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Many CMS systems offer various emailing options, usually between PHP mail() (PHP SendMail) or an external SMTP server.
Strangely, one of the most popular blogging platforms, Wordpress, does not have such feature built in.
Luckily, thanks to the Wordpress plugin system, a plugin known as WP Mail SMTP will add this feature to Wordpress with a one click configuration for Gmail/Google Apps server.
Install the plugin like any other WP Plugin.
Go to Settings --> SMTP. You will see a form to fill out information like Server Host, Username, Password, Port. There is an easy one click configuration for Gmail.
In the fields for Username and Password, fill it out with your Gmail username and password OR your Google Apps email (including @yourdomain.com) and password. This address will be used as the from: field in all outgoing emails.
After you fill out everything, be sure to use the tool below the settings area to send a test email to yourself to make sure it works.
What's the Advantage of using an external SMTP Server like Gmail?
-Does not require PHP mail() Sendmail to be enabled. At the time of writing this, x10 temporarily disabled PHP Mail, however, mail configured to send through another SMTP server like Gmail will still work (assuming the external server is up which for Gmail, it usually would be).
-Server might be faster. Gmail is Google and Google probably has significantly faster servers than regular hosting providers.
-It's free.
Disadvantages
-Requires fsockopen to be enabled. x10hosting has this enabled. :wink:
-There are always some privacy concerns with Google and other large companies.
Strangely, one of the most popular blogging platforms, Wordpress, does not have such feature built in.
Luckily, thanks to the Wordpress plugin system, a plugin known as WP Mail SMTP will add this feature to Wordpress with a one click configuration for Gmail/Google Apps server.
Install the plugin like any other WP Plugin.
Go to Settings --> SMTP. You will see a form to fill out information like Server Host, Username, Password, Port. There is an easy one click configuration for Gmail.
In the fields for Username and Password, fill it out with your Gmail username and password OR your Google Apps email (including @yourdomain.com) and password. This address will be used as the from: field in all outgoing emails.
After you fill out everything, be sure to use the tool below the settings area to send a test email to yourself to make sure it works.
What's the Advantage of using an external SMTP Server like Gmail?
-Does not require PHP mail() Sendmail to be enabled. At the time of writing this, x10 temporarily disabled PHP Mail, however, mail configured to send through another SMTP server like Gmail will still work (assuming the external server is up which for Gmail, it usually would be).
-Server might be faster. Gmail is Google and Google probably has significantly faster servers than regular hosting providers.
-It's free.
Disadvantages
-Requires fsockopen to be enabled. x10hosting has this enabled. :wink:
-There are always some privacy concerns with Google and other large companies.
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