{"id":10563,"date":"2026-03-23T15:19:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pair.com\/support\/kb\/?post_type=ht_kb&p=10563"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:19:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:19:13","slug":"setting-up-an-smtp-plugin-to-send-wordpress-emails","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.pair.com\/support\/kb\/setting-up-an-smtp-plugin-to-send-wordpress-emails\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Up an SMTP Plugin to Send WordPress Emails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By default, WordPress sends email using the server\u2019s built-in mail function. On Pair Servers, this results in messages being sent from a generic address such as anonymous@something.pairserver.com. Because this address is not associated with your domain\u2019s SPF or DKIM records, many email providers, including Gmail, will reject these messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This issue is most noticeable when attempting to reset a WordPress password. If the reset email is not delivered, you may be unable to access your site without manual intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure reliable delivery, you can configure WordPress to send email through SMTP using a plugin. This guide walks you through installing and setting up WP Mail SMTP<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other SMTP plugins are available if you prefer a different plugin, though their setup process may differ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In the left-hand menu, click Plugins<\/strong> \u2192 Add Plugin<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In the search bar, type WP Mail SMTP<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Find \u201cWP Mail SMTP by WPForms<\/a>\u201d and click Install Now<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Click Activate<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. After activation, the setup wizard will start automatically.

    If it does not, click WP Mail SMTP \u2192 Settings \u2192 Launch Setup Wizard. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Configure SMTP Settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. In the WP Mail SMTP Setup Wizard, click Let\u2019s Get Started<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Choose your SMTP mailer. If your mail provider is not listed, or if you use a Pair mailbox, click Other SMTP<\/strong>
      <\/strong>
      <\/strong>Note: <\/strong>The email address you use must be a valid email with login credentials. It does not need to be hosted by Pair Networks. Forwarding recipes, and other recipe configurations cannot be used, as they do not support SMTP authentication. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Click Save and Continue
      <\/strong>\"WP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Fill in the form:
      <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      SMTP Host<\/td>The hostname of your mail server. If you are using a Pair Mailbox, see Finding Your Email\u2019s Incoming and Outgoing Servers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
      Encryption<\/td>The security method used to protect the connection between your site and the mail server. TLS (recommended)SSL<\/td><\/tr>
      SMTP Port<\/td>The network port used to connect the mail server. This must match the selected encryption method. 587 for TLS465 for SSL<\/td><\/tr>
      Auto TLS

      (only appears when SSL is selected as the encryption method) <\/td>      		By default, TLS encryption is automatically used if the server supports it. In some cases, due to server misconfigurations, this can cause issues and may need to be disabled.<\/td><\/tr>
      Authentication<\/td>Determines whether the mail server requires login credentials to send email. This should be enabled in most cases. <\/td><\/tr>
      SMTP Username<\/td>The username used to authenticate with the mail server. This is typically your full email address. <\/td><\/tr>
      SMTP Password<\/td>The password for the email account used to send messages. <\/td><\/tr>
      From Name<\/td>The name that appears as the sender in outgoing emails. <\/td><\/tr>
      Force From Name<\/td>If enabled, the From Nam<\/strong>e setting will be used for all emails, ignoring values set by other plugins. <\/td><\/tr>
      From Email<\/td>The email address that appears as the sender in outgoing messages. <\/td><\/tr>
      Force From Email<\/td>If toggled on, the From Email<\/strong> setting will be used for all emails, ignoring the values set by other plugins. 
      We recommend enabling this for Pair mailboxes. <\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Click Save and Continue
        <\/strong>\"WP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Select any optional email features you want to enable, then click Save and Continue<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Choose whether you want to share usage data to help improve the plugin. Click Skip this Step <\/strong>or complete the form and click Save and Continue<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. When prompted to upgrade, note that the free version is sufficient for SMTP setup. Click Skip this Step <\/strong>to continue. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Click Finish Setup<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Send a Test Email<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. In the WordPress Admin dashboard, click WP Mail SMTP \u2192 Tools<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2.  In the Email Test tab, enter an email address you can access<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Click Send Email<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Confirm the email is received<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          By default, WordPress sends email using the server\u2019s built-in mail function. On Pair Servers, this results in messages being sent from a generic address such as anonymous@something.pairserver.com. Because this address is not associated with your domain\u2019s SPF or DKIM records, many email providers, including Gmail, will reject these messages.  This…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"ht-kb-category":[10],"ht-kb-tag":[],"yoast_head":"\nSetting Up an SMTP Plugin to Send WordPress Emails - Knowledge Base - Pair Networks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pair.com\/support\/kb\/setting-up-an-smtp-plugin-to-send-wordpress-emails\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Setting Up an SMTP Plugin to Send WordPress Emails - Knowledge Base - Pair Networks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By default, WordPress sends email using the server\u2019s built-in mail function. 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