[Resolved] CRED Post Form Emails Not Sending

[Author]

Posts

[julieP]

I'm re-opening this because I lost sight of the fact that emails are sent when I use forms created by OTHER plugins. Is it possible that CRED performs some sort of checks that other plugins don't and that these would stop notifications being sent?

I'm about to carry out another test. I've added you to receive the notification and the subject line is Ticket #1198182. If you receive the email, would you kindly send a note by email to the address provided in that email? If you don't receive the notification within say an hour, please confirm no receipt here please?

Thank you.

[Luo Yang]

Q1) Is it possible that CRED performs some sort of checks that other plugins don't and that these would stop notifications being sent?
No, Toolset form plugin does not have such kind of feature. As I mentioned above, it is using wordpress built-in function wp_mail() to send the email, so if other plugins/theme is using wp_mail filters to change the emails, then it will take effect on the email notifications of Toolset form plugin.
https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Filter_Reference/wp_mail

Q2) If you receive the email, would you kindly send a note by email to the address provided in that email? If you don't receive the notification within say an hour, please confirm no receipt here please?

Yes, I got the email within an hour, and replied.

[julieP]

so if other plugins/theme is using wp_mail filters to change the emails, then it will take effect on the email notifications of Toolset form plugin.
https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Filter_Reference/wp_mail

The page you've linked to doesn't say anything to back up your statement. What do you mean by "change the emails"??

I will be responding more comprehensively again later; I am in the process of (yet more) testing. In the meantime, please confirm if Toolset uses nonces when CRED forms are submitted.

Thank you

[Luo Yang]

I have to ask the same questions again:
have you already asked your friends to test above form? Can you see the emails?
Have you tried it in another web host?
Can you confirm it?

The filter hook "wp_mail" is just an example, that filter hook can change the email to anything else, it can change the email recipient($args['to']) to someone else or set the recipient to empty, then you will not be able to get the email.

For the new question:
please confirm if Toolset uses nonces when CRED forms are submitted.

Yes, there is a nonces field when you are using AJAX submitting feature in Toolset form, but as you can see, there isn't AJAX submitting in this form of your website:
hidden link

So I don't think it is a nonce problem.

[julieP]

I have to ask the same questions again:
have you already asked your friends to test above form? Can you see the emails?
Have you tried it in another web host?
Can you confirm it?

I've already said I will be responding more comprehensively later so please wait

The filter hook "wp_mail" is just an example, that filter hook can change the email to anything else, it can change the email recipient($args['to']) to someone else or set the recipient to empty, then you will not be able to get the email.

Are you suggesting that OTHER plugins I use are (or might be) changing email addresses associated with posts created by CRED form submission??

[Luo Yang]

Yes, it is possible, since Toolset form is also using wp_mail function to send the emails, OTHER plugins might change email addresses associated with posts created by CRED form submission with filter hook wp_mail, and it is only a possibility.

[julieP]

have you already asked your friends to test above form?

Yes the form has been submitted by someone else in a completely different part of the country. The emails weren't sent by CRED.

Have you tried it in another web host?

I'm not using a poor quality web host and I have no intention of incurring additional costs or disrupting my website by moving it to another host when you are ignoring the facts and I'm actually very happy with my web host who has provided me with nothing but sterling service & support.

Can you see the emails?

Why are you even asking this question? I keep telling you that the problem is CRED isn't sending the notifications so there are no emails to see!!! I'm beginning to think you haven't grasped the issue here. If you don't understand it, please pass it on to someone else who can.

Whatever you do, please enable a private field where I can provide a link to Google drive for you (or whoever) to download a video which demonstrates what happens when Toolset forms are submitted and shows that this issue does not exist when using other form plugins.

Please also edit this thread https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198368 in this ticket to remove the username you've quoted; I believe this contravenes Toolset's policy regarding the publication of personal information in the forum and very probably constitutes a breach where GDPR is concerned.

[Luo Yang]

Thanks for the confirmation, I think there are some misunderstandings.

1) I have tested the email notifications in your website, there isn't the same problem when I submit the form:
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198332
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198383

As you can see, I can get the emails without any problem, so I suspect there are compatibility/server issues in your website.

2) I just setup a test site with same Toolset form using Email notification settings here:
hidden link
username/password: xgren/111111

I tested it just now, I can get the emails without any problem.

The post form is here:
hidden link

You can change the recipient email to your own google email address, and test above form in front-end, check if you can get the emails. if you can also get the emails, then there should be some compatibility/server issues in your website.

If you still can not get the emails, you need to test with another new gmail address.

As your request, I have edited my post, and remove the username.
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198368

Also please let me know if you still need assistance from other supporters.

[julieP]

Please enable the private field I requested.

I am preparing a more comprehensive response which will take a little time to prepare.

[Luo Yang]

OK, as you request, I have enabled the private message box.

[julieP]

I can do your test but this still doesn't show the whole picture. If I submit your form and don't receive an email, the exercise will only demonstrate that I haven't received an email. It won't demonstrate that CRED prepared the data and submitted it for emailing which is the part of the process that isn't working.

Why are you (still) focusing entirely on RECEIPT of emails when the issue is with the SENDING?

I'm reiterating the issue here for clarity:-
CRED notifications used to work until Version 2.1.2 was released. I'm currently using Types 3.2.4, CRED/Forms 2.2.1.2, Access 2.6.1 and Views 2.7.2.
When a CRED form with no post expiry is submitted on the frontend, CRED's handling of notifications is erratic; in the vast majority of cases, the email notifications are NOT SENT but now and then one is
When a CRED form with post expiry is submitted, the email notifications ARE SENT.

You're blaming a number of elements including the host server, my email addresses and other plugins but the evidence shows that these are not to blame:-
Other Plugins
On my live site, the only plugin that generates emails is Wordfence. I contacted Wordfence about their use of wp_mail and whether their plugin might interfere with the functioning of a contact form plugin and they said No (see uploaded screenshot of ticket response).
On my test site (used for the video), only Classic Editor, Easy WP SMTP, WP Control (to manually trigger CRED post expiry), Toolset Access, Forms, Types & Views were installed & activated when testing the CRED forms. I also used Formidable Forms and Ninja Forms but these were deleted from the install before submitting the CRED forms. So, the only plugin using wp_mail was CRED.
CRED forms with post expiry send notifications.
Conclusion: other plugins cannot be affecting CRED

My Email Addresses
I have used hotmail addresses, other domain addresses, gmail addresses (both personal and gsuite) and gmail aliases (it's highly unlikely there's an issue with ALL of them)
Notifications from forms created using Formidable Forms and Ninja forms are all sent and the emails received.
Notifications from CRED forms set to expire are all sent and the emails received.
Notifications from CRED forms without post expiry do not send and emails are therefore not received

Conclusion: there is not a problem with my email addresses

Host Server Environment

Toolset requirements are:-

• WordPress 3.4–5.0.3
• PHP 5.3 and above including PHP 7
• MySQL 5.6 and above
• 128MB RAM
• The eval() PHP function must be enabled
• Multibyte String extension (mbstring) must be enabled

My webhost's server environment meets all these criteria (supporting screenshot images can be downloaded via the link in the private field)
Notifications from forms created using Formidable Forms and Ninja forms are all sent and the emails received.
Notifications from CRED forms set to expire are all sent and the emails received.
Notifications from CRED forms without post expiry do not send and emails are therefore not received

Conclusion: there is not a problem with my host server environment

Other Email Factors

When producing the video (which can be downloaded via the link in the private field), I set the Email Routing to 'Local Mail Exchanger', set one of the notifications to send to an email account created in cPanel and provided a gsuite alias email address when submitting the forms
This set up rules out any potential issues with external delivery or SMTP transaction issues.

Conclusion: if a plugin using wp_mail can't send data to a locally hosted email account, there is a problem with that plugin

Video Evidence

In the test submissions I ran to produce the video, the same local email account address is used form one of the notifications and the same gsuite alias email address is used each time when submitting on the frontend. The message submitted echoes the form used and the date & date as evidenced by a custom shortcode.
The video sequences are as follows:-

• General

• show default 2017 theme activated
• show custom shortcode in theme's functions file used on forms to display the date & time the form is submitted
• show Email Routing set to local in cpanel
• show email account in cPanel
• show Easy WP SMTP plugin settings (using locally hosted email account)
• add 'From Name' as Formidable Forms
• show plugins in wp-admin (ACTIVATED: Easy WP SMTP, WP Control, Classic Editor, DEACTIVATED: Formidable Forms, Ninja Forms, Toolset Access, Forms, Views & Types)

Formidable Forms

• activate Formidable Forms
• show fields used in Formidable form and the 2 email notifications
• show page created in wp-admin with Formidable form shortcode & custom shortcode
• show submission of Formidable Form on frontend
• show Formidable form post created in wp-admin
• show 'Track Delivery' page in cpanel (2 notifications sent)
• show gmail inbox for address provided on form with notification received & content
• show webmail inbox for local account with notification received & content
• change 'From Name' in SMTP settings to Ninja Forms
• deactivate & delete Formidable Forms

Ninja Forms

• activate Ninja Forms
• show fields used in Ninja form and the 2 email notifications
• show page created in wp-admin with Ninja form shortcode & custom shortcode
• show submission of Ninja Form on frontend
• show Ninja form post created in wp-admin
• show 'Track Delivery' page in cpanel (2 notifications sent)
• show gmail inbox for address provided on form with notification received & content
• show webmail inbox for local account with notification received & content
• change 'From Name' in SMTP settings to Toolset Forms (no expiry)
• deactivate & delete Ninja Forms

Toolset Forms - without expiry

• activate Toolset Types, Forms, Access & Views
• show fields used in Toolset form (no expiry) and the 2 email notifications
• show page created in wp-admin with Toolset form shortcode & custom shortcode
• show submission of Toolset Form on frontend
• show Toolset form post created in wp-admin
• show 'Track Delivery' page in cpanel: no notifications sent, page refreshed twice (no notifications sent)
• show page on frontend reiterating there are no entries in the email tracking log after the CRED form is submitted
• show gmail inbox for address provided on form; inbox still shows email generated by Ninja form
• gmail inbox refeshed; no email from CRED
• show page on frontend reiterating no email after the CRED form is submitted (because none was sent per the server log)
• show webmail inbox for local account, refresh page; no email from CRED ((because none was sent per the server log)

Toolset Forms - with expiry

• change 'From Name' in SMTP settings to Toolset Forms (with expiry)
• show fields used in Toolset form (expiry set) and the 2 email notifications
• show page created in wp-admin with Toolset form shortcode & custom shortcode
• change 'From Name' in SMTP settings to Toolset Forms (with expiry)
• show submission of Toolset Form on frontend
• show Toolset form post created in wp-admin
• change expiry time to a few minutes before current time (we need to expire post as quickly as possible for the purpose of the video)
• show WP Control (cron events page), 'Run Now' option for cred expiration activated
• show 'expiring message', refresh page, post has now expired
• show 'Track Delivery' page in cpanel (2 notifications sent)
• show gmail inbox for address provided on form with notification received & content
• show webmail inbox for local account with notification received & content

END OF VIDEO

Conclusion: standard CRED form notifications are NOT SENT, expiring CRED form notifications ARE SENT, your competitors' plugin notifications ARE SENT

If there was anything wrong with anything else on my site, NONE of the forms would work.

Your reluctance to take this on board is frankly worrying. Instead of pointing the finger at everything other than CRED, I suggest you consider your own statement about plugins changing things in CRED and accept that maybe that's what CRED itself is doing.

I have invested 1000's of hours and 3 years of my life building my websites using your product. My livelihood depends on having a working websites so you have a MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to take this matter seriously. I have paid for support from you so you have a CONTRACTUAL RESPONSIBILITY to escalate this matter and get it sorted.

[Luo Yang]

In the conclusion you mentioned above:

Notifications from CRED forms without post expiry do not send and emails are therefore not received

But it is different from what I have seen in your website:

https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198332
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198383

After I submit the Toolset form in your website, I can get the emails in my Gmail box without any problem, and this post form is setup without any post expiry settings.

And I have provided a test site with a Toolset form with email notification settings:
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/page/2/#post-1200775

That form works just fine, there isn't any post expiry settings in that form too.
I suggest you test it, check if you can get the email as me.

Since you can use SMTP settings, I think this is possible to avoid the email problem with some SMTP plugins, I have seen other users use other SMTP plugins, for example:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-wp-smtp/

It works just fine in their websites.

I suggest you provide a test site in your webserver:
- Fresh wordpress installation
- Install the latest version of Toolset plugins

Then fill below private message box with login details + FTP access, I can setup a demo for you. thanks

[julieP]

Since you can use SMTP settings, I think this is possible to avoid the email problem with some SMTP plugins, I have seen other users use other SMTP plugins, for example:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-wp-smtp/

That's the exact plugin I'm using!!!!! And for the record I've used others too.

I've told you the behaviour is erratic.

Have you even looked at the video I sent you? The tests I video'd took place on a fresh install. The evidence is irrefutable; why are you ignoring it? I can't set up a test site for you - I don't need to; I've provided you with video evidence of what happens.

it's time to involve someone else.

[Luo Yang]

Please provide a test site with the same problem, the credentials you provided has been removed by our system:
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/cred-post-form-emails-not-sending/#post-1198182

This private information was removed to protect your privacy.

I will escalate this thread to our 2nd tier supporters, they will need to check it in your website too. thanks