Emails are not sending

Lisa M 0 Reputation points
2026-09-27T18:17:45.03+00:00

I cannot send emails. I compose and send, it shows up in sent items but is not received by the recipient. I spent 45+ minutes in a chat with an agent that informed I had to connect to a different help but I could not keep the instructions. I have had ZERO assistance with this and I have been working on it for over 2 hours

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-27T18:17:56.95+00:00

    For Outlook.com on the web, check these in order:

    1. Check whether the message is stuck in Drafts or Outbox.
    2. If the message has an attachment larger than 25 MB, remove it and either send a smaller file or upload it to OneDrive and attach a link instead.
    3. Check whether the Inbox is full. If it is, Outlook.com cannot send or receive new mail. To free space, right-click Junk Email and select Empty folder.
    4. If Microsoft cloud storage is full, Outlook.com also cannot send or receive email. Check mailbox storage and clear space if needed.
    5. If a non-delivery receipt was received, review the reason in that message. Common causes include:
      • invalid recipient address
      • recipient mailbox full
      • recipient server issues
      • recipient spam filtering
    6. If the recipient address is correct but delivery still fails, use Sender Support in Outlook.com.
    7. If the account was created recently, a temporary low sending quota can apply until account credibility is established.
    8. If an email signature is configured, remove the signature and try sending again.
    9. Ask the recipient to add the sending address to their safe senders list.
    10. Add the recipient to Contacts in Outlook.com.

    If the issue is tied to a recent password change or unusual sign-in activity, update the password for the account and check whether the account was temporarily blocked due to suspicious activity.

    If these checks do not resolve it, use Outlook.com support from the Help menu or the Outlook.com support contact option.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Hornblower409 16,335 Reputation points
    2026-09-28T05:46:20.3166667+00:00

    @Lisa M

    I spent 45+ minutes in a chat with an agent that informed I had to connect to a different help

    I assume that the agent wanted you to get in the outlook.com Support channel. To do this, try:

    • Logon to https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/
    • From the main menu: Help -> ? Help
    • {This should open the Help side panel}
    • Search Help -> {Your problem} and press Enter
    • Still need help? [Yes]
    • If you get "We're here to help": Tell us your problem -> {Your problem, again} [Get Help]
    • [Sign In] {Use any Outlook/Microsoft account}
    • Choose a support option -> Chat with a support agent in your web browser If that doesn't get you to the right Support group, come back here and we'll try something else.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
  3. Alex-L 12,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-30T06:25:07.54+00:00

    Hi Lisa M

    Have you tested sending to a different email address (for example, another Outlook.com or Gmail account)? If the message appears in Sent Items but is never received and no bounce-back or error message is generated, this may indicate an account-specific or service-side delivery issue that Outlook.com Support would need to investigate. Also let us know whether the issue affects all recipients or only certain addresses.

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