How to Get WordPress Emails to Work

So, you can’t get your WordPress website email to work. Forms get filled out, and nothing arrives in your inbox. Update and user activity emails are MIA. That’s probably because we skipped a few simple steps. So, let’s get your WordPress email up and running!

Your Email Address Makes a Difference

The first thing to get in place is a domain email address for the website. An email address that uses the same domain as your website.

For example, you can use we*****@********in.com or re******@********in.com he***@********in.com. You get the idea. Just don’t use info@ — spammers target that address.

If you use an off-site email address, such as yo*@***il.com, aol.com, or yahoo.com — chances are you won’t get WordPress system-generated emails. Why? Security.

Obvious security reasons come into play when you use an email address that is not the same as the domain on your website. For example, someone can’t hack your site and then use it to send emails using an address other than your dot com. That makes sense, right?

Some web hosts offer domain email services, while others only provide hosting servers — not email servers. In my case, I use Zoho.com for my email and hosting email for my other sites.

You want to consider whether having your email and website on the same server is a good idea. If the server goes down, you will be entirely offline and have no way to communicate your status with a branded website email address that folks would recognize.

Email Authentication Methods

Your email provider will furnish Mail Exchange Servers (MX Servers) that must be added to your domain’s DNS record. Also, look for comprehensive security with DKIM, DMARC, and SPF TXT record entries you can also add.

These additional DNS record additions prove to ISPs and mail services that senders are authorized to send emails from a particular domain. In addition, these other DNS records verify that your outgoing email server is sending emails through your domain.

DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) is an email authentication technique that allows the receiver to check that an email was indeed sent and authorized by the owner of that domain. This is done by giving the email a digital signature. This DKIM signature is a header added to the message and secured with encryption.
Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) is a free and open technical specification used to authenticate an email by aligning SPF and DKIM mechanisms. By having DMARC in place, domain owners, large and small, can fight business email compromise, phishing, and spoofing.
The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication technique that prevents spammers from sending messages on behalf of your domain.

So just set that up. Check.

An SMTP Plugin is a Good Idea

Here is where having an email service helps keep WordPress emails operational. But, to be honest, working on WordPress websites from the start, more times than not, we end up having to integrate an SMTP plugin.

Here are plugins I currently use (*) and have used and, therefore, can recommend:

WordPress SMTP Settings

You’ll need a few bits of information on hand before you can set up your email service or hosting company to route your website emails.

Outgoing SMTP Server Address
SMTP Port
Recommended SSL/TLS Connection Setting
User Name and Password for your email account.

Once the correct settings are in place, send a test email via the plugin. Then, go on your website and complete any contact forms you have in place to double-check they are running as you wish.

If all goes smoothly, you know your WordPress website emails are now configured and are one less thing for you to worry about.

At your service,

*Some of the links on this page are to companies with which I have a professional affiliation.
Read my complete affiliate statement here.