Frequently asked questions
How the tests work, what the results mean, what the plugin can and can't do, and how plans and billing work.
How testing works
What does a test actually do?
We send a signed request to the plugin on your site. The plugin sends a short test email with WordPress's own wp_mail(), through the site's normal mail setup, to our test inbox. When the test email arrives we check delivery, delivery time, spam placement, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and the plugin tells us how long WordPress took to send it.
Does it work with my SMTP plugin or email service?
Yes. Because the test is sent with wp_mail(), it goes through whatever the site already uses, whether that's the server's own mail or an SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP, FluentSMTP or Post SMTP. That's the point: we test the same route your real emails take.
How often are sites tested?
The Free plan tests 1 site weekly. The Freelancer plan tests sites daily or weekly. The Agency plan tests sites daily or weekly, and can also test every 12, 8 or 4 hours for critical sites such as ecommerce or membership sites. You choose the hour checks run in your time zone, and you can run a manual test any time: 3 manual tests a week on the Free plan, 10 manual tests a day per site on the Freelancer and Agency plans.
Why does sending speed matter if the email arrives?
WordPress sends email while the visitor waits for the page. If the mail server takes 6 seconds to respond, every contact form, checkout and password reset takes at least that long. It's often caused by a slow SMTP server or a connection that times out before a working one is tried, and it's easy to miss without measuring it.
Will test emails show in the site's mail log, or count towards sending limits?
Yes. Each test is an ordinary email sent through the site's own mail setup, so it appears in an SMTP plugin's email log and counts towards any sending limit. It's only a few emails: one a week on the Free plan, one a day on the Freelancer plan, and up to six a day if you choose the Agency plan's fastest 4-hour schedule, plus any manual tests you run yourself. Each one has a subject starting "[Email Send Check]", so they're easy to spot.
What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and why do they matter?
They're DNS records that tell mailbox providers which servers may send for your domain (SPF), let them check an email wasn't altered (DKIM), and say what to do with email that fails those checks (DMARC). Mailbox providers such as Gmail and Outlook check them, and email that fails is much more likely to go to spam or be rejected. If a test finds a problem, the report says which record to look at.
Results and alerts
What's the difference between a warning and a fail?
A fail means the email didn't arrive, was marked as spam, or failed a check in a way that will stop email being delivered, such as DMARC with a reject policy. Test emails never have attachments, so one that arrives with a file a virus scanner flags fails too: something on the site is changing its outgoing emails, which can mean it's been compromised.
A warning means the email got through but something should be fixed, such as slow delivery, a missing DMARC record or a slow send. Fails send an alert, straight away or in the daily summary if you've chosen one for that site. Warnings don't, because many last for weeks or come and go. Instead, each new warning is listed once, in the daily summary on the Agency plan, or a weekly email on the Free and Freelancer plans, and shown on your dashboard and in each test report.
What if your test inbox has a problem?
We send a test email to our own inbox every five minutes, so we know quickly if it stops receiving. Any of your tests whose email was due during that time are marked "Not judged" instead of failed, so you don't get false alerts. If the email turns up later, the test is updated to show it was delivered. If not, the next scheduled test checks again.
How long do you keep test results?
Test results are kept for 90 days. Each site's latest result is always kept, so your dashboard never goes blank.
Setup and compatibility
What does my site need to run the plugin?
A WordPress site where you can install plugins, running WordPress 5.8 or later and PHP 7.4 or later. It works with any permalink setting, including Plain. Tests reach the site through the WordPress REST API, so if a firewall or security plugin blocks our requests, you'll need to allow them. The test report tells you if this happens and what to do.
Will the plugin slow the site down?
No. The plugin doesn't load anything on the site's pages. It only adds a small REST API endpoint, and its own settings screen under Tools. A test runs only when we ask for one, and sends a single short email.
I've taken on a site from another agency. How do I switch it to my account?
A site can only be connected to one account at a time, so it needs disconnecting from the other agency's first. On the client site, in WordPress, go to Tools > Email Send Check and click Reset connection. That opens a new 4-hour connection window: add the site to your account within that time and it connects automatically. Uninstalling and reinstalling the plugin does the same.
Security and privacy
Will clients or site visitors see the test emails?
No. Test emails can only go to our test inbox, and the plugin won't send to any other address: the allowed inbox is set in its code. Each one is short and fixed: the site's name and address, a test ID and the time it was sent, with nothing about the site's customers, users or content.
Is the plugin safe to install on client sites?
Yes. The plugin only responds to requests signed by us: it adds one REST API endpoint, and anything unsigned or altered is rejected. All it can do is connect the site to your account, then send test emails to our inbox and report how they were sent: the type of mailer, which mail plugins are active and any error.
It can't change the site's settings, access its content or send email to any other address. Tests are rate limited on the site itself, and the plugin makes no outbound requests apart from the test emails.
Do you need my SMTP password or a WordPress login?
No. You install the plugin on the site and add its address to your account, and the site connects itself. We never ask for mail passwords, API keys or a WordPress login.
Plans and billing
How much does it cost?
The Free plan checks 1 site at no cost. The Freelancer plan is billed yearly, from $20 a year for 5 sites. The Agency plan is billed monthly or yearly, from $10 a month for 25 sites, and paying yearly gets 2 months free. All prices are in US dollars. There's no minimum term.
How does the free trial work?
The Freelancer and Agency plans both have a 14-day free trial with no card needed. A Freelancer trial covers 5 sites and an Agency trial covers 25 sites. We'll email you a reminder before your trial ends. If you haven't chosen a paid plan by then, you move to the Free plan: 1 site is checked weekly, any others are paused, and your sites and settings are all kept, ready for when you choose a plan. There's one free trial per account, for Freelancer or Agency.
Can I subscribe before my trial ends?
Yes, any time, from Billing > Change plan. Your paid plan starts straight away, in place of the rest of your trial, and your site limit goes up to the size you choose. If you'd rather use the whole trial first, you can subscribe any time before it ends.
Can I change plan or cancel?
Yes, any time from Billing > Change plan. An upgrade, to more sites or from monthly to yearly, applies straight away: the checkout page shows what you'll pay before you confirm, with credit for the unused part of your current plan.
A downgrade or cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you've paid for, and you keep your current plan until then. If you then have more sites than your new plan allows, the extra sites are paused, not deleted. Connected sites are kept running first, then the oldest, and you can change which are checked on the Email Checks page.
What happens when I reach my site limit?
You can't add any more sites until you upgrade your plan or delete an existing site. Every site you've added counts, including any paused ones. You're never charged extra for going over.
How do I pay?
By debit or credit card. Payments are handled securely by Stripe: your card number goes straight to them and never reaches us. We only see the card type and last four digits, so you can tell which card is on file.
How do I update my card?
Go to Billing > Payment method and choose Update card. Your next payment will use the new card.
What happens if a payment fails?
We'll email you to let you know, with the date we'll try again. Your plan carries on while the payment is retried, so you have time to update your card at Billing > Payment method. If the payment still can't be taken, your plan ends and you move to the Free plan: 1 site is checked weekly, any others are paused, and your sites and settings are all kept, ready for when you choose a plan.
Will you remind me before my plan renews?
If you pay yearly, yes. We'll email you 30 days before your plan renews, with the date and the amount, so you have time to change or cancel. Monthly plans renew automatically without a reminder, and you can see the next renewal date at Billing > Your plan.
Where can I find my invoices?
We email you an invoice as a PDF after each payment, and you can also download all of them from Billing > Invoices.
Do prices include tax?
No. Prices are shown without tax. Any local tax that applies is worked out from your billing address, shown at checkout before you pay, and shown on your invoices. Businesses can add a VAT or tax number at checkout or on the Billing details page, so it appears on invoices.