Forms stopped sending emails - switched to WP Mail and stared receiving hundreds of bounce backs

By: Jordon Brown | Asked: 02/01/2025
ForumsCategory: General questionsForms stopped sending emails - switched to WP Mail and stared receiving hundreds of bounce backs
Jordon Brown asked 3 days ago

I use Formidable Forms on six sites.   Five are hosted elsewhere.  One is with Ionos / 1and1.  The forms on this site stopped sending emails two days ago.   I got frustrated enough yesterday to add Wp Mail SMTP and I could now send emails from the forms.   But I began receiving hundreds of bounce back emails.   Immediately.   I changed the password on the email and it continues.

I would rather go back to NOT using WP Mail SMTP and just use the form.

I'm only posting here because Formidable recommended I use this additional plug-in.

Bobby Clapp Staff replied 2 days ago

Do you have any sort of logs to work with on the hosting side?

https://www.ionos.com/help/email/postmaster/smtp-error-messages-of-the-11-ionos-mail-servers/

Jordon Brown replied 2 days ago

Thank you for answering....

The bounce backs are showing that the user doesn't exist. Most are gmail accounts. I think that something is using my email as a reply to generate hundreds (thousands) of spam. But it only happens when I'm using the WP Mail SMTP. I am receiving about 100 per hour.

These forms have worked for years without the need for WP Mail SMTP. I was hoping someone had some insight into how to get back to just entering the from email and it working again.

Bobby Clapp Staff replied 2 days ago

I don't expect you would need WP Mail SMTP, but getting it working without it is between you and your web hosting provider.

1 Answers
Best Answer
Jordon Brown answered 18 hours ago

Apparently Ionos and WP Mail SMTP just hate each other.   Used an email address from an account hosted by HostGator and the problem cleared up immediately....but not before Ionos locked my smtp login.

Bobby Clapp Staff replied 17 hours ago

Yeah. I gather this is all hosting related then.

Jordon Brown replied 16 hours ago

Thank you for your help!

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