Start by checking whether the form is failing in the browser, submitting successfully but not delivering email, or reaching the wrong inbox. Those are different problems and need different fixes.
A broken form is not always a broken website
A contact form can stop producing enquiries even when every other part of the website appears normal. The visitor may see an error, the form may appear to submit successfully but no email arrives, or the message may be delivered to spam. Start by identifying which of these is happening.
1. Check what the visitor actually sees
Submit the form yourself using a real test address. Does the browser show a validation error? Does the button remain stuck on “Sending”? Does a success message appear? Note the exact behaviour before changing anything. Browser-side validation, JavaScript errors and server-side failures can look similar to a business owner but have different causes.
2. Confirm the form reaches the server
If the form submits through PHP, an API endpoint or another service, check that the endpoint still exists and that the request is not being blocked. A recent website change, hosting migration, security rule or plugin update can break the connection without changing the visual form.
3. Check email delivery separately
A form can work correctly while the notification email fails. Check the configured recipient, sender address, SMTP credentials and mail provider response. If the website sends from your domain, SPF, DKIM and DMARC can also affect delivery or reputation.
4. Check spam protection and validation
CAPTCHA or Turnstile changes, required fields and anti-spam rules can prevent submissions before they are accepted. Test the form as a normal visitor and confirm the security check is actually completing. Do not remove protection just to make the form work.
5. Test the whole journey
A good test is not simply “the form submitted”. Confirm the enquiry reached the intended inbox, the stored enquiry exists if your system keeps one, the visitor received the correct confirmation, and the lead source or campaign information was retained where applicable.
When to stop troubleshooting yourself
If the form has several moving parts—website code, SMTP, DNS, CAPTCHA, hosting and analytics—changing several settings at once can make the original problem harder to identify. Preserve the current configuration, document what changed and then work through the failure point systematically.