How to Properly Configure Your WordPress Email Settings: An Expert Guide

Sending and receiving emails is a crucial part of managing any WordPress site. But the default WordPress mailing system fails far too often.

Studies show that over 15% of emails sent from websites never reach the recipient‘s inbox. This leads to lost subscriptions, missed communications, and frustrated users.

The reason? The built-in PHP mail() function used by WordPress is simply not suited for sending emails reliably at scale.

The solution is to switch to using SMTP, the standard email sending protocol, for your WordPress site.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through:

• Understanding the limitations of default WordPress email
• How setting up SMTP dramatically improves email deliverability
• Choosing the best SMTP service provider
• Step-by-step instructions to configure SMTP on your WordPress site
• Advanced tips for maximum email reliability
• Additional email marketing best practices to further boost results

So whether you are facing email errors, deliverability issues, or just want to level up your email game, this guide covers everything you need to properly configure your WordPress email settings.

Why the Default WordPress Email Method Fails

Every WordPress site uses the PHP mail() function to send emails – account registration messages, password reset emails, contact form notifications, comments, etc.

Here‘s how it works:

When you trigger an email using WordPress, it hands off the message to your web server which then attempts to deliver that email directly using the mail() function.

However, this approach has two big problems:

No Proper Authentication

Your web server lacks proper email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, DMARC that major email providers use to identify legitimate emails.

So recipients like Gmail, Yahoo, etc. have no way to verify the email from your web server and frequently flag such messages as spam.

Hosting Provider Restrictions

Most shared hosting plans block outbound SMTP ports (25, 465, 587) to prevent spam and abuse. So the mail() function fails with configuration errors.

Even VPS and dedicated hosting plans often apply throttling limits, blacklists, or require request approvals before allowing direct SMTP access from your server.

Without a dedicated SMTP server, the default mail() function in WordPress is unreliable at best and completely unusable at worst.

According to recent email deliverability benchmarks, the average inbox placement rate for mail() is just 76.3% meaning nearly 1 in 4 emails end up missing or in spam.

Clearly, sticking to the default WordPress mailing system means you will fight constant email delivery issues and lost messages.

How SMTP Dramatically Improves Email Deliverability

SMTP or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is the standard for sending emails across the internet. It works by using dedicated SMTP servers specialized in reliably delivering high volumes of emails.

Here are four ways that switching to SMTP significantly improves the deliverability of WordPress emails:

Direct Access to Mail Servers

SMTP providers maintain banks of specialized mail servers optimized to deliver your emails efficiently and error-free.

You simply hand off the emails to them instead of your own web server. This bypasses any hosting provider limitations or restrictions.

Built-in Authentication and Security

Reputable SMTP providers implement advanced email authentication and security measures like:

• SPF records to verify sender identity
• DKIM signatures for message integrity
• DMARC policy alignment
• Required TLS encryption
• Automatic spam checks
• Blacklist monitoring

This convinces recipient servers to land your messages straight into the intended inbox rather than spam folders or rejections.

Detailed Email Activity Logs

SMTP services provide real-time logs allowing you to monitor the delivery status of every email:

• Sent
• Delivered
• Opened
• Clicked
• Bounced
• Unsubscribed
• Marked as Spam
• Failed

Easy access to such email activity data makes debugging issues quicker.

High-Volume Sending

Most shared hosting plans limit you to a few hundred emails per hour. But SMTP providers can deliver thousands of emails per minute.

So you get the power and scalability to send large newsletters, promotions, etc. and handle spikes in traffic without disruptions.

By handling the heavy lifting of email delivery, a dedicated SMTP provider massively boosts the inbox placement rates compared to the default WordPress mail function.

Choosing the Best SMTP Provider for WordPress

The key is picking a reliable SMTP service tailored to the needs of your WordPress site. Here are the most important factors to evaluate:

Delivery Rates

This is ultimately what matters – how much of your emails actually reach the inbox.

Verify independent deliverability benchmarks before choosing a provider. For example, Sendinblue and Sendgrid offer stellar 97%+ inbox placement rates.

Plans and Pricing

You want an SMTP service that is affordable yet scalable. Most offer a free tier up to a certain volume along with flexible pricing plans.

Watch out for hidden fees. Services like Mailgun charge per email which gets very expensive. Other options like Sendinblue provide more value.

Integrations

If you use tools like MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc. for email marketing, pick an SMTP provider that integrates with them for seamless compatibility.

Reputation and Reliability

Research the provider‘s reputation based on user reviews and industry feedback. Prioritize well-known established services for better deliverability.

Support Options

Look for responsive customer support via live chat, email, phone, etc in case you need assistance setting up or troubleshooting issues.

According to WordPress experts, the top SMTP providers in 2022 are:

• Sendinblue – The #1 choice. Extremely affordable plans starting free. Easy integration and stellar 97%+ delivery rate.

• Sendgrid – A very popular and reputable provider. Excellent deliverability with 99.9% uptime. Partners with leading email services.

• Mailgun – Owned by Rackspace. Very developer-friendly SMTP service though pricing is complex.

• Mailjet – European provider with great support. Solid deliverability rates and a free plan up to 200 emails daily.

• SparkPost – Enterprise-grade solution great for huge email volumes. But setup and usage has a learning curve.

For most WordPress site owners, Sendinblue and Sendgrid offer the best blend of deliverability, ease-of-use, and value making them great places to start.

Step-by-Step Guide to Configure SMTP for WordPress

Manually configuring SMTP for WordPress can get complex quickly. That‘s why we strongly recommend using the WP Mail SMTP plugin.

It makes connecting WordPress email with any SMTP service a breeze with just a few clicks.

Here is how to set it up:

1. Install and Activate WP Mail SMTP Plugin

First, download the free WP Mail SMTP plugin from WordPress.org and install it on your site:

Download WP Mail SMTP

The free version works well for basic SMTP setup. For advanced features, consider upgrading to their Pro version.

2. Sign Up for an SMTP Provider Account

Next, create an account with your preferred SMTP service like Sendinblue, Sendgrid, etc.

Follow their guide to add and verify your sending domain. This validates ownership so your emails get authenticated properly when sent via their SMTP servers.

Also, generate and copy the API key from your SMTP provider‘s dashboard. This is needed for the integration.

3. Connect SMTP Provider with WP Mail SMTP

In your WordPress admin, go to WP Mail SMTP > Settings and paste the license key if you upgraded to Pro.

Next, pick your SMTP provider from the Mailer dropdown menu.

Enter the From Email and From Name that should appear in emails sent from your site.

Then, paste the API key you copied from your SMTP provider into the field.

Hit Save Settings and you‘re all connected! Emails will now be routed through your SMTP provider.

4. Test It Out

To confirm everything is working, go to the Email Test tab in the WP Mail SMTP settings.

Enter an email address you own and hit Send Test Email. Check your inbox for the message.

This verifies your WordPress site is seamlessly sending mail via your dedicated SMTP server.

That‘s all it takes to get up and running with SMTP for your WordPress site powered by WP Mail SMTP!

Going Beyond the Basics for Maximum Email Reliability

Setting up a reputable SMTP provider via WP Mail SMTP drastically enhances your WordPress email deliverability over the default wp_mail() function.

But if you want to take it to the next level, here are some additional tips:

Enable Reverse DNS for Your SMTP IP

Verify that reverse DNS is properly configured for the IP addresses used by your SMTP provider. This further improves sender reputation.

Generate DKIM Keys

Creating DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) public-private key pairs and publishing the public keys in your DNS provides added authentication.

Review Authentication Records

Double check that your SPF and DMARC policies are correct. Having issues here can undermine email deliverability.

Enforce Encryption

Require Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption for your outgoing emails and reject any unencrypted connections.

Adjust Reputation Settings

Tune your SMTP reputation thresholds, bounce limits, spam complaint sensitivities to balance deliverability and security.

Monitor Blacklists

Keep checking if your sending IPs are blacklisted by ISPs like Spamhaus or blocked by Gmail, Yahoo, etc. and resolve any issues immediately.

Of course, you do not need to configure all these advanced options just to get started. But they provide additional protection as your email volumes scale up.

Complement SMTP with Solid Email Marketing Practices

Configuring SMTP fixes the email sending side of things. But you should also optimize your mailing strategy:

Make Opt-in Forms Obvious

Use popups, embedded boxes, welcome gates, and other smart ways to collect emails through opt-in forms. Gain subscriber permission.

Maintain List Hygiene

Regularly prune your list by removing inactive subscribers, bogus addresses, spammers, or abuse complaints. Keep it clean.

Personalize Subject Lines

Emails with personalized subject lines have a 50% higher open rate than generic ones. Add first names, locations, etc.

Write Attention-Grabbing Content

Well-written, valuable content focused on helping the reader drives engagement and sharing. Use visuals and videos.

A/B Test Your Emails

Try different email content, designs, subject lines, calls to action etc. and track open & click rates to determine what works.

AutomateSequences

Set up automated welcome, onboarding, re-engagement, and other workflows based on time delays or user actions.

Avoid Spam Trigger Words

Don‘t overuse terms like “Free”, “Deal”, “Offer”, “Buy Now”, etc. or your emails will get flagged as spam.

Following email best practices along with a proper SMTP setup is key to maximizing deliverability and response.

Key Takeaways

The default WordPress mailing system using the PHP mail() function has serious deliverability limitations resulting in missed or blocked emails.

Switching to a dedicated SMTP provider improves inbox placement rates from 76% to 97%+ along with better security and detailed analytics.

WP Mail SMTP makes connecting your WordPress site with leading SMTP services like Sendinblue and Sendgrid a breeze.

Beyond basic setup, you can further enhance deliverability by configuring reverse DNS, DKIM keys, reputation thresholds, and more based on your needs.

When combined with email list building, automation, and optimization best practices, SMTP provides the complete solution for maximizing your WordPress email capabilities.