I just received this email from paypal:

Please check your server that handles PayPal Instant Payment Notifications (IPN). IPNs sent to the following URL(s) are failing:

http://cathyslifestockphotos.com/wp-content/themes/symbiostock/ipn/paypal_ipn.php

If you do not recognize this URL, you may be using a service provider that is using IPN on your behalf. Please contact your service provider with the above information. If this problem continues, IPNs may be disabled for your account.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this issue.


Thanks,

PayPal

That address above is what I entered into the IPN space in Paypal a long time ago. I just did a test purchase and I got payment notification of the purchase just fine.

However, now I notice that this is in the Symbiostock>Settings>Live Paypal IPN space:

http://cathyslifestockphotos.com/symbiostock_ipn/

Is that correct? Or should what is on the Settings page of wp admin be the same as what shows in Paypal? I also notice that there is a folder outside of wp-content named symbiostock_ipn. Why is there one outside of wp-content and one inside wp-content?

I have not touched either of these settings. I am still on 2.5.5 and have not upgraded to wp 3.6 yet.

That new one is correct, and should automatically be set when you check out.

The other may be from a loonnggg time ago when you had manually set it.

Just unset it in your paypal account in your instant payment notification area

Which new one is correct? http://cathyslifestockphotos.com/symbiostock_ipn/  ?

So you are saying that in my Paypal account, in the field where it says

Notification URL    http://cathyslifestockphotos.com/wp-content/themes/symbiostock/ipn/paypal_ipn.php

I should delete that URL?

Its just a notification. Its scary looking, but nothing.

http://cathyslifestockphotos.com/symbiostock_ipn/ is correct.

There was a point where, one by one, people started complaining IPN wasn't working. Godaddy users were especially haunted. Eventually it was found that random hosts blocked off the themes folder, and IPN notifications were blocked in the "/wp-content/themes/symbiostock/ipn/paypal_ipn.php" folder.

It was a nightmare. So it was switched to this virtually foolproof address you see above. Its only blocked on the rare occasions that someone's security plugin is messing with it.

Way back (being that your a user from the beginning) remember we had to set up IPN manually? Thats probably the left-over manual input you had done.

Hope this helps.

Well, I entered http://cathyslifestockphotos.com/symbiostock_ipn/ into the Paypal IPN space and got a second email saying the same as the first.

So are you saying I don't need to enter anything in Paypal and I should turn off the IPN completely and that it is all handled from the SY page?

I went ahead, Leo, and turned off the IPN notification settings in Paypal, did a test purchase and got notifications of the payment, so I guess I answered my own question above. Whenever you are around, if you could just confirm that I did the right thing, I would be reassured. Thanks for your help Leo!

I do remember entering it manually, but guess I missed the part where it changed in some version and the setting in Paypal was not needed any more.

Yeah, you don't need to enter it. The return URL is given at the time of checkout.

Cool, thanks so much, Leo.

We've had some of these warnings triggered by agency payments coming in. In the IPN setup screen at Paypal you can get to the log of IPN messages and see which have failed.

I checked and there werent any. Which makes it even more baffling. I will look again tho. I was doing this in the wee hours last night.