Why You're Not Getting the WordPress Admin Email Confirmation (And How to Fix It)

A common issue many WordPress users face is attempting to change their site's administration email address, only to find the crucial confirmation email never arrives. This leaves the change in a frustrating "pending" state, preventing the new address from becoming active. Based on community reports, this guide explains why this happens and walks you through the most reliable solutions.

Why This Happens

The confirmation email is sent from your web server. Most hosting environments are not configured to properly send transactional emails (like the WordPress admin confirmation) by default. This is not a bug in WordPress itself, but rather a common server configuration issue. The problem often occurs because emails sent from your server are being blocked, marked as spam, or not delivered due to missing SPF/DKIM records, especially when using a professional domain email address.

How to Fix the WordPress Admin Email Confirmation Issue

Solution 1: Check Your Spam or Junk Folder

First, always check the spam, junk, or promotions folder of your new email account. The confirmation message might have been filtered there automatically.

Solution 2: Configure WordPress to Send Email Properly (Recommended)

The most effective long-term solution is to configure an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) plugin. This ensures your WordPress site sends emails through a trusted mail service (like Gmail, Outlook, or your hosting provider's SMTP) instead of the basic PHP mail function, which dramatically improves deliverability.

1. Install and activate a reputable SMTP plugin (e.g., WP Mail SMTP).
2. Follow the plugin's setup wizard to connect it to a mail service.
3. Once configured, go back to Settings > General and attempt to change the Administration Email Address again. You should now receive the confirmation email.

Solution 3: Change the Email Directly in the Database

If you cannot receive the confirmation email at all (e.g., the old address is invalid), you can update the value directly in the database. Warning: Always back up your database before making any changes.

1. Access your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel) and open phpMyAdmin.
2. Select your WordPress database.
3. Find and open the wp_options table (the prefix may be different if you changed it during installation).
4. Locate the admin_email row in the option_name column.
5. Click Edit on that row and change the email address in the option_value field.
6. Click Go to save the change. The new email will be active immediately without requiring confirmation.

Solution 4: Use the options.php Method

A quick alternative within the WordPress admin is to use the options.php page.

1. While logged in as an administrator, navigate to: yoursite.com/wp-admin/options.php
2. On this page, use your browser's search function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to find admin_email.
3. Change the email address in the value field for that option.
4. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click Save Changes.

By following one of these methods, you should be able to successfully update your WordPress site's administration email address, even if the confirmation email is not arriving in your inbox.