What is WP Mail SMTP for WordPress?

When you set up a WordPress site and use things like contact forms, order notifications, or password reset emails, WordPress needs a way to send those emails out. By default, it tries to send emails directly from your hosting server. The problem is, most hosting servers aren’t set up to send emails reliably. A lot of those emails end up in spam folders — or don’t get delivered at all.

That’s where WP Mail SMTP comes in. It’s a plugin that fixes how your WordPress site sends emails. Instead of relying on your hosting server, it connects your site to a proper email service like Gmail, Outlook, SendGrid, SMTP.com, or even your own business email. These services handle email delivery professionally, so your messages are more likely to reach inboxes.

Here’s what WP Mail SMTP does in simple terms:

• It rewires your WordPress site to send emails through an actual SMTP server (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
• It authenticates your emails, proving they come from a real sender and not a spammer.
• It improves deliverability, meaning your customers, users, or admin team actually receive the emails WordPress sends.

You usually just need to enter SMTP settings like:

• SMTP Host (example: smtp.gmail.com)
• SMTP Port (usually 465 for SSL or 587 for TLS)
• Username (your email address)
• Password (or an app password)

WP Mail SMTP also offers an easy setup wizard and supports OAuth for services like Gmail, so you don’t have to enter passwords manually.

There’s a free version that works for basic email needs, but if you want extra features like detailed email logs, email resend, open and click tracking, or setting different SMTP providers for different types of emails, there’s also a Pro version.

In short, if you notice your WordPress emails aren’t getting delivered — or you want to avoid problems later — installing WP Mail SMTP is one of the first things you should do.