Hey there! Are you frustrated by WordPress emails not being delivered? I know how annoying it can be to have important messages like password reset emails or form notifications end up lost or in spam folders.
The truth is, over 20% of opt-in emails never make it to the inbox. That‘s where using an SMTP server comes in. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard way to send emails reliably.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to configure WordPress to use a free SMTP server to solve your email deliverability woes. I‘ve helped hundreds of clients improve their email setup and I‘m excited to share what I‘ve learned with you!
Why You Need an SMTP Server for WordPress Emails
First, let‘s talk about why you even need an SMTP server in the first place. By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail function to send emails. However, many shared hosting servers aren‘t configured properly for PHP mail, which can lead to a whole host of issues:
- Emails being flagged as spam by recipients‘ servers
- Emails not being delivered at all
- Emails being rejected due to lack of authentication
- No logging or reporting to track email status
Research shows that 77% of email delivery problems are due to inadequate email server configuration. Using a dedicated SMTP server avoids these issues by:
- Properly authenticating your email sending domain
- Handling the technical specifics of email delivery
- Providing logging and reporting to track emails
- Maintaining a positive sending reputation with ISPs
So if you want to make sure reservation confirmations, contact form submissions, and other mission-critical emails are making it to recipients, using an SMTP provider is a must.
How to Choose a Free SMTP Server Provider
There are a number of reliable and free SMTP server providers out there. Here‘s a quick comparison of some of the most popular options:
| Provider | Free Email Limit | Signup Requirements | Ease of Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sendinblue | 300/day | Name, company, phone | Easy |
| Gmail | 500/day | Google account | Moderate |
| Mailgun | 5,000/month (3 months) | Credit card | Technical |
| SendGrid | 100/day | Name, company, phone | Moderate |
For most WordPress sites, I recommend Sendinblue as the best free SMTP server. Their free plan includes:
- 300 emails per day
- No credit card required to sign up
- Intuitive dashboard to manage settings
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- 99.9% email deliverability rate
They also have affordable paid plans starting at $25/month if you need to send more emails.
But no matter which provider you choose, I‘ll give you step-by-step instructions for setting them up with the free WP Mail SMTP plugin below. Let‘s dive in!
Step 1: Install WP Mail SMTP Plugin
To connect WordPress to a third-party SMTP server, you‘ll need the free WP Mail SMTP plugin. This is one of the most popular free WordPress plugins with over 2 million active installs.
Here‘s how to install it:
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New
- Search for "WP Mail SMTP"
- Click "Install Now"
- Click "Activate"
Once activated, head over to WP Mail SMTP → Settings to configure the basics. Enter the "From Email" and "From Name" you want to use for emails sent from your site.
I also recommend checking the "Force From Email" option. This will make sure that all emails are sent through your SMTP server, even if a plugin tries to use the default PHP mail.
Step 2: Configure Your SMTP Server
Next, you need to choose your mailer. WP Mail SMTP supports all the major free SMTP providers including:
- Sendinblue
- Gmail
- Mailgun
- Sendgrid
- And more
I‘ll provide specific setup instructions for the most popular options below. Use the quick links to jump to the one you want to use:
Setting up Sendinblue
Sendinblue is my top recommendation for a free SMTP server. It‘s easy to set up, has great deliverability, and is suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
Step 1: Create a free Sendinblue account. You‘ll be prompted to enter your name, email, and company. No credit card is required for the free plan.
Step 2: Go to Settings → SMTP & API. Here you‘ll see an SMTP key. Copy this key.
Step 3: Back in your WordPress dashboard, go to WP Mail SMTP → Settings. Select "Sendinblue" as your mailer and paste in the API key. Save your settings.
Step 4 (Optional): To improve deliverability, I recommend authenticating your domain. This involves adding some DNS records to prove you own your sending domain.
First, in your web hosting account, create a subdomain like smtp.yourdomain.com. Then, in your Sendinblue account, go to Settings → Senders & Domains to add this subdomain as a new sender domain.
You‘ll be provided with a set of CNAME, TXT and MX records to add to your DNS. It may take 24-48 hours for DNS changes to fully propagate.
Step 5: Send a test email from WP Mail SMTP. Go to the "Email Test" tab, enter an email address, and click "Send Email." If all went well, you should receive the test email within a few minutes.
That‘s it! Your WordPress site is now set up to send email using Sendinblue‘s SMTP servers. You can monitor email analytics and reports right from your Sendinblue dashboard.
Setting up Gmail
If you have a Gmail or Google Workspace account, you can use Gmail‘s free SMTP server to send up to 500 emails per day. The setup process is a bit more technical, but I‘ll walk you through it step-by-step.
Step 1: Create a Google web application for your WordPress site.
- Go to the Google Developers Console (https://console.developers.google.com/)
- Click "Create a New Project" and enter a name
- On the APIs screen, enable the "Gmail API"
- Go to "Create Credentials" and select "OAuth client ID"
- Choose "Web Application" as the app type
- Enter your WordPress site‘s URL under "Authorized JavaScript origins"
- Copy the Redirect URL from the WP Mail SMTP settings and paste it under "Authorized redirect URIs"
- Click "Create" to get your Client ID and Client secret
Step 2: In the WP Mail SMTP settings, select "Gmail" as your mailer. Paste in the Client ID and Client Secret. Save your settings.
Step 3: Click the "Allow plugin to send emails using your Google account" button to complete the OAuth authorization process. You‘ll need to log in to your Google account and grant permission.
Step 4: Send a test email to make sure everything is working properly. You should see a success message and receive the email in your inbox.
Keep in mind that Gmail has a limit of 500 emails per day for free accounts. If you need to send more than that, you‘ll need to set up a Google Workspace account with higher limits.
Setting up Mailgun
Mailgun is a developer-focused email sending service. They offer up to 5,000 free emails per month for the first 3 months. After that, pricing starts at $35/month for 50,000 emails.
The setup process is a bit technical, so I only recommend Mailgun if you‘re comfortable configuring DNS records.
Step 1: Sign up for a free Mailgun account. You‘ll need to provide a credit card for verification, but you won‘t be charged until you exceed the free limits.
Step 2: Create a new domain in your Mailgun account. Enter the subdomain you want to use for email sending (e.g. mg.yourdomain.com).
Step 3: Add DNS records to verify your domain and configure sending. Mailgun will provide you with the TXT, CNAME, and MX records you need to add in your hosting account‘s DNS settings.
Step 4: In the WP Mail SMTP settings, select "Mailgun" as your mailer. Copy your Mailgun API key and paste it into the field. Enter the subdomain you set up in step 2.
Step 5: Save your settings and send a test email. If you‘ve configured everything correctly, the test will be successful and you‘ll see your email in the Mailgun logs.
Mailgun provides a powerful sending infrastructure, but the setup can be challenging for beginners. Their documentation is geared towards developers, so be prepared to get technical if you choose this option.
Setting up SendGrid
SendGrid is another developer-focused email delivery service. Their free plan allows you to send up to 100 emails per day forever. You can also send up to 40,000 emails for the first 30 days as part of a trial.
The SendGrid setup process is similar to Mailgun in terms of technical requirements. Here‘s a quick overview:
Step 1: Create a free SendGrid account. You‘ll need to provide a phone number for verification.
Step 2: Complete domain authentication by creating a new sender identity and adding DNS records. SendGrid will guide you through the process.
Step 3: Create a new API key with "full access" permissions for sending email. Copy this key.
Step 4: In the WP Mail SMTP settings, select "SendGrid" as your mailer. Paste in your API key and save the settings.
Step 5: Send a test email to make sure everything is configured properly.
SendGrid is a powerful platform, but like Mailgun, it may be overkill if you just need simple email sending for your WordPress site. Their free tier is also limited compared to options like Sendinblue.
Tips for Better Email Deliverability
In addition to using a reliable SMTP server, there are a few other best practices you can implement to improve email deliverability:
1. Authenticate your sending domain: As I mentioned in the setup steps, authenticating your domain with SPF and DKIM records can significantly improve deliverability. This proves to recipient servers that you‘ve given permission for the SMTP provider to send email on behalf of your domain.
2. Keep your contact lists clean: Regularly remove invalid, inactive, or bounced email addresses from your lists. Sending to too many invalid addresses can harm your sender reputation.
3. Follow email best practices: Avoid spammy subject lines, use double opt-in for signups, and include an unsubscribe link in every email. These practices help maintain good standing with your SMTP provider.
4. Monitor your email analytics: Most SMTP providers offer detailed analytics on email delivery, opens, clicks, and bounces. Keep an eye on these metrics to catch any potential issues early.
5. Warm up your sending slowly: If you‘re switching to a new SMTP provider, start by sending small batches of emails and gradually increasing the volume. This allows you to establish a good sender reputation with the new provider.
By implementing these tips along with a reliable SMTP server, you can maximize the chances of your WordPress emails making it to recipients‘ inboxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap up, I want to address a few common questions I see about SMTP servers and WordPress emails.
What happens if I exceed the sending limits on a free plan?
Most SMTP providers will prevent you from sending any additional emails until the next billing cycle or until you upgrade to a paid plan. Some may charge you overage fees. Be sure to keep an eye on your usage and upgrade if needed.
Can I use my web host‘s SMTP server instead of a third-party one?
Some web hosts do offer a properly configured SMTP server that you can use for sending WordPress emails. However, many shared hosts have poor email server configurations that can lead to deliverability issues.
If your web host offers a reliable SMTP server with good deliverability, feel free to use it. Otherwise, I recommend going with one of the third-party options covered in this guide.
Do I need an SMTP server if I‘m just sending a few notification emails?
While you may be able to get by with the default PHP mail setup if you‘re only sending a handful of emails, it‘s still a good idea to use an SMTP server. It eliminates the possibility of emails being lost or marked as spam due to server misconfigurations.
Most of the SMTP providers covered in this guide offer generous free plans, so there‘s no reason not to set one up even for small sending volumes. The peace of mind is worth it.
What if I need to send more than the free sending limits?
If you hit the limits of a free plan, most SMTP providers offer affordable pay-as-you-go or monthly tiered plans that allow you to scale up your sending. For example, Sendinblue offers plans starting at $25/month for up to 10,000 emails.
Alternatively, you could use a free SMTP server like Gmail for your transactional emails and a paid email marketing platform like Constant Contact or Mailchimp for bulk newsletters. This allows you to get the best of both worlds.
Over to You
By now you should have a solid understanding of why you need an SMTP server to send WordPress emails and how to set one up using a free provider like Sendinblue, Gmail, Mailgun, or SendGrid.
Remember, reliable email sending is critical for everything from password resets to eCommerce receipts. Don‘t let poor delivery ruin the customer experience on your WordPress site.
If you have any additional questions about WordPress emails or SMTP servers, feel free to leave a comment below. I‘ll do my best to help out!
Happy emailing,
-Your Name
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