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Troubleshooting MailPoet Image Display Issues in Emails

28 threads Sep 16, 2025

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Images failing to display in emails sent through MailPoet is one of the most common issues users encounter. This problem can be frustrating, as emails may look perfect in the editor and browser preview but appear with broken images for your subscribers. Based on community reports, here are the most frequent causes and their solutions.

Why Do MailPoet Images Fail to Load?

Email clients like Gmail, Apple Mail, and Outlook have strict security and rendering rules. Images are not embedded in the email itself; they are hosted on your server and linked. The email client must then download them, a process that can be blocked at several points.

Common Causes and Solutions

1. Hotlinking Protection

Many web hosts have "hotlinking protection" enabled by default. This feature is designed to prevent other websites from directly linking to and using your images, but it can also block legitimate requests from email clients.

  • Solution: Disable hotlinking protection for your domain. This is typically done within your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel).

2. File and Folder Permissions

If your server's file permissions are too restrictive, the email client cannot access the images.

  • Solution: Ensure your WordPress wp-content/uploads folder has permissions set to 755. You can adjust this via an FTP client or your hosting file manager.

3. Specific Email Client Behaviors

Different clients have unique rules that can affect image loading.

  • Apple Mail (iOS/macOS): A known issue involves some hosting providers, like Bluehost, blocking requests from Apple Mail's "user agent." The MailPoet team has acknowledged this and is reportedly working with hosting providers to resolve it. A temporary workaround is to host your images on a third-party service like Imgur or S3.
  • Gmail: Gmail proxies all images through its own servers for security. If your domain is new or has a poor reputation, it may block images. Adding your site URL to the Image URL proxy allowlist in Google Workspace can sometimes help.
  • Outlook: Outlook for PC is notorious for poor image support. Avoid using WebP format, as Outlook does not support it. Stick to common formats like JPG or PNG.

4. Plugin and Theme Conflicts

Other plugins, particularly those that optimize or lazy-load images (e.g., Optimole, FIFU), can interfere with how MailPoet generates image links.

  • Solution: Temporarily disable image optimization or external image plugins to see if it resolves the issue. Check the plugin's settings for an option to exclude images from being processed in newsletter emails.

5. DNS and Blacklist Issues

If your domain or server IP address is on a blacklist, email clients may block all external content, including images.

  • Solution: Use a tool like MXToolBox to check if your domain is blacklisted. If it is, you will need to follow the process to request its removal.

Diagnostic Steps

If you're unsure of the cause, follow this diagnostic process:

  1. Test in Multiple Clients: Always check your email in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail. If the issue is isolated to one client, the problem is likely client-specific.
  2. Use a Mail Tester: Send a test email to mail-tester.com. A high score (e.g., 9/10) generally rules out widespread spam or authentication issues.
  3. Check the Source Code: View the raw source of the received email. Look for the img src tags. Ensure the URLs are correct and point directly to your server (not a redirecting CDN).
  4. Review System Info: The information found in MailPoet > Help > System Info can be invaluable for troubleshooting. It provides details about your server environment that can help identify conflicts.

When to Seek Further Help

If you have tried all the steps above and images still do not display, the issue may be more complex. Before seeking help from the community, gather the following information:

  • A screenshot of the problem.
  • The email client and device where the issue occurs.
  • The System Info from MailPoet.
  • The results from a mail-tester.com test.

For the most official and comprehensive guide, always refer to the MailPoet knowledge base article on images not displaying.

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