When mail from an address such as [email protected] bounces, lands in spam or never arrives, the cause is almost always one of five things: the mail app's outgoing settings, missing SPF or DKIM records, a sending limit, a blocklist, or the receiving provider's own filters. The bounce message tells you which one. This page helps you match your symptom to the right fix.
Read the bounce first: a code starting with 4 is temporary and the server retries on its own, a code starting with 5 means something must change. Most failures from a domain address come from wrong SMTP settings in the mail app, missing or duplicate SPF records, no DKIM, or an account that hit its sending limit. On Domain India shared hosting the sending IP belongs to the server, so blocklist and reputation problems on that IP are handled by support; send them the full bounce.
This page is a short symptom finder. The detail lives in Troubleshooting email that won't send, Understanding email bouncebacks and Email deliverability: SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
1. Match the symptom to the cause
| What you see | Usual cause | Where to go next |
|---|---|---|
| Mail app says it cannot send, or "Relay access denied" | SMTP login switched off or wrong outgoing server, port or password in the app | I can receive mail but cannot send it |
| Bounce with 550 5.7.x mentioning SPF, DKIM or DMARC | Missing, wrong or duplicate authentication records in DNS | Section 2 below |
| Bounce naming Spamhaus, a blocklist or "bad IP" | The sending IP or your domain is on a blocklist | Email blacklist removal |
| Gmail delays mail with 421 4.7.x errors | Gmail is rate-limiting a sender it does not trust yet | Fixing Google greylisting |
| Bounce saying the domain exceeded the max emails per hour | Your account hit its sending limit | Section 3 below |
| Sent folder shows the message, but nothing arrives and no bounce | The recipient's filters put it in spam or quarantine | Section 2, then ask the recipient to check spam |
Whatever the symptom, keep the complete bounce message. Its code and text name the problem far more precisely than any checklist.
2. Authentication records: SPF, DKIM and DMARC
Gmail, Outlook.com and most business mail servers check three DNS records before trusting mail from your domain.
- SPF lists the servers allowed to send as your domain. Publish only one TXT record starting with
v=spf1; two records make SPF fail. If you also send through another service, such as Google Workspace or a newsletter tool, add itsinclude:to the same record. - DKIM signs each message. DKIM is on by default for new cPanel accounts. On DirectAdmin the selector is
x, and most domains already have a key; see how to check and manage DKIM in DirectAdmin. - DMARC tells receivers what to do when SPF and DKIM fail. Start with
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]and tighten it later; see setting up DMARC.
On cPanel, Email › Email Deliverability shows whether your SPF and DKIM records are valid and offers the correct values for your server. Use those values rather than a generic SPF string copied from the internet. If your domain's DNS is managed elsewhere, such as Cloudflare, add the records there.
A new or changed record is visible once the old one's TTL (time to live) has expired. That is usually minutes to a few hours, not days.
3. Sending limits on shared hosting
Every shared hosting account has an outgoing limit to protect the server's reputation for everyone on it:
| Hosting | Outgoing mail limit |
|---|---|
| cPanel | 200 messages per hour per account |
| DirectAdmin | 1,000 messages per day per account |
| Webuzo and Windows (Plesk) | Ask support for your account's limit |
Each recipient counts as one message. If you hit the limit on a normal day without sending a newsletter, treat it as a warning: a stolen mailbox password or an abused contact form may be sending spam. See how to investigate email spam abuse. Newsletters and bulk mail belong on a dedicated email delivery service; see email delivery services compared.
4. The sending IP and reverse DNS
On Domain India shared hosting, your mail leaves through the server's shared IP address. You can't change that IP, its reverse DNS (PTR) or the server's name, and support cannot move a shared hosting account to a different IP. If a bounce blames the IP, open a ticket with the full bounce; support can see the server's reputation and queue, which you can't.
If you run your own mail server on a VPS, the PTR record and IP reputation are yours to manage. Ask support about reverse DNS for your VPS before you start sending.
If only one provider rejects you while everyone else receives your mail, check your records as in section 2, then ask the recipient's IT team why the message was stopped. They will need the full bounce.
- Priced per mailbox - start with one
- Email at your own domain ([email protected])
- Add and remove mailboxes yourself
- Webmail with calendar, contacts and tasks
Prices on the cards exclude 18% GST.
Why do my emails from my domain address bounce?
The bounce message says why. A 5.7.x code usually means SPF, DKIM or DMARC failed or the sending IP is on a blocklist, 5.1.1 means the recipient address does not exist, and a 4xx code means a temporary refusal that the server retries on its own.
What SPF record should I use on Domain India cPanel hosting?
Use the value shown in cPanel under Email, then Email Deliverability, which is correct for your server. Publish only one SPF record per domain and add an include for any other service that sends mail as your domain.
Can Domain India give my shared hosting account a different IP address for email?
No. Shared hosting accounts send through the server's shared IP, and support cannot change it. If a bounce blames that IP, open a ticket with the full bounce message and support will investigate.
How many emails can I send from shared hosting?
200 messages per hour per account on cPanel and 1,000 per day on DirectAdmin. Each recipient counts as one message. For Webuzo and Windows hosting, ask support.
How long do new SPF or DKIM records take to work?
Receivers see a new or changed record once the previous record's TTL has expired, which is usually minutes to a few hours. Test again after that rather than changing the record repeatedly.
Ready to fix it? Start with Troubleshooting email that won't send, check your records in Email Deliverability, and if a bounce still blames the server, open a support ticket with the full bounce message. Support is on 24/7 live chat, and tickets get a first response within 15 minutes.
Send us the full bounce message, the recipient's domain and the time you sent it, and we will check the server side for you.
Open a support ticket