Project context
The setting
WordPress forms needed to deliver enquiries reliably rather than failing silently or being rejected as unauthenticated mail.
Challenge
The problem to solve
The recorded issues included SMTP authentication failures, missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, silent form failures, spam placement, and breaks in the lead flow.
My role and scope
What I was responsible for
I traced the submission and delivery path, configured the site’s SMTP and domain authentication within scope, and tested the forms through to receipt.
Investigation and reasoning
- Tested form submissions and failure behaviour
- Reviewed SMTP authentication and sending configuration
- Checked SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records and the downstream lead path
Approach and implementation
- Configured FluentSMTP for the agreed sending service
- Added or corrected relevant email authentication records
- Resolved form-level failures
- Verified the recorded lead flow after the changes
Technical Scope
Technical Scope & Verification
Factual records of infrastructure troubleshooting, security hardening, and operational scope completed.
The project record documents successful end-to-end delivery checks after configuration. It does not establish a permanent deliverability rate, because mailbox providers and DNS configuration can change.
- Form flow
- Verified
- Authentication
- SPF / DKIM configured
Evidence note
Project configuration and end-to-end form test record. No long-term deliverability report is stored.
Constraints and lessons
What this work made clear
- A successful form submission is not proof that a message reached its destination
- WordPress, SMTP, DNS, and the receiving mailbox all need to be tested together