Today we set up a new email account for a client and ran into an issue that comes up often with WordPress sites: email deliverability.

If you’ve managed websites for any length of time, you’ll know WordPress is notorious for sending emails that never make it to the inbox. Users’ password resets, form submissions, WooCommerce order confirmations… they can all vanish without a trace.

There are two common reasons for this.

WordPress uses the built-in PHP mail() function by default, which isn’t reliable.
Web-based email accounts often hit their storage limit, which means new messages don’t get delivered.

That combination can cause emails to “just disappear,” and clients don’t even know it’s happening until a user complains.

Why We Use SMTP2GO.

To fix this, we install SMTP2GO on every site that doesn’t already use Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or another enterprise-grade email system.

SMTP2GO works as a reliable email relay between your WordPress site and the recipient.

Instead of WordPress trying to send directly (and getting blocked, marked as spam, or lost), SMTP2GO handles the delivery with proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) in place. And adding SMTP2GO authentication is a cinch.

Some of the benefits include:

• Consistent deliverability of WordPress-generated emails.
• Outbound email monitoring, so you know what’s being sent.
• Protection against blacklisting and spam filters.
• Works across any hosting environment, no matter how limited the mail server setup is.
• And for a lot of website owners, the free SMTP2GO account is all they need.
• We’ve seen password reset emails that used to fail suddenly arrive instantly after adding SMTP2GO. The same goes for WooCommerce order confirmations and form notifications.

Our Standard Setup.

Unless a client is running Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace (both of which provide reliable email with their own SMTP options), we configure SMTP2GO as standard. That way, WordPress can send emails the right way, and clients don’t need to worry about missing orders or lost enquiries.

If your WordPress site still uses the default PHP mailer, it’s time to change that. Email deliverability is too important to leave to chance.

Need help making sure your WordPress emails actually get delivered? Email us, or hit the live chat button to get help now.