GMail Delivery Delays

Some Gmail users may see delays in email sent from UPenn to Gmail. 

Issue Overview

Recently, the University has learned that Google is delaying the delivery of some emails sent from the University of Pennsylvania accounts to Gmail users. Impacted messages are delayed, but are eventually delivered.

While occasional mail delivery delays are normal, University systems have seen an uptick in delays to Google. Over the last few weeks these delays have affected certain incoming messages for users who are on University-provided Google accounts. For users with personal Gmail accounts, that percentage of messages is higher. Wharton Computing, other affected schools at Penn, and ISC are in ongoing discussions with our mail providers to work to address these issues

Who is Affected

Students

Students who are receiving mail at their Wharton provided Google account are unaffected. Students who are forwarding to a personal Gmail account are affected. Symptoms include:

  • General mail delays for students who are forwarding their email.
  • Time-bound communication delays, including event invitation delays as an organizer or participant

Faculty & Staff

Faculty and staff who are forwarding to a personal Gmail account are affected. Symptoms include:

  • General mail delays for faculty who are forwarding their email.
  • Time-bound communication delays, including event invitation delays as an organizer or participant

 To avoid this issue, Faculty and staff who are forwarding to google may want to temporarily either: 

Alumni

Alumni who are forwarding their alumni address to a personal Gmail account are affected. Symptoms include:

  • General mail delays
  • Time-bound communication delays, including event invitation delays as an organizer or participant (due to mail)

 To avoid this issue, alumni may wish to forward their alumni forwarding address to a non-gmail address.

Ongoing Troubleshooting

The group of affected schools are actively working with the appropriate mail providers to work to address this issue. Mail flow is being actively monitored, and the team is looking at ways to identify and stop behaviors that are triggering the delays.

Questions?

Contact your IT Support Representative with any questions.