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Emails not arriving in Gmail - quick checks

Updated For Google Workspace

Emails not arriving in Gmail (0:25)

If an email never reaches your Gmail inbox, check Spam, All Mail, your filters and forwarding, your storage, and whether the sender got a bounce.

Checks for staff

Section titled “Checks for staff”

Any staff member can do these checks in their own Gmail.

  1. Search everywhere. In the Gmail search bar, click Advanced search options. Enter the sender in From, change the Search dropdown from All Mail to Mail & Spam & Trash, then click Search. Also open All Mail. If it is in Spam, see Emails going to spam.

    Gmail search options with the sender in From and Search set to Mail & Spam & Trash

  2. Check filters. Click Settings → See all settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses. Edit or delete any filter that archives or deletes the sender’s mail. Deleted by mistake? See recover deleted emails.

    Gmail settings on the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab

  3. Check forwarding. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. If you only see Add a forwarding address, forwarding is off and is not the cause. If a forwarding address is set, make sure the option next to it is Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox.

    Forwarding section on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab

  4. Check storage. When storage is full, messages sent to you go back to the sender. See Google Workspace storage full.

  5. Check the address. Ask the sender to confirm the exact address they used. One wrong letter sends it elsewhere.

  6. Ask about a bounce. If the sender got a “Delivery Status Notification (Failure)” email, ask them to forward it to you.

Checks for admins

Section titled “Checks for admins”

If the staff checks find nothing, a Google Workspace admin can look up the message in the Admin console.

  1. Sign in to https://admin.google.com and go to Menu → Reporting → Email Log Search. You need super admin or the Gmail Settings admin privilege to see this menu.

    Admin console menu with Reporting open and Email Log Search highlighted

  2. Search by date, sender or recipient. The results show whether the message was delivered, marked as spam or deleted. It covers roughly the past 30 days.

    Email Log Search with a date range, sender and recipient filled in

  3. If the email went to a group address, open the group in Google Groups and check Pending under Conversations. Moderation settings can hold messages there. See Group email addresses.

Still stuck

Section titled “Still stuck”

WhatsApp our support team at +60 16-916 3324 with the sender, recipient, time sent and any bounce message.

Common issues

Someone says they sent me an email but I cannot find it. Where do I look?

Search Gmail with Mail & Spam & Trash selected, then check All Mail. A filter may have archived or deleted it.

Gmail search options with the sender in From and Search set to Mail & Spam & TrashSee it in the steps
Why is nobody's email reaching me since yesterday?

Your storage may be full. When it is, messages sent to you go back to the sender. See Google Workspace storage full.

Can my admin see if an email reached our company?

Yes. An admin can use Reporting → Email Log Search in the Admin console to trace messages from the past 30 days.

Admin console menu with Reporting open and Email Log Search highlightedSee it in the steps

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