# Sending a test email Source: https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/send-a-test-email/ Updated: 2026-10-19 · By Duane Garner Use Tools → Email Test to check your mailer works, and learn what the success screen, domain check and failure banner tell you. The test email is the quickest way to prove that CRM-NG SMTP can send through your mail service. This article covers the test form, the three kinds of result, and what to do next. It is for anyone who has just set up or changed a mailer. ## Send the test 1. Open the test page Go to **CRM-NG SMTP → Tools → Email Test**. 2. Fill in Send To Enter the address the test should go to. The plugin remembers the last address you used. 3. Choose the format Leave **HTML** on to send a formatted email, or turn it off to send plain text. Most WordPress email is HTML, so test that first. 4. Send it Click **Send Email**. > **Tip:** Send the test to a mailbox on a **different provider** from your sending domain. A Gmail or Outlook.com address shows you what real visitors will see, including spam placement. If you see *"Test failed. Please use a valid email address and try to resend the test email."*, the address in **Send To** was not valid. Check for typos and spaces. If you see *"You cannot send an email. Mailer is not properly configured. Please check your settings."*, a required field for your mailer is empty. Go back to **CRM-NG SMTP → Settings → General** and complete it. ## Result 1: Success You see: > **Note:** Test email sent successfully! Check your inbox to confirm delivery. This means your mail service **accepted** the message. It does not yet prove the message reached the inbox. Below the banner, a **Deliverability and domain authentication** panel explains why: - It shows the **From domain:** the plugin checked. - It looks up your domain's DNS and reports whether an SPF record, a DKIM record (for the `google` selector, used by Google Workspace) and a DMARC record were found. - If you send from a Gmail or Googlemail address, it tells you that Google controls those records and you cannot add any. A record being present does not prove that a particular message passed. Open the test email in your mailbox and check its headers. In Gmail, open the message, choose **Show original**, and confirm SPF, DKIM and DMARC each say PASS. See [Verifying your DNS records](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/verify-dns-records/). ## Result 2: Sent, but the domain check found problems You see: > **Note:** The test email might have sent, but its deliverability should be improved. The message was handed to your mail service, but a quick DNS check of your From Email's domain found something missing. A **Domain Check Results** list follows. Typical lines: - *"No SPF record was found for …"* — add an SPF record. - *"The SPF record does not appear to include …, which your selected mailer normally needs."* — your SPF record exists but does not mention your mail service. Add the include the service gives you. - *"No DMARC record was found."* — publish one once SPF and DKIM pass. The check runs from your own server, using normal DNS lookups. It looks at SPF and DMARC only; it does not check DKIM. Fix the records as described in [Adding DNS records](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/dns-records/), wait for them to spread, then click **Send Another Test Email**. For the hand-over from another mail plugin, this result still counts as a successful test, because the message was delivered to your mail service. ## Result 3: The test failed If the mail service refused the message, a red banner appears at the top of the plugin screens. It reads something like *"Heads up! The last test email your site attempted to send via … was unsuccessful"*, followed by a short explanation of the likely cause and these controls: - **View Error Log** — shows the exact error text from the mail service. **Copy error log** copies it to the clipboard. - **Open Troubleshoot Guide** — opens the help article for that error. Unknown errors open [Troubleshooting email delivery](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/troubleshooting/). - **Send Test Email** — returns to the test page once you have fixed the cause. The failure is also recorded in **CRM-NG SMTP → Tools → Debug Events**. See [Debugging sending issues](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/debugging-sending-issues/). ## Testing while another plugin is sending If CRM-NG SMTP is in standby because another mail plugin still sends your email, the test still goes through **CRM-NG SMTP's own settings**, never the other plugin's and never the backup transport. That is how the plugin proves it is ready. After a successful test, the **Make CRM-NG SMTP send my email** button appears for 24 hours, for the exact settings you tested. Change the mailer or its credentials and you need a fresh test. See [Switching from another mail plugin (hand-over)](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/switching-from-another-mail-plugin/). ## Testing from the command line With WP-CLI you can send the same test without the browser: ``` wp crm-ng-smtp test you@example.com wp crm-ng-smtp test you@example.com --plain ``` ## Related - [Verifying your DNS records](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/verify-dns-records/) - [Emails landing in spam](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/emails-landing-in-spam/) - [Debugging sending issues](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/debugging-sending-issues/) - [Troubleshooting email delivery](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/troubleshooting/)