# Fallback and retries

> What happens after a send fails — the immediate fallback attempt, two scheduled retries, and when your alert channels fire.

A message that fails to send gets three more chances, in a fixed order, before BooleanSMTP gives up on
it.

1. **Fallback Connection.** If you've set one (**Settings → Delivery & Reliability**), BooleanSMTP
   retries the message immediately, in the same request, through that connection.
2. **Retry on other connections.** If that attempt also fails — or you have no Fallback Connection — and
   this setting is on (it is by default), the message is queued and retried on your other active
   connections: once after about a minute, then once more about five minutes later, up to 2 retries.

   ![The Delivery & Reliability card, with Fallback Connection and Retry on other connections highlighted.](../../../assets/screenshots/settings-fallback.webp)

3. **Alerts.** If nothing is left to try, the send fails for good and your [alert channels](/alerts/)
   fire, if you've set any up.

Open the message in [Email Logs](/logs/) and look at its attempts to see each retry and what happened.

## Next steps

- [How a connection is chosen](/sending/)
- [View email logs](/logs/)
- [Alerts](/alerts/)
- [Settings reference](/settings/)