Proposal: wp-pluggable.php patch to send email through SMTP, not mail()

[JanR]

Hereby I provide you with a patch to WordPress 3.9.1's wp-includes/pluggable.php file, to enable the use of SMTP as email option. This patch provides several advantages:

• it allows website owners to send email thought their ISP's SMTP server, instead of using the mail() function and localhost.
• TLS and SSL encrypted connections are supported, as are alternative SMTP ports

And all this makes it even possible to mail though Gmail's SMTP server.

I dediced to put the email configuration in wp-config.php, so there is a patch for that file too.

The story beind the patches is: I found it kinda strange the WordPress core lacks this functionality out-of-the-box, now more and more hosting providers require to use SMTP and TLS for sending mail from websites. Not to mention beter privacy protection due to the SMTP pipe being encrypted. The in WordPress included PHPMailer version supports these options by default.

The patches are open for improvement.

Regards,

Jan,

[JanR]

patches on wp-includes/pluggable.php and wp-config.php

[inetbizo]

This would work well with OpenPGP & Commercial CA signed / encrypted body

[michalzuber]

Nice one. I think there is no need for addReplyTo also From and FromName are already set above in the code.
Added constants into wp-config-sample.php
Using SMTP is good on shared hosts, more flexible to avoid hosts mail server been blacklisted.

[SergeyBiryukov]

wp_mail() is a pluggable function, so these constants won't work if it's replaced by a plugin.

This sounds like plugin territory, and there are ​plugins for sending emails via SMTP.

[JanR]

Replying to SergeyBiryukov:

wp_mail() is a pluggable function, so these constants won't work if it's replaced by a plugin.

This sounds like plugin territory, and there are ​plugins for sending emails via SMTP.

Not to start a discussion, but the whole point is to remove the need for a plugin. In my opinion, this is such a basic task that should be available in WP's core.

[michalzuber]

I like the idea, but hard to decide what should and shouldn't be part of WP. With this SMTP setting I more inclined to it should be without a need of a plugin. I don't know how many people use for example Email posting (download from POP3 mailbox) and is part of WP, but these SMTP settings would fit into WP Settings->Writing admin page. Other plugins could also use it and the user has to change in one place.
An article why is SMTP better than mail() ​http://www.jvfconsulting.com/blog/190/PHP_Mail_Function_vs_SMTP_Guaranteed_Delivery.html
In my opinion WP is about quality and it should have this builtin option to better deliver emails.

[JanR]

Any news on this?

[chriscct7]

Replying to SergeyBiryukov:

wp_mail() is a pluggable function, so these constants won't work if it's replaced by a plugin.

This sounds like plugin territory, and there are ​plugins for sending emails via SMTP.

True, but in the case a plugin replaces the function, then it will continue operating as it did before this change, and the constants will simply do nothing.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Replying to chriscct7:

True, but in the case a plugin replaces the function, then it will continue operating as it did before this change, and the constants will simply do nothing.

That's the problem, it would be confusing and hard to debug if you don't know where to look.

Still seems like plugin territory to me.

[dd32]

I'm going to close this as maybelater.
My reasons are as follows

• WordPress follows the Decisions, Not Options philosophy. WordPress users shouldn't be given options which they don't actually need.
• Mail sending should just work for users, if it doesn't work with mail() the PHP settings are probably wrong on the host, and something should be done there.
• Plugins fill the need very well, as shown by the number of plugins and usage figures of them. I am however surprised by the amount of sites utilising SMTP plugins, but I'm not sure all of them actually need them.

In the event that we decide to add native SMTP settings into WordPress, a committer can re-open this. Discussion can also continue while the ticket is closed.

[ocean90]

#39465 was marked as a duplicate.

[johnbillion]

#41344 was marked as a duplicate.

[SergeyBiryukov]

#47206 was marked as a duplicate.

[subwebsites]

How many years do we need to wait for it to happen:
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KliSG4bH0mA

[knutsp]

#47206 was marked as a duplicate.

[subwebsites]

Ok, if this is the place I'm to post it then here it is, something needs to get done

How many years do we need to wait for this to happen... ​http://prntscr.com/nmmq92

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KliSG4bH0mA

The other threads never seem to resolve anything, it's like no-one cares

Unless there Police officers here saying this is closed without resolve then we are all in trouble for wanting something better.!!!

[johnbillion]

This ticket has had no traction in five years because the discussion is resolved. Comments 9 and 10 are from WordPress core committers explaining why this functionality is best suited to plugins.

[andraganescu]

There is nothing to do here, except continue a thread where the idea of having SMTP sending as an option clashes with the core philosophy of WordPress.

It is not that there is anything wrong with using SMTP and the occasional frustration with using mail() is understandable. However, it is not a large majority of WordPress use cases that requires such core functionality, especially since there are serious and tested plugin options.

@subwebsites adding SMTP support in core is not a solution to PHP's mail() function not working and it is also not a solution for optimised email sending or inbox targeting; these issues are to be addressed by hosts or server configuration.

I will close this again and please before reopening consider providing good arguments against comment 10 above.