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Plesk Obsidian Technical Guide

Plesk Email Sending and Receiving Issues: Postfix, Port 25 and Queue

Plesk mail issues are divided into separate layers for sending, receiving, authentication, and delivery. Postfix or qmail, Dovecot, DNS records, port 25 output, mail queue, spam block due to source, and mailbox quota should be diagnosed separately.

PostfixDovecotPort 25Mail QueueSPF DKIM DMARC
root@server:~SSH
status=deferred (connect to mx.example.net[203.0.113.10]:25: Connection timed out)
SASL authentication failed
Mailbox full
Relay access denied
Host or domain name not found
SMTP deliveryPostfix/qmail and port 25
IMAP teslimDovecot and mailbox
DNS identityMX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, PTR
SecuritySpam, queue and account abuse
01
Technical description

Plesk mail issue which layer occurs?

The process of a message leaving the Plesk server, reaching the target server, being accepted, and appearing in the recipient's mailbox are separate stages. The phrase "mail is not being sent" should first be substantiated with queue and log.

If the message is deferred in the queue, there may be a connection issue to the counter server, DNS resolution, greylisting, or a temporary delivery rule issue.

If port 25 is blocked by the data center, direct external SMTP delivery from the server cannot be made. A smarthost/relay or provider port opening process may be required.

If mail is coming but not showing in webmail, check mailbox quota, Dovecot, folder permissions, or filter rules.

In addition to SPF, DKIM, DMARC, PTR/rDNS, IP reputation, and message content, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, PTR/rDNS, IP reputation, and message content are also important for delivery to Gmail and Outlook.

Clearing the queue collectively does not solve the main issue and may lead to the loss of legitimate emails. The account that sent the most messages, the error cause, and the queue age should be analyzed first.

02
Log messages and their meanings

Plesk Postfix, Dovecot and delivery error messages

Search for the phrase you see in the email, browser, or SSH log. Each card includes meaning, probable cause, and safe initial action.

8 registration
01kritik

connect to remote MX:25: Connection timed out

Meaning: Failed to connect to the SMTP port of the postfix facing server.

Possible cause: Port 25 block, remote firewall, route or destination server issue.

Perform port 25 test on multiple external MX's using telnet/nc.
02warning

status=deferred

Meaning: The message has been temporarily undeliverable and has been held in the queue.

Possible cause: Timeout, DNS, 4xx response, greylisting, or remote quota.

Open the queue log with postcat and read the real reason row.
03kritik

SASL authentication failed

Meaning: SMTP client username or password could not be verified.

Possible cause: Incorrect password, 465/587 encryption setting or account lock.

Check Webmail login and SMTP AUTH logs.
04kritik

Relay access denied

Meaning: The server has not granted unauthorized relay permission to the client.

Possible cause: Identity verification is not performed or the wrong SMTP server is being used.

Verify SMTP authentication on the client.
05warning

Mailbox full / quota exceeded

Meaning: The recipient's mailbox or subscription disk quota is full.

Possible cause: Mailbox quota, disk/inode or large messages.

Compare Plesk quota information and actual maildir size
06kritik

Host or domain name not found

Meaning: The recipient's domain MX/A record could not be resolved.

Possible cause: DNS resolver issue, incorrect domain or temporary DNS failure.

Check the dig MX and server resolver settings.
07warning

554 rejected / listed in RBL

Meaning: The counter-server message has been rejected due to IP or policy reasons.

Possible cause: Spam sending, bad PTR, blacklist or DMARC failure.

First, shut off the spam source and analyze IP reputation and headers.
08kritik

Dovecot authentication failed

Meaning: IMAP/POP session could not be verified.

Possible cause: Incorrect password, mailbox malfunction, service or SSL setting.

Perform Dovecot log, webmail, and direct openssl IMAP test.

No records matching this expression were found.

03
Secure first review

SSH diagnostic commands and what output to look for?

Commands are for root access. Collect only status and logs first; Do not change the permanent setting without seeing the reason.

Mail servisleri
systemctl status postfix dovecot --no-pager
systemctl status qmail --no-pager 2>/dev/null

Displays the status of the installed MTA and IMAP services.

Mail logu
tail -n 200 /var/log/maillog 2>/dev/null || tail -n 200 /var/log/mail.log

It shows the reasons for submission, delivery, auth, and red.

Postfix queue
postqueue -p
postqueue -p | tail -n 1

Lists messages in the queue and the overall status.

Single message detail.
postcat -q KUYRUK_ID

Displays the header and delivery error details of a specific queue message.

Port 25 and SMTP test
nc -vz gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25
openssl s_client -starttls smtp -connect localhost:25 -crlf </dev/null

Tests external port 25 access and local SMTP TLS response.

DNS and identity records
dig +short MX example.com
dig +short TXT example.com
dig +short -x SUNUCU_IP

MX shows MX, SPF-like TXT, and PTR/rDNS records.

Plesk mail configuration
plesk repair mail example.com

Interactively checks domain mail settings and mailbox configuration.

04
Safe solution order

Safely resolve Plesk mail sending and receiving issues

First, determine the direction of the problem; then sequentially review the queue, logs, network, DNS identity, and account security layers.

1

Distinguish between submission and acceptance.

Separate outgoing and incoming mail, webmail, and SMTP client tests.

2

Find message ID and log by time

Record the sender, recipient, and time of the test message, and follow the related queue ID in maillog.

3

Read the real reason for the deferred queue

Instead of checking the queue size, analyze the last delivery reason row of a message with postcat and maillog.

postqueue -p
4

Verify port, DNS, and remote server connections.

By testing port 25 on multiple major providers' MX servers, local blockage and target problems can be separated.

5

Check SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and PTR alignment.

The sender domain, HELO hostname, and rDNS must be compatible with each other; the DKIM signature must be verified.

6

Close the spam source and retest delivery

If the account is in violation, change the password, clean the PHP spam script, and protect the legitimate messages in the queue.

05
Distinction by symptom

Special scenarios and decision trees

Mail is being sent but going to Gmail spam folder

Header authentication-results, PTR, IP reputation, content, and sending volume are examined.

Outgoing mail is not coming in.

MX records, port 25 inbound firewall, local mail service, and mailbox quota are checked.

External Google Workspace is being used

Plesk domain must have local mail service disabled and MX records should only show the external provider.

Tail is growing rapidly

The user, SASL account, or PHP script with the most sends is detected and isolated; the queue is not cleared blindly.

Outlook is not connecting, webmail is working

The client port, TLS type, SMTP AUTH, username, and certificate hostname are checked.

Absolutely don't

  • Do not delete the mail queue collectively without analyzing it.
  • Do not submit a request to remove an IP from the blacklist without closing the spam source.
  • Do not add an unlimited +all to the SPF record.
  • Do not randomly change the Postfix main.cf file without Plesk's consideration.
  • Do not leave the account open while closing only the SMTP port due to password violation.
  • Do not try to add PTR record to DNS zone as a TXT/A record.

Post-solution verification

  • Test message is being delivered without being deferred in the queue.
  • Inbound message is reaching the mailbox and is visible via IMAP/webmail.
  • Postfix/qmail and Dovecot services are active.
  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and PTR are providing the expected result.
  • Queue is not growing and unknown sender account does not exist.
  • There is no significant authentication failure in the Gmail/Outlook headers.
06
Official technical resources

cPanel and manufacturer documentation

07
Internal SEO content set

Related cPanel and server error solutions

08
Frequently asked questions

Plesk Not Sending Email Curiosities about

Plesk mail why deferred queue?

Remote SMTP connection timeout, DNS issue, temporary 4xx rejection, greylisting, or remote quota may delay delivery.

Is using port 587 sufficient if port 25 is closed?

587 is for clients to send messages to the server. Delivery from the server to other MX servers usually requires port 25 or a smarthost should be used.

Does Plesk use Postfix or qmail?

Linux Plesk uses Postfix by default; a qmail option may also be available. Commands vary depending on the installed MTA.

Does SPF, DKIM, and DMARC guarantee that the email will not be spam?

No. It strengthens authentication; IP reputation, content, volume, and user interaction also affect delivery.

From where can I change the PTR/rDNS?

The IP address is changed via a data center or server provider; it is not managed from the normal domain DNS panel.

Can I delete all emails in the queue?

Technically possible, but may cause legitimate message loss. First, spam and normal messages should be separated.

Should Plesk mail service remain open when using external mail?

If the local mail service for the domain remains open, applications on the server may mistakenly deliver the message to the local mailbox. It should be configured to an external service.

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