How to Setup WP Mail SMTP in WordPress

Using a dedicated SMTP plugin and provider is the industry standard for ensuring WordPress transactional emails reach the inbox instead of spam.

Based on 8 community reports.

Linked sources: 8.

Known Issues

• Default text/plain header stripping HTML styling
• Conflicts with local development environments
• Incompatibility with mass email marketing

Community Q&A

What does WP Mail SMTP actually do?

It routes your WordPress site’s transactional emails (like password resets or order notifications) through a professional SMTP provider instead of your server’s default PHP mail function.

Why are my WordPress emails going to spam?

Emails sent via the default PHP mail() function are often flagged as spam. Using an SMTP plugin with proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records significantly improves deliverability.

Can I use WP Mail SMTP for mass newsletters?

No, WordPress is not designed for mass email marketing. Using it for newsletters can get your domain blacklisted; use a dedicated email marketing service instead.

Reddit Sources

• Tell me which plugins I shouldn’t be using (r/Wordpress)
• [Question] Where to actually compose and send to subscribers after connecting with gmail through WP Mail SMTP (r/Wordpress)
• Contact Form 7 not sending emails to MailHog on local Lando environment, but WP Mail SMTP test works (r/Wordpress)
• Learning about email deliverability (r/Wordpress)
• Using WordPress as an agency. Best practice? (r/Wordpress)
• Captcha 3 Breaks Contact Form 7 (Sometimes) (r/Wordpress)
• WordPress custom AJAX form submits silently — no email sent, no console errors (r/Wordpress)
• WP Forms email notification loses all styling when sent via WP SMTP (r/Wordpress)