If you’re experiencing issues with your Outlook email not sending and getting stuck in the outbox, you’re not alone.
Many Outlook users face this problem, and it can be frustrating and time-consuming to deal with. But why do emails get stuck in the outbox, and what can you do to fix the issue?
There are several reasons why emails may not be sent from your Outlook outbox. It could be due to a poor internet connection, incorrect email settings, large attachments, or issues with your email provider.
Whatever the cause, the good news is that there are several solutions you can try to resolve the issue and get your emails to send successfully.
In this article, you will learn and get a solution – Why is my email getting stuck in the outbox? & How to fix email stuck in Outbox?
Why are Emails Stuck in Outbox?
Here in Outlook, there are multiple reasons and the majority of that is due to minor changes.
You create an email and click the send button, as usual, assume that your email was sent to the desired person until you get the update from the recipient, or check yourself that your mail is still in the outbox.
The most common cases for your emails get stuck in Outlook Outbox.
- Oversize attachments attached to the email are technically unable to send the Emails and the message gets stuck due to large attachments.
- The server hit offline mode even if you are connected.
- Programmed to scan outgoing mail by antivirus programs.
- Outlook SMTP server settings may be incorrect.
- Restart Outlook.
Check Your Email Size
Another reason why emails may get stuck in the Outbox and not sent is that the email size exceeds the limit set by your email provider.
Most email providers have a limit on the size of attachments and the total size of an email message.
If your email exceeds this limit, it will not be sent and will remain in the Outbox until you make changes to the email.
To check the size of your email, you can look in the bottom left corner of the email window. If the email is too large, you can try one or more of the following:
- Compress the attachments: If your email has large attachments, you can compress them to reduce the size of the email. Most email clients have a built-in feature to compress attachments.
- Remove unnecessary content: If your email has a lot of images or other multimedia content, you can remove some of it to reduce the size of the email.
- Split the email: If your email is too large, you can split it into multiple smaller emails and send them separately.
By checking the size of your email and making necessary changes, you can ensure that your email is sent successfully and does not get stuck in the Outbox.
Check Your Email Format
Another reason why your emails may be getting stuck in the Outbox is due to incorrect email formatting.
If your email contains invalid characters, broken links, or large attachments, it may not be able to send properly.
First, check the size of your attachments. If they are too large, they may be causing your email to get stuck.
Consider compressing or resizing the files or uploading them to a cloud storage service and including a link to the file in your email instead.
Additionally, make sure your email is properly formatted. Check for any invalid characters or broken links in the body of your email.
You can use HTML tags to format your email and make it more visually appealing, but make sure you are using them correctly.
If you are unsure about your email formatting, try sending a test email to yourself or a colleague to see if it goes through.
This can help you identify any issues and fix them before sending the email to your intended recipient.
Try re-sending
Before exploring technical reasons, you can manually resend the mail resting in the outbox, Open Outbox >> Click Outbox >> Select the mail in the Outbox >> Click Send/Receive all folders.

How to Send Emails that got stuck in Outlook Outbox?
If you are curious and facing the same issue, repeatedly, you can read this article in detail to get the major reasons with a solution to prevent this from happening in the future.
The above major issue is not so technical, they all are easy to cure. Let’s see how to resolve it easily. Here are step-by-step detailed illustrated solutions.
Outlook Is Working Offline – How to Fix
Even if you are connected to the internet, Outlook is working offline, how to enable it online? To switch from the offline to the online mode.
- Click Send/Receive tab >> Click Work offline. – Outlook automatically switches the offline mode to online and vice versa.

IMAP error 0x800CCC0E in Outlook – How to fix it?
If you receive an error message while you try to send the email, that means your Outlook is not connected to the internet. You can work easily send your mail and the same is saved in Outlook until you get back your connection.

You can check the right-hand corner of Outlook, and the status of the connection is visible. If the status is disconnected, check the internet connection, and fix it.
If you are connected the challenge, is, that you must find out the different issues.
Another way to check your internet connection is to try sending an email from another device, such as your phone or tablet.
If the email sends successfully from the other device, then the issue is likely with your computer or Outlook settings.
If you are still having trouble with your internet connection, try resetting your modem or router. You can also contact your internet service provider for assistance.
Delay delivery in Outlook for all emails
The Delay delivery option is designed for the user to keep a barricade, Email is scheduled to send to the recipient in a particular time frame.

Under this scenario, our message will be quarantined in the outbox until the activation time kisses the board. You can uncheck the option to clear the delay delivery rule.
Is the message being slowed down by a large attachment?
Outlook sends emails on a first come first out basis, sometimes a large attachment email slows down the speed of the internet, and the remaining message in the queue still waiting for its turn.
Huge attachment email blocking all subsequent emails from sending, outgoing emails are listed as queued in my outbox.
There are two alternatives.
- To delete an email stuck in Outbox
- To remove/resize the attachment
To delete an email stuck in Outbox – Stop Outlook from executing the pending emails like on the outbox, click send, receive, and click work offline to prevent the message to bow out from the folder, select the email and click right and delete the mail.
To remove/resize the attachment – Repeat the above, method right-click, and select Move from the context menu, and then choose Other Folder > Drafts, now you again edit & resize the attachment.
Restart Microsoft Outlook
One of the simplest, easiest, and quickest ways to release emails stuck in outbox outlook is to open the message in the Outbox with a double click and close it again.
Now select the message and press DELETE or move it to your Drafts folder if you want to resent it.
Check your fetch password
A recent change in your password directly affects your Outlook account, you will have to update the password to get rid of the Outlook message stuck in the Outbox issue.
- Go to File Tab >> Click Info >> Select Account setting >> Account setting

- The account setting dialog box appears, select your account, and click Change to change the password.

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Check Your SMTP Settings
If your emails are not sending, it could be due to issues with your SMTP settings.
SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is the protocol used to send email messages from one server to another. Here are some things to check:
Check Your Outgoing Server Authentication Settings
Make sure that your outgoing server authentication settings are correct. If you are using a third-party email provider, you may need to use a different username and password for your outgoing server than you do for your incoming server.
Check with your email provider for the correct settings.
Check Your Port Settings
Make sure that your port settings are correct. The default port for SMTP is 25, but some email providers use different ports. Check with your email provider for the correct port settings.
Check Your SSL Settings
Make sure that your SSL settings are correct. If you are using SSL to encrypt your email messages, make sure that your SSL settings are set up correctly. Check with your email provider for the correct SSL settings.
Check Your Firewall Settings
Make sure that your firewall settings are not blocking outgoing email messages. Your firewall may be blocking outgoing email messages, so make sure that your firewall settings are set up correctly.
Check Your Antivirus Settings
Make sure that your antivirus settings are not blocking outgoing email messages.
Your antivirus software may be blocking outgoing email messages, so make sure that your antivirus settings are set up correctly.
Check Your ISP Settings
Make sure that your ISP settings are not blocking outgoing email messages. Some ISPs block outgoing email messages, so make sure that your ISP settings are set up correctly.
Check Your DNS Settings
Make sure that your DNS settings are correct. If your DNS settings are not set up correctly, you may not be able to send email messages. Check with your email provider for the correct DNS settings.
Check Your Recipient’s Email Address
One of the most common reasons why emails get stuck in the Outbox is because of an incorrect or invalid email address.
Before sending your email, double-check the recipient’s email address to ensure that it is correct and complete.
It is also possible that the recipient’s email server is down or experiencing issues, which can cause emails to bounce back and get stuck in the Outbox.
In this case, you may need to contact the recipient to verify their email address or wait until their email server is back up and running.
If you frequently send emails to the same recipient, consider adding their email address to your Contacts list to avoid any typos or errors.
This can also help Outlook autocomplete the email address for you, which can save time and prevent mistakes.
Another tip is to check if the recipient’s email address is on a blacklist. Some email providers may block emails from certain domains or IP addresses due to spam or security concerns.
If your email is blocked, you may need to contact the recipient or their email provider to resolve the issue.
Final Words
In conclusion, if you are attempting to send an email from an email application, and Outlook outbox not sending emails, you can resend the email.
The above causes in the majority of cases the biggest reason for this problem, you can follow the instruction and go through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about emails getting stuck in the Outbox in Outlook:
Why are my emails getting stuck in the Outbox?
There are several reasons why emails might get stuck in the Outbox. It could be due to a poor internet connection, incorrect email settings, large attachments, or interference from add-ins or antivirus software. It could also be due to issues with the Outlook servers.
How can I release an email stuck in the Outbox?
To release an email stuck in the Outbox, you can try the following:
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection.
- Check your email settings to ensure they are correct.
- Remove any large attachments from the email.
- Disable any add-ins or antivirus software that might be interfering with the email.
- Try restarting Outlook or your computer.
What should I do if my emails are not sending automatically?
If your emails are not sending automatically, you can try the following:
- Check your email settings to ensure that automatic sending is enabled.
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection.
- Try restarting Outlook or your computer.
How can I prevent emails from getting stuck in the Outbox?
To prevent emails from getting stuck in the Outbox, you can try the following:
- Ensure that your internet connection is stable.
- Check your email settings to ensure they are correct.
- Limit the size of attachments in your emails.
- Disable any add-ins or antivirus software that might be interfering with the email.
- Regularly update your Outlook software to ensure it is running smoothly.
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