SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is a standard email protocol used for sending and receiving emails. In WordPress, SMTP can be used to send emails from your website, such as contact form submissions and password reset emails. By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail() function to send emails, which can lead to delivery issues and spam filtering problems. In this article, we will guide you through the process of setting up SMTP in WordPress to ensure reliable email delivery.
Step 1: Choose an SMTP service provider
The first step is to choose an SMTP service provider. There are many SMTP service providers available, such as Google SMTP, Sendinblue, and Mailgun. These services offer reliable email delivery, improved email deliverability, and advanced features such as email tracking and analytics.
Step 2: Install and activate a plugin
Once you have chosen an SMTP service provider, the next step is to install and activate a plugin that will enable SMTP in WordPress. One of the popular plugins is WP Mail SMTP, which is free and easy to use. Another option is Easy WP SMTP, which is also free and offers similar features.
To install the WP Mail SMTP plugin, navigate to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Search for “WP Mail SMTP” and install and activate the plugin. Once activated, go to Settings > WP Mail SMTP to configure the plugin.
Step 3: Configure SMTP settings
To configure the WP Mail SMTP plugin, you will need to enter the SMTP server details provided by your chosen SMTP service provider. These details usually include the SMTP host, port, encryption method, username, and password.
Once you have entered the details, click on the “Save Settings” button to save the changes. You can then test the SMTP connection by clicking on the “Email Test” tab and entering an email address to send a test email.
Step 4: Update WordPress email settings
The final step is to update the WordPress email settings to use SMTP instead of the default PHP mail() function. To do this, navigate to Settings > General in your WordPress dashboard and update the “From Email” and “From Name” fields to match your SMTP email address and name.
Once you have made the changes, click on the “Save Changes” button to save the new settings. WordPress will now use SMTP to send emails from your website.
Conclusion
Setting up SMTP in WordPress is a simple process that can greatly improve email deliverability and reduce the risk of emails being marked as spam. By using an SMTP service provider and configuring the WP Mail SMTP plugin, you can ensure that emails sent from your website are reliable and delivered to the intended recipient.
