists, test your server’s email capabilities independently or contact your hosting provider for assistance.