Hey there, fellow WordPress user! Feeling frustrated because your WordPress site isn‘t sending emails? Maybe you‘re not receiving notifications when someone fills out your contact form. Or perhaps new users aren‘t getting their account registration emails.
Trust me, I know how annoying email problems can be. But don‘t panic! In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to resolve the WordPress not sending email issue.
We‘ll cover:
- Why WordPress emails often fail to send in the first place
- The best method to fix email delivery problems on your site
- A detailed tutorial to configure the solution on your WordPress site
- Answers to frequently asked questions and alternative options
By the end of this post, you‘ll have a dependable email setup that just works. Say goodbye to lost leads and poor communication with your audience!
Why WordPress Email Goes Missing So Often
First, let‘s understand the root cause of the problem. By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail() function to send outgoing emails. Simple enough, right? Unfortunately, PHP mail() is notoriously unreliable.
For PHP mail() to work properly, your WordPress hosting server needs to be configured correctly to send email. Many hosting providers don‘t configure their servers‘ sendmail settings appropriately. As a result, PHP mail() fails and your WordPress emails don‘t make it to their destination.
Even if your server is set up correctly, there‘s another challenge. Over 20% of opt-in emails fail to reach recipient inboxes due to anti-spam measures implemented by email providers (ReturnPath). PHP mail() doesn‘t validate the sender, so emails are frequently flagged as spam.
The impact of undelivered WordPress emails can be significant:
- Lost leads from contact form submissions ending up in spam folders
- Frustrated customers who don‘t receive WooCommerce order confirmations
- Missed WordPress security alerts about suspicious activity on your site
- User experience issues when expected notifications don‘t arrive
The Solution Is SMTP – Here‘s How It Works
So what‘s the fix? Enter SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). SMTP is the industry standard for sending emails reliably. It includes proper authentication to verify the sender and supports encryption to protect email contents.
Unlike PHP mail(), SMTP is universally accepted and emails sent through it are much more likely to arrive successfully in inboxes. The diagram below shows how WordPress sends email using SMTP compared to PHP mail():
With SMTP, your WordPress site connects to a trusted SMTP server maintained by an email service provider. The SMTP server then communicates with the recipient‘s email server to deliver the message. Proper authentication occurs at each step to validate the sender.
To set up SMTP in WordPress, you could edit your site‘s PHP configuration files directly. But that‘s prone to error and tedious to implement. The easier solution is to use a WordPress SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP.
WP Mail SMTP acts as a middleman between WordPress and your SMTP service of choice. Rather than using PHP mail(), it routes emails through a dedicated SMTP server using authentication. The setup process is beginner-friendly and only takes a few minutes.
How to Fix WordPress Emails With SendLayer SMTP
For this tutorial, I‘ll demonstrate how to resolve WordPress email issues using SendLayer as your SMTP provider. SendLayer is an excellent choice because:
- You can send up to 200 emails/day for free (plenty for most small sites)
- Email deliverability is top-notch thanks to SendLayer‘s optimized SMTP servers
- It‘s quick and easy to set up using the free WP Mail SMTP plugin
Of course, WP Mail SMTP supports other popular SMTP options as well. I‘ll share some alternative providers later on. But SendLayer is my top recommendation, especially for beginners.
Here‘s a step-by-step walkthrough of how to set everything up.
Step 1. Install WP Mail SMTP
Start by installing and activating the free WP Mail SMTP plugin on your WordPress site. You can download it from the official WordPress.org plugin directory or by searching for "WP Mail SMTP" under "Add New" on your Plugins page.
Step 2. Choose SendLayer Mailer
Upon activation, click the plugin‘s "Launch Setup Wizard" button. Select SendLayer from the list of mailer options:
Enter the "from" email address and name you want to use for outgoing WordPress emails. Make sure to use an email address at the same domain as your website.
Step 3. Create SendLayer Account
Next, you‘ll need to sign up for a free SendLayer account. Visit https://sendlayer.com/ and register an account using your email address and a password.
After logging in, navigate to the Email API page. You should see an API key has already been generated for you:
[Insert screenshot of SendLayer dashboard with API key circled]Copy this API key, head back to your WordPress site, and paste it into the API key field in the WP Mail SMTP setup wizard.
Step 4. Verify Domain in SendLayer
To maintain high deliverability, SendLayer requires you to verify domain ownership. This confirms you‘re authorized to send emails using your domain name.
In your SendLayer account, go to the Configurations page and click "Verify New Domain". Enter your website‘s domain name:
[Insert gif demonstrating domain verification in SendLayer]On the next screen, SendLayer will provide DNS records (CNAME and TXT) you need to add to your domain‘s DNS settings:
[Insert screenshot of SendLayer domain verification DNS records]The specific steps to add these DNS records will vary based on your domain registrar or hosting provider. If you‘re not sure where to update DNS settings, contact your provider‘s support team for assistance.
For example, if you‘re using Bluehost, you would:
- Log into your Bluehost account and select "Domains" from the left sidebar
- Click "Manage" next to the domain you‘re verifying
- Locate the "DNS Records" section and click "Add Record"
- Select CNAME from the Type dropdown and enter the Host/Name and Value provided by SendLayer
- Repeat step 4 for the remaining CNAME records and also add the TXT record
Once you‘ve added the records, return to SendLayer and click "Verify DNS Records". It can take some time for DNS changes to fully propagate, so don‘t be alarmed if verification doesn‘t happen immediately.
Step 5. Send Test Email
After your domain is verified, your SendLayer account should be fully activated. In the WP Mail SMTP settings, navigate to the "Email Test" tab and send a test email to an address you have access to:
[Insert screenshot of successful test email in WP Mail SMTP]When the test email arrives successfully, congrats! You‘ve properly set up SendLayer SMTP on your WordPress site. Email delivery issues should now be a thing of the past.
WordPress SMTP FAQ & Troubleshooting
Before we wrap up, let me address some frequently asked questions I see about WordPress SMTP setup:
What if I already have a Gmail or Outlook account? Can I use those instead of SendLayer?
Yes! WP Mail SMTP supports using your existing Gmail (Google Workspace) or Microsoft Outlook account for sending WordPress emails.
However, I generally recommend using a dedicated SMTP provider like SendLayer because:
- Gmail and Outlook accounts have stricter sending limits (300-500 emails/day)
- Deliverability can suffer if your Gmail/Outlook account gets flagged as spam
- Setting up Gmail/Outlook SMTP can be tricky and requires creating app passwords
If you do want to use Gmail or Outlook, refer to WP Mail SMTP‘s documentation for step-by-step walkthroughs:
What are some other reputable SMTP providers besides SendLayer?
Here‘s a quick comparison table of popular WordPress SMTP providers and their key features:
| Provider | Free Plan | Paid Plans | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| SendLayer | 200 emails/day | Starts at $5/mo | Easy WP Mail SMTP integration, very good deliverability |
| Sendinblue | 300 emails/day | Starts at $25/mo | Marketing automation tools, advanced analytics |
| Mailgun | No | Starts at $35/mo | Inbound email parsing, detailed logs, powerful API |
| Amazon SES | 62,000 emails/mo | $0.10/1000 emails | High scalability, low cost at volume, AWS integration |
My recommendation is to start with SendLayer‘s free plan and upgrade later as needed based on your email volume and feature requirements.
Help! I set up SMTP but some of my emails are still not sending/arriving.
First, double-check you‘ve completed all the setup steps correctly:
- Verify you‘re using the correct SMTP server hostname, port, and authentication settings provided by your SMTP host.
- Ensure you‘ve added and verified all the DNS records required by your SMTP provider.
- Confirm your SMTP credentials (username/password) are entered accurately in the plugin settings.
- Check that your WordPress "From" email address matches the domain you‘ve authenticated with your SMTP provider.
If everything looks right on your end, the problem may be with your SMTP service. Check your SMTP account dashboard for any error notifications or log alerts. Reach out to their support team for further troubleshooting and guidance.
What else can I do to improve WordPress email deliverability?
In addition to setting up a reputable SMTP provider, follow these best practices to maximize your email delivery rates:
- Use double opt-in for your email lists to maintain great list hygiene
- Regularly purge unengaged and invalid email addresses from your database
- Implement DKIM and SPF for your sender domain to improve authentication
- Optimize your email subject lines and content to avoid spam trigger words
- Monitor your sender reputation and engagement rates for signs of problems
Get Your WordPress Emails Delivered Today
I know how frustrating it is when important WordPress emails don‘t reach their intended recipients. Lost password resets, unread customer support messages, and abandoned ecommerce orders are just a few of the critical issues caused by poor email deliverability.
Thankfully, there‘s an easy fix. Set up SMTP in WordPress using a trusted provider like SendLayer. In a matter of minutes, you‘ll have a reliable email system that gets the job done. No more worrying about emails disappearing into the void!
Remember these key steps:
- Install the free WP Mail SMTP plugin
- Choose SendLayer as your mailer (or another supported provider)
- Verify your domain with DNS records
- Send a test email to confirm successful delivery
If you hit any snags along the way, don‘t hesitate to reach out for support. The friendly teams at WP Mail SMTP and SendLayer are always happy to lend a hand.
With your new WordPress SMTP setup in place, you can rest assured your site emails will arrive promptly in user inboxes, not lost in cyberspace or spam folders. Take back control of your WordPress email communications today!
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