When sending broadcast emails, FunnelKit Automations detects and acts upon multiple consecutive failures to ensure optimal deliverability and protect your domain’s sending reputation.
Why Was My Broadcast Sent to Only a Few Contacts?
If your broadcast email was sent to only a few contacts and then stopped, it's likely because 10 emails in a row failed to send.
When this happens, FunnelKit Automations shows the following error:
Note: Broadcast has been paused because 10 consecutive emails failed to send through your email service provider. The error message received from the provider is: ERROR REASON.
Please check the email logs, verify your SMTP plugin and email service configuration, and resolve any connection or authentication issues. Once resolved, you can resume the broadcast.
At this point, FunnelKit Automations will automatically pause the broadcast to prevent further deliverability issues.
That’s why only a few emails were successfully sent before the broadcast stopped, and the remaining contacts didn’t receive the email because the system paused further sending.
Common Causes of Broadcast Failures
Here are the most frequent reasons why email delivery fails:
1. SMTP Authentication Problems
- Incorrect SMTP credentials (username/password)
- Two-factor authentication blocking access
- Wrong SMTP host or port settings
- Expired or revoked API key (for services like SendGrid, Brevo, etc.)
2. Domain or DNS Configuration Issues
- Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records
- Domain reputation issues or blacklisting
- DNS propagation delays after domain changes
3. Rate Limiting by Email Provider
- Sending too many emails in a short time window
- Exceeding the daily/hourly send limits of your email provider
- Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo-specific throttling policies
4. Suppressed or Bounced Contacts
- Contacts that previously hard bounced got added to the suppression list
- Bounce tracking and handling are not enabled
🛠 Quick Diagnostic Tools
Use these tools to detect the issue quickly:
- Send a test email from your SMTP plugin
- SMTP Connection Tester to confirm integration
- Email or domain health checker (e.g., mxtoolbox.com, mail-tester.com)
Actionable Steps to Fix the Issue
Follow these steps to diagnose and resolve the broadcast failure:
Step 1: Verify your SMTP setup
- Go to your SMTP plugin (example, WP Mail SMTP)
- Reconnect or reauthorize your email service
- Send a test email to confirm successful delivery
Step 2: Check domain settings
- Validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records using tools like Mxtoolbox
- Ensure your domain is not blacklisted or flagged for spam
- Make sure you’ve set up effective bounce handling for your email service providers
Once done, you can resume your broadcast email.
Resuming the Email Broadcast
Once you’ve fixed the issue, click the Resume Broadcast from the Action button.
Will the Previously Failed Emails Be Retried?
Yes, FunnelKit Automations automatically retries sending the emails that initially failed after resuming the broadcast.
- These emails will re-enter the queue
- Status will be updated once delivery is attempted again
- If they send successfully, they will be marked as “Sent”.
If they still fail, the system will log those errors for your review.
This is how FunnelKit Automations handles consecutive email errors or failures when sending broadcasts.
