📝 Overview
This article explains how to review email communication statuses, identify potential email delivery issues, and complete required setup steps to improve email deliverability. It also outlines case-by-case troubleshooting steps and additional recommendations if issues persist.
💡 As text messaging continues to become the norm, SMS communications offer a more convenient experience for clients while improving overall deliverability. Click the button below to learn about our SMS add-on.
🔍 Understanding Email Communication Statuses
Email communication statuses appear to the right of emailed communications in a clients Communications tab, under View Communications. Reviewing these statuses is the first step in determining whether there is a delivery issue.
Email Status Definitions
Sent – The email was sent successfully.
Opened – The recipient opened the email.
Clicked – A link in the email was clicked after the email was opened.
Failed – The email was not delivered.
Blank – The communication is not an email-type message or was not sent.
⚠️ The two statuses that may indicate an issue are Failed and Blank.
🛠️ Required Setup Checks
Ensure the following items are configured correctly before moving on to individual message troubleshooting.
Verify the Clinic Email Address
Confirm that your clinic email address is verified through Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Click into Settings
Select Edit Profile in the top-left corner (make sure your correct email address is in the Email field
Click Save Changes
If verification is required, you will receive a task within approximately 30 seconds prompting you to check your clinic email inbox. Look for an email from Amazon Web Services containing a long hyperlink.
Click the hyperlink to complete verification.
When you see “Congratulations!”, the email address has been successfully verified.
If no email is received, the address is already verified.
💡 Email verification is case-sensitive. For example, [email protected] is not the same as [email protected]. If you update capitalization in your email address, you must re-verify the address and add new DKIM keys.
🔑 DKIM Setup (Custom Domains)
If your clinic email uses a custom domain (for example, @myvetclinic.com), DKIM must be configured.
Contact Support to request DKIM setup for your web domain.
Before contacting support, ensure you have access to your website hosting provider (for example, GoDaddy).
⚠️ Without DKIM configured, email delivery issues may continue for custom domains.
🌐 Email Domain Considerations
Using certain public email domains may result in deliverability issues. These include:
yahoo.com
aol.com
hotmail.com
gmail.com - While Gmail was historically more reliable, recent increases in security requirements have made email delivery more restrictive to non-verified accounts
💡 Use an email address associated with your clinic’s own domain whenever possible.
🔨 Case-by-Case Troubleshooting
After completing the required setup checks above, review email delivery on an individual basis.
Check Client Communication History
Open the Communications tab within the client profile.
Review the statuses of outbound email messages.
💡 Please Note If every outbound message shows a Failed status, this often indicates that the client’s email address is invalid.
Validate the Client Email Address
If an email address appears invalid:
Copy and paste the email address into this external validation tool: Click Here (https://verifalia.com/validate-email)
This helps confirm whether the address can receive emails.
🚀 Next Steps
If you have completed all setup checks and individual troubleshooting steps and are still experiencing issues:
Review additional recommendations to improve email deliverability.
Contact Support for further troubleshooting assistance if problems persist.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.
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Click the arrow to view frequently asked questions
Why do some communications show a blank status?
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Click the arrow to see the answer
A blank status indicates the communication is not an email-type message or was not sent.
What does a “Failed” status usually mean?
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Click the arrow to see the answer
A failed status typically means the email was not delivered. Common causes include invalid email addresses, unverified clinic emails, missing DKIM configuration, or restricted email domains.
How long does email verification take?
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Verification typically completes within a few minutes. After saving your email address, check your inbox for a message from Amazon Web Services and click the verification link. If no email arrives, the address is likely already verified.
What should I do if I don’t receive the Amazon Web Services verification email?
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First, check your spam or junk folders. If the email is not there, confirm the exact capitalization of the email address on file, as verification is case-sensitive. Saving the address again can re-trigger the verification task if needed.
Why do public email domains cause deliverability issues?
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Some public domains apply stricter filtering rules that can block automated or system-generated messages. Using an email address tied to your clinic’s own domain helps improve reliability and delivery rates.
Can SMS be used instead of email for client communications?
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Click the arrow to see the answer
Yes. As text messaging has become the preferred communication method for many clients, SMS often provides greater convenience and more consistent deliverability compared to email.