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Gravity Forms notifications going to spam? Here's the fix
Gravity Forms doesn't send email itself. It hands notifications to WordPress, which hands them to your web server, and that's where most spam problems start.
Rather not do this yourself? We find and fix what's sending your email to spam for $199. If there's nothing to fix, you don't pay.
Why notifications go to spam
As Gravity Forms' own staff put it, sending is handled by your web server. By default WordPress sends through the server's basic mail function, from a server that usually isn't listed in your domain's SPF record and can't sign with your domain's DKIM. Gmail and Outlook see email claiming to be from your domain, coming from a server your domain never authorised.
Two settings in the notification itself make it worse:
- A From address on another domain, such as a Gmail address, or worse, the visitor's own address from the form. You can't send as someone else's domain, and filters punish it.
- A From address on a domain other than your website's, with nothing set up to send for it.
How to fix it
1. Fix the From and Reply-To
In each form, open Settings → Notifications and edit the notification:
- From Email: a fixed address on your own domain, such as
website@yourcompany.com. Not a form field. - Reply To: the visitor's email field. You can still hit Reply and answer them.
2. Send through a real email service
Install an SMTP plugin, such as Gravity SMTP from the Gravity Forms team or another well-known SMTP plugin, and connect it to a service that's allowed to send for your domain: your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 account, or a transactional email service. The plugin's From address should match the account you connect.
3. Make sure your domain authorises it
Whatever service you choose needs to be in your domain's single SPF record and have DKIM set up for your domain. Add a DMARC record if you don't have one. Run the free check to see where you stand.
4. Test and check the log
Submit the form yourself to a Gmail address and check Show original: SPF, DKIM and DMARC should all pass. Most SMTP plugins keep an email log, which shows whether a notification was sent and any error from the email service.
Notifications not arriving at all?
Check the notification's Send To address and any conditional logic, and look at the SMTP plugin's log. If there's no entry, the notification didn't fire. If there's an error, it names the problem. More general fixes are in our contact form guide.
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We set up sending for your website, fix SPF, DKIM and DMARC, test your forms' notifications to Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo, and send a short report. $199, and if there's nothing to fix, you don't pay.
Questions
Why are Gravity Forms notifications going to spam?
Usually because WordPress sends them from your web server, which your domain's SPF and DKIM don't cover, and often with a From address the server isn't allowed to use, such as the visitor's own email. Sending through an authenticated SMTP service with a From address on your domain fixes it.
What From address should Gravity Forms use?
A fixed address on your own domain, such as website@yourcompany.com, matching the account your SMTP plugin sends through. Put the visitor's email in the Reply To field instead, so you can still reply to them.
Does Gravity Forms send emails itself?
No. Gravity Forms passes notifications to WordPress, which sends them through your server or whatever SMTP plugin you've set up.
Do I need an SMTP plugin for Gravity Forms?
For reliable delivery, yes. An SMTP plugin, such as Gravity SMTP or another well-known one, sends through a real email service that your domain authorises, instead of your web server's basic mail function.
Related: contact form emails going to spam · WooCommerce emails going to spam · DMARC policy not enabled.