---
title: Emails are not sending
description: "What to check when a campaign stays on Sending or emails stay Queued: the scheduler, sending method, From address, speed and skipped people."
url: "https://hiveplugins.com/docs/hive-mail-emails-are-not-sending/"
updated: "2026-10-28"
category: Hive Mail
---

# Emails are not sending

A campaign stays on **Sending**, emails stay **Queued**, or rows show **Failed**. Open **Deliverability > Sending Log**, check the tabs **Failed**, **Queued** and **Skipped**, and read the reason under the subject. Then work through the causes below in order.

![The Sending Log on the Failed tab, with the reason under the subject and a Retry button](https://hiveplugins.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hivemail-troubleshoot-sending-log-failed-01.webp)

1. **The scheduler is not running.** This is the most common cause. Emails wait in a queue until a job that should run every minute takes them out.

   - Open **Settings > Scheduler** and click **Run the scheduler now**. If the emails go out, set up a real cron under **Set up a real cron**, then click **Check again**.
   - Details: [A scheduled campaign did not go out](/docs/hive-mail-scheduled-campaign-did-not-go-out/).
2. **No working sending method.** In **Settings > Sending**, if the chosen card says **Testing only**, there is no SMTP plugin and your server sends the mail directly (many hosts block that). Install an SMTP plugin, or choose **Mailgun** or **SendGrid**, save, then use **Send test email**. Afterwards click **Retry all failed** in the Sending Log. See [Settings: Sending](/docs/hive-mail-settings-sending/).
3. **The service rejects the key.** A failed row says "Add your Mailgun API key...", "Mailgun rejected the credentials..." or "... refused the email (HTTP ...)". Fix the key (and **Mailgun region**: **United States** or **Europe**) in **Settings > Sending**, or read the reason in your Mailgun or SendGrid dashboard. A key set in `wp-config.php` always wins over the box.
4. **No valid From address.** The row says "No valid "From" email is set". Set **Default From email** in **Settings > General**. See [Settings: General](/docs/hive-mail-settings-general/).
5. **Sending speed is low.** Queued emails are normal on a big campaign. In **Settings > Sending > Sending speed**, **Recommended** sends up to 60 a minute; **Manual** defaults to 25 emails every 5 minutes. Raise it only if your host allows it.
6. **People were skipped on purpose.** **Skipped** rows were not sent: not subscribed, on the suppression list, unsubscribed, bounced, deleted, or the campaign was cancelled. See [Contact statuses](/docs/hive-mail-contact-statuses/) and [Bounces, complaints and the suppression list](/docs/hive-mail-bounces-and-suppressions/).
7. **The campaign cannot start.** The Review step blocks a send with no subject, sender, content or **Business address**. Add the address in **Settings > General**. See [How to create and send a campaign](/docs/hive-mail-create-and-send-a-campaign/).
8. **A message is stuck.** One stuck on **Sending** for over 30 minutes goes back in the queue, then fails with "Abandoned after repeated attempts" after 3 attempts. "This message has no content to send." means the email is empty: add content.

Hive Mail retries a temporary problem up to 3 times. **Retry** on a row, or **Retry all failed** (up to 1,000 at once), starts 3 fresh attempts.

> **Tip:** **Send test email** in **Settings > Sending** skips the queue. A test that arrives proves delivery works, not that the scheduler is running.

Still stuck? Read the newest line in **Settings > Tools > System log**, check **Is your site ready to send?** in **Settings > Sending**, and ask your host whether outgoing mail is blocked.

Next: [Is my site ready to send email?](/docs/hive-mail-is-my-site-ready-to-send/), [The sending log](/docs/hive-mail-sending-log/).