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Routing email through a third-party mail server improves deliverability, reliability, and control. This is especially important for transactional email, CMS notifications, and high-volume sending, where PHP mail alone is often insufficient.
This guide explains when and how to route email through a third-party SMTP server using Hosted.com® and cPanel.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to Configuring SMTP in cPanel
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, scroll to the Email section and click Remote Mail Exchanger if using an external provider.
5. Save changes.
When Third-Party Routing is Recommended
- Transactional website emails.
- Password reset notifications.
- Contact form submissions.
- Bulk or campaign-based sending.
DNS Requirements
- SPF records must be updated to explicitly authorise the third-party mail server to send email on behalf of your domain.
- DKIM should be enabled wherever supported to protect message integrity and verify that emails have not been altered in transit.
- DMARC policy alignment should be reviewed to ensure SPF and DKIM authentication results are enforced correctly and consistently.
Additional Information
- SMTP provides built-in authentication and encryption, helping ensure that emails are verified and transmitted securely between servers.
- Third-party mail servers actively manage and protect their sending reputation, which improves overall email deliverability.
- Access to detailed mail logs makes it easier to trace delivery issues and troubleshoot failed or delayed messages.
- PHP mail functions do not include authentication by default, increasing the likelihood that emails will be flagged as spam.
- Using SMTP reduces spam filtering by aligning outgoing messages with modern email authentication standards.
- External mail providers typically offer higher uptime and redundancy compared to basic server mail functions.
- Transactional emails benefit the most from SMTP routing, as they require fast, reliable, and consistent 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
