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Link CMS to SMTP server ensures that outgoing messages are properly verified using standard email authentication methods and are aligned with your domain’s overall email configuration. This helps maintain a positive sending reputation, improves inbox placement, and reduces the likelihood of important website-generated emails being delayed or rejected.
Many content management systems (CMS) rely heavily on email to deliver essential messages such as user notifications, password reset requests, order confirmations, and contact form submissions.
When these emails are sent using default server mail functions, delivery can be unreliable, and messages are more likely to be flagged as spam by modern mail servers. Using a dedicated SMTP mail server significantly improves email reliability by providing authentication, encryption, and consistent delivery behavior.
NOTE:
Some CMS platforms do not support SMTP configuration natively and require a plugin or extension to enable SMTP functionality. This is most commonly the case with WordPress, where an SMTP plugin is typically required to connect the website to an external mail server and manage authentication settings securely.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to Link CMS to SMTP
1. Login to your Hosted.com® client area using your registered email address and password.
2. From the dashboard, locate the hosting service associated with the domain where email forwarding is configured, then click Manage.
3. Select Login to cPanel to access your hosting control panel.
4. In the cPanel interface, install an SMTP plugin or extension that is compatible with your CMS, as most content management systems do not include advanced SMTP configuration options by default.
5. Enter the SMTP host, port, and encryption details provided by your email service or hosting provider, ensuring that all values are entered exactly as supplied to avoid connection errors.
6. Authenticate using valid email credentials, typically the full email address and its password, so that the SMTP server can verify that your website is authorized to send emails.
7. Send a test email from the plugin or extension settings page to confirm that the SMTP connection is operating correctly and that messages are being delivered successfully.
Additional Information
- SMTP improves deliverability by sending emails through an authenticated mail server rather than relying on basic PHP mail functions, which are often flagged as unreliable by receiving servers.
- CMS notifications rely on email for critical functions such as password resets, form submissions, order confirmations, and system alerts, making reliable delivery essential.
- Logs assist troubleshooting by recording sending attempts, errors, and server responses; this helps identify misconfigurations or authentication issues quickly.
- Encryption protects data by securing email credentials and message content during transmission, reducing the risk of interception or unauthorized access.
- SMTP supports third-party routing, allowing websites to send emails through external providers such as hosted mail services or transactional email platforms.
- Spam complaints are reduced by ensuring messages are properly authenticated and consistently formatted, which improves sender reputation over time.
- SMTP is essential for WordPress sites because WordPress relies heavily on email for core functionality and requires an SMTP plugin to achieve consistent and reliable message delivery.
Login to Hosted.com® Account
1. Go to the Hosted.com® website Account Login page.
2. Enter your Email and Password and click the Sign In button.
3. You will see the Hosted.com® Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview and Open Support Tickets on the right.
Login to cPanel from your Hosted.com® Dashboard
4. Click on Manage Services to view the sub-dropdown menu and select the hosting package for the domain you want to work with – in our example we are using WordPress Hosting.
5. Click the Manage button to the right of the domain name you want to access.
6. The display will now show Product Information, Quick Manage, Resource Usage and Site Statistics for that domain name.
7. Under Product Information, scroll down to Control Panel, which will display cPanel to the right, and click on the Login button.
8. The cPanel Dashboard will now be displa
