By the MailGenerator Team · Updated November 8, 2026
You've signed up, the site says "check your inbox", and nothing shows up. Verification emails go missing for a handful of predictable reasons. Work through these fixes in order; most problems are solved by the first four.
1. Wait two or three minutes
Most verification emails arrive within seconds, but busy services queue them, and some receiving servers deliberately delay mail from unfamiliar senders for a few minutes as an anti-spam measure. Give it a short wait before requesting another code. Requesting several in a row can make things worse (see fix 7).
2. Check spam, junk and other folders
Automated emails are often filtered. Look in:
- Gmail: Spam, plus the Promotions and Updates tabs.
- Outlook: Junk Email, and the Other tab if Focused Inbox is on.
- Apple Mail / iCloud: Junk.
If you find it there, mark it "Not spam" so future messages from that sender land in your inbox.
3. Search for the sender
Search your mailbox for the company name or words like "verify", "confirm" or "code". Filters or rules you set up years ago may be moving messages into a folder you never check.
4. Check the address you typed
A surprising number of missing emails were sent to a typo: gmial.com, outlok.com, a missing letter, or an extra space. Many sites show the address on the "check your inbox" screen. If it's wrong, start the sign-up again or update the email in your account settings.
5. Make sure your mailbox isn't full
If your storage is full, new mail bounces. Gmail shares storage with Google Drive and Photos, and Outlook.com has its own mailbox limit. Delete large old attachments or empty the trash, then resend.
6. Look at blocked senders and filters
If you once blocked the company, or a filter deletes anything containing certain words, the email may be removed automatically. Check your blocked-senders list and filters in your email settings.
7. Don't hammer the "Resend" button
Requesting many codes quickly can trigger rate limits on the website's side. Some services silently stop sending for 15–60 minutes. And when several codes do arrive, only the newest one usually works. Request once, wait, then try again.
8. The website may block your email domain
Some services refuse temporary email domains, and a few block other free or less common providers. Usually you'll see an error like "please use a valid email", but sometimes the site accepts the address and then quietly never sends anything. Our guide Why Do Websites Block Temporary Email Addresses? explains how this works. If you suspect it, try an email alias or your regular address instead.
9. Corporate and school email filters
Work and school accounts often have strict filters that quarantine messages from unknown senders. The email may be held in a quarantine you can't see. Ask your IT team, or use a personal address for personal sign-ups.
10. Try the code from the right device and session
Some sign-in links only work in the same browser where you started. If you tap the link on your phone but started on your laptop, it may say "expired". Copy the link to the original browser, or request a new one from the device you're using.
11. Contact the service
If none of this works, the problem may be on their side: an outage, or your address flagged in their system. Use their help page or support chat and mention the exact address you used.
Using a temporary inbox for verification
When you use MailGenerator, verification emails appear in the inbox on the homepage automatically, usually within seconds, with no need to refresh. A few tips:
- Keep the page open after copying your address, so you're watching the same inbox.
- Don't press "Change" or "Delete" until you've received the email, or you'll be looking at a different inbox.
- If nothing arrives after a few minutes, the site probably blocks temporary domains (fix 8).
- Only use it for accounts you don't need to keep. If you ever need a password reset, the inbox will be gone. Read Is Temporary Email Safe? before using it for anything important.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I get the email on one address but not another?
Different providers filter differently, and the sending service may have a poor reputation with one of them. If an important email never reaches one provider, ask the company to use a different address on file.
The code arrived but it says it's invalid.
You probably requested more than one. Use the newest code, check that it hasn't expired (many last 10–15 minutes), and make sure you haven't added a space when pasting.
