Introduction #

If your Quick Event Manager (QEM) attendees report missing emails, this guide will help you identify where the problem lies in the email delivery chain.

Back to top

Understanding Email Delivery Chain #

Email delivery involves multiple steps, each of which can affect successful delivery:

1. QEM plugin sending the email
2. Your WordPress host server or email service plugin
3. Recipient’s email server (spam/greylisting)
4. Recipient’s email client (spam/rejection filters)

Back to top

Enable Debug Mode for Investigation #

Add these lines to your wp-config.php to track email sending:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);

Back to top

Testing and Monitoring #

1. Test email sending by:

• Registering for a test event
• Using the email report options

1. Locate the debug log:

• Find debug.log in your wp-content directory
• You can safely delete this file if it becomes too large

1. Analyzing the log:

• Search specifically for “QEM Email” entries
• Key messages to look for:

Understanding Log Messages:

“QEM Email message about to send”
✓ This means your plugin is working correctly

“QEM Email – wp_mail error msg”
⚠️ This means your plugin works but your server/email service is failing

“QEM Email – wp_mail responded OK”
✓ This means the email was successfully sent to your mail service

Back to top

Common Issues and Solutions #

• If no “QEM Email” entries appear:
  • Check autoresponder settings
  • Verify PayPal IPN setup if using payment confirmation
  • Contact QEM support for assistance
• If emails fail after “wp_mail error”:
  • Review server email configuration
  • Check email service plugin settings
  • Verify SMTP credentials if applicable
• If emails show “responded OK” but aren’t received:
  • Check for IP blacklisting
  • Verify SPF records
  • Review DNS pointer configuration
• Consider switching to a transactional email service:
  • MailGun
  • SendGrid
  • Amazon SES

Back to top

After Investigation #

1. Disable debug mode:

define('WP_DEBUG', false);

2. Delete the debug.log file

Back to top

Professional Support #

For complex delivery issues, consider:

• Consulting an email delivery expert
• Implementing a dedicated email service
• Following provider-specific setup guides carefully
• Consider using Fullworks’ managed Events for WordPress QEM service

Back to top

Need Help? #

Contact QEM support if you need assistance interpreting debug logs or resolving persistent issues.

Back to top