The Hidden Problem with Website Forms—and How We're Solving It
Why are Website Form Submissions less reliable?
There’s a silent problem affecting websites today—and it could be costing your business leads without you even knowing. It has to do with something deceptively simple: your website’s contact form.
When Contact Forms “Just Worked”
It used to be straightforward. A customer visits your site, fills out a form, hits “Submit,” and the message lands in your inbox. But over the past few years, that reliable flow has become increasingly complicated—and less dependable.
Form submissions rely on your website’s ability to send emails. In the past, most websites used PHP’s built-in function or sent email through the same server hosting the website. However, increasing email security measures like SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and aggressive spam filters mean that email coming from these sources is often flagged or dropped entirely.
The result? Form submissions may never reach your inbox—and you may never know they were sent.
Why Website Form Submissions Have Become Unreliable
As email fraud, phishing, and spam have become more widespread, email providers have raised their defenses. Now, most inboxes enforce stricter rules through SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC authentication protocols. These protocols check:
- Whether the sender is authorized to send email on behalf of your domain
- If the message has been altered in transit
- Whether the sending server has a good reputation
If your website doesn’t meet these requirements, your form submission email might:
- Land in the spam or junk folder
- Get silently dropped before they ever reach your inbox
- Trigger bounce-backs or delivery failures
Our Solution: Dedicated SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
To solve this, Partek has implemented dedicated SMTP email routing for every website we manage.
Most websites send form submission notifications using a basic built-in function, without verifying where the email is coming from. To spam filters, that’s a red flag. This is a bit like trying to mail a letter without a return address—it might get flagged as suspicious or never arrive at all.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) solves that problem.
Instead of sending your website’s form messages the “unverified” way, SMTP sends them through a proper, authenticated email account. Email authentication is like a digital passport for your messages. It helps receiving mail servers verify that the email really came from you—and not from a spammer pretending to be you.
✅ Emails are Authenticated
We configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain to ensure messages are authorized and trustworthy.
✅ Reliable Delivery
Your contact form submissions are routed through a trusted email server—no more guessing whether messages went through.
✅ Weekly Email Monitoring
We actively monitor and track form submission logs and performance as part of your management plan. If something stops working, we’ll catch it before you do.
How does SMTP and Email authentication work?
At Partek, we’ve implemented dedicated SMTP with proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment on every managed website.
Here’s how the main email authentication methods work:
✅ SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF tells mail servers which IP addresses or servers are allowed to send email on your domain’s behalf. If your website isn’t listed, those messages can get blocked.
Example: Your domain says only Gmail can send mail for you, but your website tries to send mail from a different server — SPF will block it.
✅ DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to your email that proves the message hasn’t been changed and that it came from an authorized source. It’s like sealing your letter with a tamper-proof stamp.
✅ DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together and tells mail servers what to do if a message fails authentication (e.g., reject it or quarantine it). It also sends reports so we can track any issues.
This isn’t an add-on or optional feature. As part of our ongoing commitment to making your website work better, dedicated SMTP and email monitoring are now included as part of your Website Management Plan.
Already a Client? You’re Covered.
If you’re already on Partek’s Website Management Plan, there’s nothing you need to do. We’ve already set up your SMTP integration and monitor your email functionality weekly. Sit back and enjoy the peace of mind.
Not Yet a Client?
If you’re not yet part of our Website Management Plan and want to make sure your website is performing as it should—especially when it comes to leads and customer communication—get in touch today. Let us take care of the technical stuff, so you can focus on running your business.
