email issues, such as reverse DNS

I’ll first state that your questions are best answered elsewhere, perhaps on StackExchange. But here’s some quick info.

A server requires two applications for email: one that sends/receives email to/from the outside world, and one that allows users to access their mailboxes. On Linux-based systems, the former (known as a mail transfer agent, or MTA) is dominated by two applications (Exim and Postfix), and the industry standard for the latter is Dovecot. Both Exim and Postfix have the ability to interface with external applications such as SpamAssassin or ClamAV to scan incoming emails.

If your hosting uses a control panel such as cPanel, Plesk, or DirectAdmin, the email applications will be set up for you automatically.

If you can send an email through PHP in WordPress, then your server already has a functional MTA. However, the default PHP mail from WordPress will likely end up in a spam folder, and there’s a good chance your IP/domain will be blacklisted in short order. The solution to that problem is to have WordPress connect directly to Exim/Postfix using a protocol named SMTP. Many WP plugins are available that implement SMTP.

Having your host set up a correct PTR record (reverse DNS) is important, as is your correctly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in your domain’s DNS.

Dion Designs – you’re very kind to invest so much time in your response.

I must have phrased my query poorly – I apologize.

I’m familiar with the material in your response.

My question is if in hosting typical WordPress sites if I’m likely to need to address these details at all.

The WordPress block editor has no email related constructs that I’ve seen – so my suspicion is that any email functionality a WordPress site may have is most likely through a plug-in. I expect only rare cases may entail some custom coding – perhaps on a user developed plug-in or widget.

If JetPack is representative example, I’d expect a third party email plugin to offload the email functionality and resolve the necessary configuration issues. JetPack sends messages on behalf of the user’s website from the wordpress.com domain. I expect plugins that support third-party email like gmail do something similar.

In other words – my guess is that a third-party plug-in with email capability is likely performing the email functions – and not having the WordPress site do the email functionality itself through any of the available local services.

If that’s true – I shouldn’t need to add much regarding setting up and testing email functionality on my WordPress hosts. The exception perhaps being things like background utilities (non-WordPress) that may need to report events.

But if I’m missing something – and there is a likelihood that a WordPress site has native email functionality – I may need to include steps to provide for this – for the reasons of having DNS records properly configured as you mention.

Many thanks!

I know many people who have set up WP to use their Gmail account. I know others who have set up WP to send their email using Amazon SES, though this requires setting DNS records. Basically, if you use a plugin that directs the WP mail system to use SMTP to an external domain/server, then you’re all set.

Dion Designs –

From what I’ve observed thus far, I suspect most installations use such third party email solutions.

I’m just trying to be prepared in case there may be a case where using WordPress’ native email capability may be necessary. I was thinking that an example might be when email is used to validate a user when a password is forgotten. I haven’t tried it – but I suspect that function too is sent off to wordpress.com for email handling.

So maybe WordPress doing native email is a rare occurrence indeed.

Thank you for investing so much of your valuable time in your responses!

I suspect the majority of people are using the native email capabilities in WordPress. Why? Because no work is involved. The only time those people will look for something else is when their emails bounce or wind up in spam folders.

Dion Designs –

I’m curious as to what you consider a WordPress “native email capability.”

The only “native” place to enter an email address I’ve seen so far is in a comments widget.

And the last time I tested that it was on a site using JetPack – and the emails sent when comments were placed came from wordpress.com – so not native.

Thanks!

New member registration immediately comes to mind. As do contact forms, but those require a plugin.