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Emails

Why aren't customers receiving emails?

Updated February 12, 2026

If a customer reports they didn’t receive their subscription, drip, or access email, there are a few common causes. In most cases, this can be resolved quickly by checking the steps below.

1. Confirm the Email Was Sent

Go to:

Content Vault → Customers → Click the customer

Check the subscription activity panel:

  • Was the content sent?
  • What date/time was it sent?
  • Does it show as opened?

Customer Sent emails table listing subjects, send times and clicked or opened status

If the email shows as sent but not opened, the issue is likely on the customer’s email provider side (spam, filtering, etc.).

If it does not show as sent, continue below.

2. Ask the Customer to Check Spam / Promotions

Have the customer check:

  • Spam / Junk folder
  • Gmail Promotions tab
  • Gmail Updates tab

They can also search for your store name or the subject line of the email.

Spam filtering is the most common reason emails appear “missing.”

3. Verify the Customer’s Email Address

Double-check the email address on:

  • The Shopify order
  • The customer record in Content Vault → Customers

A typo in the email address will prevent delivery.

Customer subscription detail page with the Customer name and email address card highlighted

4. (Optional) Review Custom Email Sender Settings

By default, Content Vault sends emails using our secure system.

However, if you configured a custom email sender (to send emails from your own domain), incorrect DNS setup can prevent emails from being delivered.

Go to:

Content Vault → Settings → Custom Email Settings

Check:

  • The email address is entered correctly
  • Your domain is verified
  • SPF and DKIM records are properly configured

Custom email settings showing Active status and the verified sender address to review

If you’re unsure how to configure this, follow our full step-by-step guide here:

👉 How to Set Up a Custom Email Sender

If you are not using a custom sender, you can safely skip this step.

5. Check Subscription Status

If a customer:

  • Canceled their subscription
  • Paused their subscription
  • Had a failed payment

They will not receive future drips or renewal emails.

Check the subscription status inside:

Content Vault → Customers → Subscription

Customers table with the Status column highlighted showing Active, Cancelled and Paused badges

6. Review Drip Settings (For Drip Subscriptions)

If using a Drip Subscription, verify:

  • The drip schedule is configured correctly
  • “Release first drip immediately” is enabled (if expected)
  • The correct tier is selected (if using tiers)
  • The billing frequency aligns with the drip timing

Drip schedule settings with frequency options and Release first drip immediately enabled

Incorrect drip timing is a common cause of confusion.

7. Customer Account Page Not Loading

If customers see errors like:

  • “Safari can’t open the page”
  • “Server cannot be found”

This usually indicates a DNS or domain configuration issue.

Confirm:

  • Customer accounts are enabled in Shopify
  • The customer account URL loads properly
  • Domain DNS settings are correct

If needed, contact Shopify Support to verify domain configuration.

8. Resend the Content Manually

You can resend content from:

Content Vault → Customers → Select Customer → Resend

Customer detail page Sent emails table with the resend links column highlighted

Most Common Causes

In most cases, email delivery issues are due to:

  • Spam filtering
  • Incorrect email address
  • Custom sender DNS misconfiguration
  • Subscription not active
  • Drip schedule timing misalignment

System-wide delivery failures are extremely rare.

Still Having Trouble?

If the issue persists, contact support with:

  • Customer email address
  • Subscription name
  • Approximate send date
  • Screenshot (if available)

This will help us investigate quickly.