---
title: "How to Send Emails in WordPress Using Zoho SMTP With FluentSMTP"
description: "Step-by-step guide to routing WordPress emails through Zoho SMTP using the free FluentSMTP plugin."
date: 2026-02-26
categories: ["wordpress"]
tags: ["wordpress","email","smtp"]
---

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import YouTubeEmbed from "../../layouts/components/widgets/YouTubeEmbed.astro";
import imgFluentSmtp from "../../assets/images/wordpress/fluentsmtp_settings-1024x730.webp";

By default, WordPress sends emails through PHP's `mail()` function, which most hosting providers either block or rate-limit. The result: password reset emails that never arrive, order confirmations that vanish, contact form submissions that disappear.

Connecting WordPress to a real SMTP account fixes this. I use [Zoho Mail](https://www.zoho.com/mail/) for several domains because it's cheap and supports custom domains. The plugin I use is [FluentSMTP](https://wordpress.org/plugins/fluent-smtp/) (currently v2.2.95), which is free and logs every email sent so you can see what actually went out. It supports native API integrations for 10+ providers and can send failure alerts to Telegram, Slack, or Discord.

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  label="How to Send Emails in WordPress Using Zoho SMTP With FluentSMTP"
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## Setup steps

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**1. Install FluentSMTP**

In your WordPress dashboard, go to **Plugins → Add New**, search for "FluentSMTP", install and activate it.

**2. Create a Zoho application password**

Log into your Zoho account and go to [Account Security → App Passwords](https://accounts.zoho.com/home#security/app_password). Generate a password for WordPress. You need this because Zoho won't accept your main account password for SMTP authentication.

**3. Configure FluentSMTP**

Go to **FluentSMTP → Settings** and choose "Other SMTP". Fill in:

- **From Email**: the Zoho email address or alias you want to send from
- **From Name**: your site name or your name

For the SMTP details, use these settings based on your account type:

**Personal Zoho accounts** (`yourname@zoho.com`):
- Server: `smtp.zoho.com`
- Port: `465` (SSL) or `587` (TLS)

**Business/domain accounts** (`you@yourdomain.com`):
- Server: `smtppro.zoho.com`
- Port: `465` (SSL) or `587` (TLS)

Both require authentication. Use your Zoho email address as the SMTP username and the application password you created in step 2 as the SMTP password.

<Picture src={imgFluentSmtp} alt="FluentSMTP settings configured with Zoho SMTP" />

**4. Send a test email**

After saving, click **Send Test Email** in FluentSMTP to verify delivery. Check the email logs in FluentSMTP to confirm it shows as sent. If the test doesn't arrive, double-check the application password and server/port combination.

Zoho's free tier sends a limited number of emails per day (the limit varies by plan). For a personal blog or small site, that's plenty.

## Fallback connections

FluentSMTP supports multiple SMTP connections with automatic fallback. If Zoho is down or rejects a send, it can retry through a second provider (like Gmail or Amazon SES). Set this up under FluentSMTP → Settings → Add Another Connection. For most small sites this isn't necessary, but if you run a WooCommerce store where order emails are critical, it's worth configuring.

## Tip: store credentials in wp-config.php

Instead of saving your SMTP password in the WordPress database, you can define it in `wp-config.php` for better security:

```php
define('FLUENTMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORD', 'your-app-password-here');
```

FluentSMTP picks this up automatically. This keeps credentials out of the database and away from plugins that might expose them.