Gmail SMTP Settings & Steps to Configure it on WordPress

Update: We have added default Gmail SMTP settings and a fix to connect gmails SMTP service to WordPress using easy SMTP Plugin

Over the past few years, the internet has established itself as a daily life need for humans. People of all ages use it for different purposes. The reason for its massive hike in the industry is its ability to connect people sitting at a large distance via a single click or signal. It has eased the work of humans. Now, people do not have to manually deliver short messages – they can just use the internet and send their message by a mere data usage which saves a lot of time and money.

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Gmail SMTP Service

As good as this is, it comes with a certain number of rules which must be fulfilled for message transferring between two parties. The Gmail SMTP is an example of such rules. SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is a set of rules which provides easy transferring of emails. It basically simplifies the coding by breaking it down to simpler codes which the servers can recognize.

Google also follows this for proper Email service via its default Gmail SMTP settings. Although almost each of the mail transferring websites and companies follow the SMTP format, the default settings vary from company to company for proper mail sending and receiving. And so it does for Gmail.

So in this post I will be helping you in solving all those confusing Gmail SMTP related setting issues and problems.

Gmail SMTP Not Working

Gmail SMTP not working, a common complaint by users who are unable to send or receive messages on their Gmail accounts. The reason behind this is the fact that the Gmail SMTP settings set by the users on their accounts are not the “default version” which is the only version of settings Google accepts for allowing transaction of emails via Gmail. Although this looks like a major problem in its first impression, it can be easily solved. The Gmail SMTP configuration is quite easy for the users to perform.

All you need to do is, just set the default SMTP settings of Gmail.

Default Gmail SMTP Settings

Even with its highly acclaimed service, Gmail does not work properly if its default SMTP settings are not set as per its requirements. Here is the default Gmail SMTP configuration to avail the features of Gmail’s servers for mail transferring.

• Gmail SMTP server address: smtp.gmail.com
• Gmail SMTP username: Your Gmail account address (e.g. [email protected])
• Gmail SMTP password: Your Gmail account password
• Gmail SMTP port (TLS): 587
• Gmail SMTP port (SSL): 465
• Gmail SMTP TLS/SSL required: yes

Default IMAP and POP3 settings for Gmail

Receiving of Emails is done via IMAP and POP3 servers. To enable access to these servers on Gmail, one needs to activate them via the Settings menu on Gmail. You can do this by going to the Settings menu on Gmail and activating the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” option.

Easy WordPress SMTP plugin

The Easy WP SMTP plugin by WPECommerce is a plugin available to download for WordPress websites. The plugin provides its users with an SMTP for proper outgoing of mails. It allows multiple configurations of SMTP settings of various Email companies which provide Email accounts within the website. It also makes sure that the mail sent via the website Email address does not end up in the spam or junk folder of the recipient.

The plugin has many more features which the user can read about on its download page on the WordPress website. To apply the Easy WP SMTP plugin to their WordPress websites, the users have to simply download the plugin from the link below and further installing it: https://www.wordpress.org/plugins/easy-wp-smtp/

Connecting Gmail account with Easy WP SMTP plugin

Once installed, it is very easy to connect your Gmail accounts to the Easy WP SMTP plugin. The users here just needs their basic Gmail account details and alter a few settings inside the plugin. The settings are to be changed on the WordPress dashboard settings menu and they follow like this.

• From Email address: Your Email address
• From name: Your desired username
• SMTP host: smtp.example.com
• Type of encryption: SSL
• SMTP port: 465
• SMTP authentication: yes
• SMTP username: Your Gmail address
• SMTP password: Your Gmail password

Once the Easy WP SMTP plugin settings are changed, save them.

Google’s modification to Gmail SMTP settings for Easy WP SMTP plugin

Gmail SMTP not working problem makes its comeback here again. Although the plugin settings worked fine initially, Google, later on, made security modifications which led to the inapplicability of third party servers. After this modification, users were blocked from signing in on Gmail if they were on a third party server instead of the one provided by Google.

However, the geeks later found out a solution for this. Here is how you can get the Easy WP SMTP plugin working again.

• The first step is to log in to your Gmail Account.
• Because of this modification by Google, the only way to get it working again is by changing account permissions.
• Once you have logged in to your Gmail Account, go to settings.
• Then click on the security tab and look for “Access for less secure apps”.
• Now all you need to do is enable “Access for less secure apps”.

It will allow Google to authorize a third party server to access your account via an SMTP server but do remember that your account will be more prone to risks now.

However, this is the only known way to make it work. So, you will have to deal with it.

Note: This method is not recommended for amateurs who lack knowledge of how servers work and what benefits they get from these third-party servers. This can lead to various consequences later on if not done properly.

Final Verdict

Transaction of Emails on Gmail via SMTP on WordPress websites is a very useful method. However, it is really complicated and not recommended for newbie users. It has its own risks along with the fact that Google makes sure to keep third party server methods away from being used on their company’s email transferring initiative.

Paired with the fact that there are better alternative methods available for WordPress websites for Email transactions via Gmail, the SMTP method loses its priority. However, if a PHP mail service is required by the user of the WordPress website, Gmail is one of the best one available. This explains the still ongoing usage of Gmail SMTP settings.