> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wpstratos.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure Your SMTP Provider Settings in WP Postman

> Step-by-step instructions for connecting WP Postman to your SMTP provider, with setup guides for Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, and Amazon SES.

Use this guide to connect WP Postman to your SMTP provider so that every email your WordPress site sends — password resets, order notifications, contact-form submissions — is delivered through an authenticated connection rather than the server's local mail agent. The sections below explain each configuration field and provide step-by-step settings for Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, and Amazon SES.

## Configuration Fields

| Field              | Description                                                                                                                                          |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **SMTP Host**      | The hostname of your SMTP server, supplied by your email provider (e.g. `smtp.sendgrid.net`).                                                        |
| **SMTP Port**      | The port number your provider requires. Common values: **587** for TLS (recommended), **465** for SSL, **25** for unencrypted connections.           |
| **Encryption**     | The security layer for the connection. Choose **TLS** (STARTTLS), **SSL**, or **None**. TLS on port 587 is the most widely supported option.         |
| **Authentication** | Toggle this **on** if your SMTP server requires a username and password, which is true for virtually every modern provider.                          |
| **Username**       | Your SMTP login name. This is often your email address, but some providers (like SendGrid) use a fixed string.                                       |
| **Password**       | Your SMTP password or API key.                                                                                                                       |
| **From Email**     | The email address that appears in the **From** field of every outgoing message. Use an address on a domain you own and have authorized to send mail. |
| **From Name**      | The display name recipients see alongside the From address (e.g. your site name or company name).                                                    |

## Provider Setup Guides

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Gmail">
    Use these settings to send through a Google account or Google Workspace account.

    | Setting        | Value                                          |
    | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
    | SMTP Host      | `smtp.gmail.com`                               |
    | SMTP Port      | `587`                                          |
    | Encryption     | TLS                                            |
    | Authentication | Enabled                                        |
    | Username       | Your full Gmail address (e.g. `you@gmail.com`) |
    | Password       | Your Google App Password (see below)           |

    <Warning>
      You cannot use your regular Gmail password here. Google requires an **App Password** for third-party SMTP access. To generate one, you must first enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Google account. Then go to **Google Account → Security → App Passwords**, create a new app password for "Mail", and paste that 16-character code into the Password field in WP Postman.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="SendGrid">
    SendGrid is a dedicated transactional email service well suited to high-volume sending.

    | Setting        | Value                                                |
    | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
    | SMTP Host      | `smtp.sendgrid.net`                                  |
    | SMTP Port      | `587`                                                |
    | Encryption     | TLS                                                  |
    | Authentication | Enabled                                              |
    | Username       | `apikey` (the literal string, not your account name) |
    | Password       | Your SendGrid API key                                |

    Create your API key in the SendGrid dashboard under **Settings → API Keys**. Grant it at least **Mail Send** permissions. Paste the full key string into the Password field — the Username must be the exact word `apikey` regardless of your account details.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Mailgun">
    Mailgun offers reliable deliverability and detailed analytics for transactional email.

    | Setting        | Value                                                                                      |
    | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
    | SMTP Host      | `smtp.mailgun.org` (US region) or `smtp.eu.mailgun.org` (EU region)                        |
    | SMTP Port      | `587`                                                                                      |
    | Encryption     | TLS                                                                                        |
    | Authentication | Enabled                                                                                    |
    | Username       | `postmaster@yourdomain.com` (the postmaster address shown in your Mailgun domain settings) |
    | Password       | Your Mailgun SMTP password (found in the domain settings panel)                            |

    <Note>
      Mailgun operates separate infrastructure for US and EU customers. If your Mailgun account is on the EU region, use `smtp.eu.mailgun.org` as the host. Check your Mailgun dashboard under **Sending → Domains** to confirm which region your domain is on.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Amazon SES">
    Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cost-effective choice for high-volume or AWS-integrated workloads.

    | Setting        | Value                                                      |
    | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
    | SMTP Host      | Region-specific, e.g. `email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` |
    | SMTP Port      | `587`                                                      |
    | Encryption     | TLS                                                        |
    | Authentication | Enabled                                                    |
    | Username       | Your SES SMTP username                                     |
    | Password       | Your SES SMTP password                                     |

    <Warning>
      SES SMTP credentials are **not** the same as your AWS IAM access keys. You must generate dedicated SMTP credentials inside the SES console: go to **Amazon SES → SMTP Settings → Create SMTP Credentials**. Replace `us-east-1` in the host with the AWS region where you have verified your sending domain or address.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Testing Your Configuration

After entering your SMTP details, verify everything works before your site sends a real message to a real user.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Save your SMTP settings">
    Click **Save Changes** at the bottom of the SMTP settings screen to store your configuration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Send Test Email">
    On the same settings page, locate the **Send Test Email** section below the configuration fields.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter a recipient address">
    Type an email address you have immediate access to — your own inbox is ideal — into the recipient field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send and check your inbox">
    Click the **Send** button. Switch to your email client and confirm the test message has arrived. Delivery is usually near-instant for a correctly configured provider.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the logs if the test fails">
    If the message does not arrive, open [Email Logs](/plugins/wp-postman/email-logs) to find the failed entry. The error message recorded there will tell you exactly what the SMTP server rejected and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Always use port **587 with TLS** when your provider supports it. This combination (STARTTLS on port 587) is the modern standard: it's widely supported, passes through most firewalls, and encrypts the connection before credentials are transmitted. Port 465 (SSL) is an older standard that still works but is less universally accepted.
</Tip>


## Related topics

- [WP Postman: Reliable SMTP Email for Your WordPress Site](/plugins/wp-postman/overview.md)
- [WP Postman Email Logs: View Delivery History and Errors](/plugins/wp-postman/email-logs.md)
- [Diagnose and Fix Email Delivery Problems in WP Postman](/troubleshooting/email-delivery.md)
- [WP Stratos: Get Your WordPress Site Live in Minutes](/quickstart.md)
- [Introduction to WP Stratos Managed WordPress Hosting](/introduction.md)