In our previous articles, we discussed how Orlando Web Wizard uses a secure setup featuring Gravity Forms and GravitySMTP to route your website leads through a third-party email address. This ensures that your website and your email system don’t get “confused” by sharing the same domain name.
However, because these notifications are automated, aggressive spam filters at Google and Microsoft can sometimes mistake your fresh website leads for junk mail.
To prevent this, you need to “whitelist” your form notification email address. Whitelisting is just a techy term for telling your email provider: “Hey, I know and trust this sender. Stop putting their messages in my Spam folder!”
Here is a quick, novice-friendly guide to whitelisting your website forms in Gmail (Google Workspace) and Outlook (Microsoft 365).
Before you start: You will need the specific “From” email address that your website uses to send notifications. If you don’t know what this address is, just ask us at Orlando Web Wizard and we will gladly provide it to you!
How to Whitelist in Gmail / Google Workspace
Google is famous for its “Promotions” and “Spam” filters. The absolute easiest way to make sure your leads land in your primary inbox is to add the website’s sending email address to your Google Contacts and create a simple filter.
Method 1: The Quick Contact Add
-
Open an email notification that you previously received from your website.
-
Hover your mouse over the Sender’s Name or email address at the top left of the email.
-
A small profile card will pop up. Click the Add to Contacts icon (it looks like a little person with a plus sign).
Method 2: The “Never Send to Spam” Filter
If you want to be 100% certain Google never hijacks a lead, create a rule:
-
In the Gmail search bar at the top, click the Show search options icon (the three slider lines on the far right of the search bar).
-
In the From field, paste your website’s notification email address.
-
Click Create filter at the bottom of that dropdown window.
-
Check the box that says Never send it to Spam.
-
Optional: Check Always mark it as important and Categorize as: Primary.
-
Click Create filter.
How to Whitelist in Outlook / Microsoft 365
Outlook loves to sort mail into a “Focused” inbox and an “Other” inbox, or sweep automated emails straight into the “Junk Email” folder. Here is how to keep your leads front and center.
Method 1: The Quick “Not Junk” Fix
-
Open your Junk Email folder.
-
Find a notification email from your website and right-click it.
-
Hover over Junk in the menu that appears, and select Not Junk (or Never Block Sender). This instantly moves the email to your inbox and teaches Outlook to trust it in the future.
Method 2: Adding to “Safe Senders” (Outlook on the Web)
-
Click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner of your Outlook screen.
-
Select Mail, then click on Junk email.
-
Under the Safe senders and domains section, click the + Add button.
-
Type or paste your website’s notification email address.
-
Press
Enterand click Save at the bottom of the page.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
By spending two minutes adding your website’s notification address to your safe list, you are successfully training your inbox to welcome your website leads with open arms.
Remember, even with these rules in place, it is still best practice to log into your WordPress dashboard regularly to review your Forms > Entries log.
If you’ve followed these steps and find that your website emails are still missing, or if you need help finding your website’s specific sending address, reach out to the Orlando Web Wizard team. We are always here to help you stay connected to your clients!
BACK TO OUR: