Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Troubleshooting Common Email Provider Issues

Resolve Image, Delivery, and Display Issues Across Common Email Providers

Email is a vital communication tool, but it's not uncommon for contacts,  or you,  to run into issues like images not loading, messages landing in spam, or emails looking different across providers. This article walks through the most common causes and how to resolve them.

Click on the links below to quickly navigate to a section in this article:


Why Images Aren’t Loading

Why it happens:

  • Blocked image settings: Email providers often block images from loading automatically as a spam/malware precaution.
  • Outdated browser or cache: Outdated browsers or a full cache/cookies can also prevent images from displaying correctly.

What to do:

  • Check that the recipient's email settings allow images from trusted senders to load automatically.
  • Keep browsers updated and clear cache/cookies regularly.

Why Images Appear Disoriented in Outlook

Why it happens:

  • Ignored Exif data: Outlook can ignore Exif data (the metadata mobile devices use for image orientation), causing images to appear flipped or rotated.

What to do:

  • Reprocess the image in an image editor and re-save it before attaching it to your email — this corrects the orientation regardless of the recipient's email client.


Why Outlook Displays Your Sending Subdomain Differently

Why it happens:

  • Strict authentication display: Outlook applies stricter, more particular formatting rules than other providers (like Gmail) when displaying a sender's address — especially for verified subdomains (e.g., fmgemail.yourdomain.com). This can make a fully verified sending domain appear unusual in the "From" line, even though nothing is wrong.

What to do:

  • No action needed. If your domain shows as "Authenticated" in your FMG Settings, your subdomain is set up correctly. This is expected behavior related to how Outlook renders subdomains, not a sign of a deliverability or verification issue.

  • For more on domain verification, see SPF Verification for Email Delivery.

Why Emails Are Sorted into Promotions

Why it happens:

  • Sorting algorithms: Email providers use algorithms to sort messages by type, often categorizing promotional content separately from personal email.

What to do:

  • Landing in Promotions still means the email reached the inbox, just not the Primary tab. Encourage recipients to star or mark the message as important, or drag it into Primary and confirm "always move messages from this sender."


Why Test Emails to Your Own Address May Fail or Look Unusual

Why it happens:

  • Self-sending rules: Many email providers apply special handling to messages that appear to be sent "to yourself" — especially when the sending and receiving addresses share a domain (e.g., sending from fmgemail.yourdomain.com to yourdomain.com). These rules can cause the message to fail outright or be flagged as spam.

  • Bypassed authentication checks: Messages treated as "internal" may bypass standard SPF checks. As a result, the sender address may not appear verified in the message headers, even though it's fully verified in FMG.

What to do:

  • Send test emails to an address on a different domain (e.g., a personal Gmail account) rather than one on your own sending domain. There's no way to turn this handling off, so routing test sends through a separate domain is the reliable workaround, and it gives you an accurate picture of how your message will look to real contacts.


Why Attachments Won’t Open

Why it happens:

  • File type compatibility: The file type may not be supported by the recipient's device or email client.

  • Corrupted download: The attachment may become corrupted if the download is interrupted (e.g., a lost connection or closed browser mid-download) or if the file was compressed or converted in a way that isn't supported by the recipient's device.

What to do:

  • Confirm the file type is supported by the recipient's device/client.

  • Re-download the attachment, or ask the sender to resend it if corruption is suspected.


Understanding these common email issues enables you to assist your email contacts and clients more effectively. Encourage regular software updates, checking email settings, and being mindful of spam-triggering content. For ongoing problems, professional support or consultation with their email provider may be needed.

📚 For more on email delivery and optimization, check out: Email Deliverability.

If you need further assistance, ring us at (858) 251-2420; our team is happy to help!