Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Setting up an Email Inbox within Cloudways
3. Configuring SMTP for Outgoing Emails
4. Integrating Elastic Mail
5. Connecting Your Server to Elastic Mail
6. Connecting Your Domain to Elastic Mail
7. Verifying the Connection
8. Testing the Email Setup
9. Installing the Fluent SMTP Plugin
10. Configuring the Fluent SMTP Plugin
11. Conclusion
Introduction
In this article, we will explore how to set up and configure email settings within Cloudways, specifically focusing on the SMTP setup using Elastic Mail. We will cover the step-by-step process to ensure that your outgoing emails are successfully delivered to the recipients' inboxes. By following these instructions, you can avoid your emails being marked as spam or not being delivered at all. Let's dive in and get started!
1. Setting up an Email Inbox within Cloudways
Before we proceed with configuring the SMTP settings, it's essential to have an email inbox set up within Cloudways. This allows you to receive incoming emails for your domain. For example, you can have an email address like sales@yourdomain.com. If you haven't set up your email inbox yet, refer to my previous video on how to do that using Rackspace.
2. Configuring SMTP for Outgoing Emails
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is responsible for sending out your outgoing emails from your website servers. It ensures that your emails are delivered to the recipients' mailboxes instead of ending up in their spam folders. Whether you run an e-commerce website, a membership site, or any other type of website, it's crucial to configure your email settings correctly.
3. Integrating Elastic Mail
Cloudways offers integration with various email services, including Elastic Mail. Elastic Mail provides a seamless experience and consolidates all your email-related settings within the Cloudways platform. To integrate Elastic Mail, follow these simple steps:
1. Log in to your Cloudways account.
2. Click on the nine-dot grid icon for more options and select "Add-ons."
3. Among the available options, choose Elastic Mail and click on the edit (pen) icon.
4. Subscribe to the appropriate email volume plan based on your needs. Elastic Mail offers flexible pricing, making it affordable for small websites and startups.
5. Once you've subscribed, the Elastic Mail service will be enabled.
4. Connecting Your Server to Elastic Mail
To establish a connection between your server and Elastic Mail, follow these steps:
1. Within the Cloudways platform, navigate to the server management section for the website you're setting up.
2. Click on "SMTP" under the server management options.
3. Select Elastic Mail as your SMTP service.
4. Enable the service, and the connection will be established.
5. Connecting Your Domain to Elastic Mail
To ensure a seamless email delivery process, you need to connect your domain to Elastic Mail. Here's how you can do it:
1. Access the DNS settings of your domain registrar. For example, if you purchased your domain from Namecheap, navigate to the DNS settings section.
2. Add the required DNS records provided in the article linked in the description. These records include SPF (Standard Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), CNAME (Canonical Name), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance).
3. Follow the instructions in the article to add each DNS record correctly. Make sure to set the TTL (Time to Live) to the minimum possible value for faster propagation.
4. Save the DNS changes.
6. Verifying the Connection
After connecting your domain to Elastic Mail, it's crucial to verify the connection. Here's how you can do it:
1. Go back to the Cloudways platform and navigate to the Elastic Mail add-ons section.
2. Click on the "View and Verify Domains" icon.
3. Paste your domain name and click on "Verify Domain."
4. If all the settings are correct, the verification process will be successful, and you'll see a green status indicating a valid connection.
7. Testing the Email Setup
To ensure that your email setup is working correctly, it's essential to perform a test email. Here's how you can do it:
1. Within the Cloudways platform, go to the server's SMTP section.
2. Click on "Send Test Email."
3. Fill in the sender and receiver details.
4. Send the test email and wait for it to be delivered.
5. Check your inbox to verify if the email was received without any issues.
8. Installing the Fluent SMTP Plugin
To have more control over your email settings within WordPress, you can install the Fluent SMTP plugin. This plugin allows you to set the sender's email address and name. Here's how you can install it:
1. Access your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to the "Plugins" section and click on "Add New."
3. Search for the "Fluent SMTP" plugin and click on "Install Now."
4. Once the installation is complete, click on "Activate."
9. Configuring the Fluent SMTP Plugin
After installing the Fluent SMTP plugin, you can configure it to customize your email settings. Here's how you can do it:
1. Click on "Configure" under the Fluent SMTP plugin in the WordPress dashboard.
2. Skip the initial setup wizard.
3. Select PHP as the mailer.
4. Set the sender settings, including the email address and name.
5. Enable the "Force From Email" and "Force From Name" options
