Not receiving email? Troubleshooting checklist

Emails not arriving in your Host Dada mailbox? Work through this checklist in order. It starts with the quick checks (spam folder, full mailbox, webmail) and then covers DNS, the most common cause after a domain or hosting move.

• Applies to: Essential, WordPress & Business Email hosting
• Time: 5 to 15 minutes
• Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Step 1: Check webmail first

Sign in at webmail.hostdada.uk. Webmail shows exactly what's on the server, so it tells you whether the problem is delivery or your email app.

• The emails are in webmail but not on your phone or computer: the problem is the app. Re-check its incoming settings (imap.hostdada.uk, port 993, SSL/TLS) using Email settings for any device, and make sure it's set up with IMAP rather than POP3.
• The emails aren't in webmail either: carry on below.

Step 2: Look in Spam and your own rules

• Open the Spam folder in webmail. If good mail is there, move it to the Inbox and allow the sender (see Manage spam filtering and junk mail).
• Check you haven't blocked the sender under Junk Mail Filters → Reject by Sender in the Control Panel.
• Check webmail Settings → Filters and any rules in Outlook that might move or delete messages.
• Use the search box in webmail. The email may have been filed in another folder.

Step 3: Is the mailbox full?

A full mailbox bounces new mail. Check the usage bar at the bottom of the folder list in webmail, or the Usage / Quota column in Email Accounts. See Mailbox full: check usage and free up space.

Step 4: Test with an email from outside

Send a test from a different provider, such as a personal Gmail or Outlook.com address, to your Host Dada address.

• It arrives: email is working. The missing emails may be held up at the sender's end, or they're sending to a misspelt address. Ask them to check the address and for any bounce message they received.
• It doesn't arrive, or the sender gets a bounce: go to Step 5.

Step 5: Check your domain's MX record

The MX record tells the internet where to deliver your email. For Host Dada Email it must be:

• If your domain uses the Host Dada nameservers (ns1.kandekore.net to ns4.kandekore.net), this is set automatically. Check nobody has changed it.
• If your DNS is elsewhere (your registrar, Cloudflare, or a previous host), log in there and make sure this is the only MX record. Remove MX records left over from your old provider or from Microsoft 365.
• You can check your current MX record with a free online "MX lookup" tool.
• DNS changes usually take effect within an hour, but can take up to 24 hours. See How long do DNS changes take?

Step 6: Check forwarders and new addresses

• Just created the mailbox or forwarder? Allow up to 30 minutes for it to start receiving.
• Mail for a forwarded address goes to the destination address, not into a Host Dada mailbox. Check the destination's spam folder. See Forward email to another address.
• Check the address doesn't have a Reject all email or Ignore all email forwarder in Email Forwarders, and that the mailbox hasn't been switched off with Disable Mailbox.

Step 7: Look at the mail logs

The account owner can see what happened to incoming mail in the Control Panel: open your package and go to Logs & Stats → Mail Logs. Choose the mailbox, click Incoming Mail and pick a time range (for example Last 24 Hours). The Delivery Status column shows Delivered or Bounced for each message. If the sender's email isn't listed at all, it never reached our servers, so the sender should check their bounce message.

Common bounce messages your senders might see

Last reviewed: October 2026