Practical troubleshooting guide · The business scenario is illustrative, not a client case study. Administrative changes require authorised access.

A small hotel in Niagara Falls receives a guest’s follow-up but cannot find the original reservation enquiry. Repeatedly asking the guest to resend can create duplicate work without revealing the cause. Start with a precise example and determine whether Google received the message at all.

Prepare a useful search

Write down the sender, intended recipient, approximate time and time zone. If available, obtain the Message-ID from the original message. Check whether the guest used a staff address, an alias or a booking platform. Search promptly because the information and search options available depend on message age. Use an administrator with the required Email Log Search permission.

Inspect the delivery record

In the Google Admin console, open Reporting, then Email Log Search. Search by the known sender, recipient and date range; narrow with the Message-ID where appropriate. Open the matching result and inspect delivery details. A missing result is a reason to check addresses, dates and the upstream sender, not proof that the guest never sent anything.

Choose the fix that matches the evidence

If the record indicates delivery, examine the recipient’s spam, trash, filters, forwarding and any delegated workflow. If it identifies a routing or rejection issue, have the administrator investigate that specific event. When an external booking platform sent the notification, obtain its delivery event too. Avoid deleting organisation-wide rules because one mailbox cannot find a message.

Close the operational gap

Send a safe test through the original reservation journey and confirm the correct staff member can see and answer it. Record where the enquiry should arrive and who covers absences. Keep the evidence limited to what support needs; guest requests can contain personal details. If you contact Cyber Bounds, provide the symptom and timestamps first so an appropriate investigation scope can be agreed.

MAKE IT ACTIONABLE

Your next steps

  • Record the original recipient and time zone.
  • Compare log results with mailbox behaviour.
  • Test the actual reservation route after the fix.

Official reference

Google: Find messages with Email Log Search

Technical guidance checked October 1, 2026. Product features and requirements can change. The business checklists above are practical suggestions from Cyber Bounds.

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