In This Article:

• Overview
• SMTP and Sender Domain Configuration
  • Default (Genius-Managed) Configuration
  • Using Your Own SMTP Server
  • Using Your Own Sender Domain
• Verifying Template Configuration
• Verifying Email Delivery
• Troubleshooting Custom Auto-Emails
• Common Delivery Issues
• Best Practices

Overview

Genius CE & Enterprise sends automated emails triggered by system events such as learner enrollment, course completion, application submission, or password resets. When emails are not delivered or are delayed, it can impact the learner experience. This article helps you diagnose and resolve email delivery issues. 

SMTP and Sender Domain Configuration

Default (Genius-Managed) Configuration

By default, Genius sends all emails through its own SMTP server using a @geniussis.com sender address. No action is required from the client for this to work — emails send automatically.

Using Your Own SMTP Server

If you prefer to send emails through your own mail infrastructure, this is fully supported. To enable it, submit a request to the Genius Support Team and provide:

1. SMTP server (host)
2. SMTP port
3. SMTP username
4. SMTP password

The Support Team will configure your environment to route outbound emails through your SMTP server.

Using Your Own Sender Domain

To send emails from your own domain (for example, noreply@yourinstitution.edu instead of the default @geniussis.com address), you must grant Genius authority to send on behalf of that domain — typically by adding SPF and DKIM records to your DNS.

Submit a request to the Genius Support Team to start this process. They will provide the exact DNS records you need to add and will switch your environment to use the requested sender address once the domain is verified.

Verifying Template Configuration

If a specific auto-email is not sending, verify that the template for that event is configured correctly:

1. Open the email template manager in your Genius environment.
2. Locate the template matching the event you expect to trigger it (for example, Enrollment, Application, Learning Path, Order).
3. Open the template and review the Subject, From, and Body fields.
4. Insert dynamic content using the built-in variable list shown in the template editor. The list of available variables is maintained inside the editor itself and may change over time, so always pick variables from there rather than typing them by hand.
5. Save your changes and re-trigger the event (for example, by re-enrolling a test learner or requesting a new password reset) to confirm the email is sent as expected.

⚠ Warning: Do not rename the default templates. Genius resolves each auto-email by the template’s system name, so renaming a default template will break the corresponding automated flow.

Verifying Email Delivery

Navigation: Learners → select learner → Communications tab

Every email sent to a learner is recorded on their Communications tab. This is the fastest way to confirm whether an email was actually sent.

To verify delivery for a specific learner:

1. Navigate to Learners and search for the learner.
2. Select the learner and go to the Communications tab.
3. Review the list of emails sent. Each record shows the template used, the date and time it was sent, and the recipient address.
4. If the expected email does not appear, the issue is likely with the template configuration or the triggering event — not with email delivery itself.

Note: If the email appears on the Communications tab but the learner reports they did not receive it, the issue is on the recipient side (spam filter, incorrect email address, or mail server rejection). Check the learner’s email address in their profile and ask them to check their spam or junk folder. 

Troubleshooting Custom Auto-Emails

Custom auto-emails (recurring emails scoped to enrollments) are managed from the Auto-Emails feature in Genius. If one of your custom auto-emails is not reaching the expected learners:

1. Open the Auto-Emails feature and locate your custom template.
2. Check the Periodicity — is it set to fire at the expected moment (for example, on enrollment, 7 days after enrollment, etc.)?
3. Check the Audience / filters — do they match the learners you expect to receive the email?
4. Confirm the scheduled job (AutoEmails.Send) has been running recently. If you do not have access to the job status, contact the Genius Support Team to check it on your behalf.

Common Delivery Issues

The table below covers the most common problems administrators encounter:

Best Practices

1. Send test emails before rolling out changes: Trigger the event with a test learner account and verify the email arrives and renders correctly.
2. Keep default template names unchanged: Genius resolves automated emails by template name. Renaming a default template breaks the flow.
3. Use the variable list inside the template editor: The list is authoritative and may grow over time. Avoid hand-typing variable names.
4. Use your own sender domain for brand-critical emails: Emails sent from @geniussis.com are more likely to be filtered by corporate email gateways. Request a domain switch via Genius Support.
5. Review custom auto-email filters after each change: Tightening the audience filter by mistake is a common cause of "missing" emails.
6. Check the learner’s Communications tab first: Before investigating SMTP or template issues, check whether the email actually sent. If it appears on the Communications tab, the problem is on the recipient side, not the Genius side.