How to fix WordPress emails not sending

If you’ve got a WordPress website, you might have encountered issues with emails not sending. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying to communicate with your customers, receive form submissions, or even just get notifications from your website. In this post, we’ll explore why this common issue happens and provide a step-by-step guide on how to resolve it using the WP Mail SMTP plugin.

Why Emails Aren’t Sending from Your WordPress Website

There are several reasons why emails might not be sending from your WordPress site:

1. Server Configuration Issues: Many web hosting providers are not configured to use the PHP mail() function by default, which WordPress relies on to send emails.
2. Spam Filters: Emails sent from your website may be flagged as spam, especially if they are sent from a generic email address like noreply@yourdomain.com.
3. Email Authentication: Without proper authentication (such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records), emails from your site can be rejected by recipient email servers.
4. Plugin Conflicts: Some plugins might conflict with the email sending functionality, causing emails to fail.

How to Fix Email Sending Issues with WP Mail SMTP

The WP Mail SMTP plugin is a powerful tool that can help resolve email sending issues by reconfiguring WordPress to use a proper SMTP provider when sending emails. Here’s how you can set it up:

Step 1: Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. In the search bar, type WP Mail SMTP.
4. Click Install Now, then Activate the plugin.

Step 2: Configure the Plugin

1. Navigate to WP Mail SMTP > Settings.
2. From Email: Enter the email address you want to send emails from. Make sure this email address matches the domain of your website to avoid being marked as spam.
3. From Name: Enter the name you want your emails to be sent from (e.g., Your Website Name).

Step 3: Choose an SMTP Mailer

WP Mail SMTP supports various mailers. The most popular ones include:

• SMTP.com
• Sendinblue
• Mailgun
• SendGrid
• Gmail

For this example, we’ll use Gmail.

1. Mailer: Select Gmail.
2. You’ll need to create a web application in your Google account and obtain OAuth 2.0 credentials. Click on the link provided in the plugin settings to go to the Google Developer Console.

Step 4: Create a Project in Google Developer Console

1. Go to the Google Developer Console.
2. Create a new project.
3. Enable the Gmail API for your project.
4. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials and set up the consent screen. Use the information provided in the plugin settings for the correct redirect URIs.

Step 5: Connect Google Account to WP Mail SMTP

1. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret from the Google Developer Console and paste them into the WP Mail SMTP settings.
2. Click on Save Settings.
3. A new button labeled Allow plugin to send emails using your Google account will appear. Click on it to authorize the connection.

Step 6: Test Your Email Settings

1. Navigate to WP Mail SMTP > Email Test.
2. Enter an email address to send a test email to and click Send Email.
3. Check your inbox for the test email to ensure everything is working correctly.

Conclusion

Email sending issues can be a major headache for WordPress site owners, but they are usually easy to fix with the right tools. The WP Mail SMTP plugin is an excellent solution that ensures your emails are sent reliably by using an external SMTP server. By following the steps outlined above, you can configure your site to send emails properly, ensuring smooth communication with your users and uninterrupted operation of your website.

If you’re encountering issues with your WordPress website, we can help. Simply get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help.