How does Post SMTP notify you if an email delivery fails? | A Detailed Guide

Post SMTP is a plugin for WordPress that allows you to send emails via a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server instead of the default PHP mail function. Using an SMTP server can improve the deliverability of emails sent from your website by using a more reputable server and providing authentication information. This can help to ensure that your emails are not flagged as spam and are more likely to reach the intended recipient.

The plugin allows you to configure different SMTP server settings, including the server address, port, and login credentials. It also has options for specifying the “From” name and email address and the “Reply-To” email address. Additionally, it provides features like email logging, test email sending, and email resending.

It’s an efficient way to improve the deliverability of emails sent from your website, and also it helps to ensure that your emails will not be flagged as spam and reach the intended recipient.

What Is Email Delivery Failure

Email delivery failure refers to an email’s inability to reach its intended recipient. This can occur for various reasons, including issues with the recipient’s email address, problems with the email server, or issues with the email’s content.

Some common causes of email delivery failure include:

• Invalid or non-existent email address
• The recipient’s email server is down or unavailable
• The email’s content is flagged as spam or contains malicious attachments
• The email’s size exceeds the recipient’s email server’s limits
• The recipient’s email server has blocked the sender’s IP address
• The recipient’s email server is using DMARC policy and the email failed the check

In some cases, the sender will receive a bounce-back message indicating the specific reason for the delivery failure. However, in other cases, the sender may not receive any notification of the failure. It’s important to note that an email that has failed to deliver once, doesn’t mean it will fail again. Some of the causes are temporary and can be fixed.

What Is The Importance Of Email Delivery Failure Notification

Email delivery failure notifications are important because they allow the sender to be aware that their email was not delivered and take action to resolve the issue.

Without delivery failure notifications, the sender may not be aware that their email has not been delivered and may continue to send emails to an invalid or undeliverable address, which can waste time and resources. With notifications, the sender can quickly correct the issue and resend the email, improving the chances of successful delivery.

Additionally, delivery failure notifications can provide valuable information about why the email was not delivered. This can help the sender identify and address any issues with their email content, server settings, or other factors affecting deliverability.

Moreover, Email delivery failure notifications can also help to protect the sender’s reputation. Suppose the sender is unaware that their emails are failing to deliver and continues to send to invalid or undeliverable addresses. In that case, it can damage their reputation as a sender and be blocked by the recipient’s email server.

In summary, email delivery failure notifications are important because they allow the sender to be aware that their email was not delivered, take action to resolve the issue, provide valuable information about why the email was not delivered, and protect the sender’s reputation.

There are several options for email delivery failure notifications, including:

Bounce messages: These are messages sent back to the sender when an email cannot be delivered. They usually include an error message and a reason for the failure.

Non-delivery receipts (NDRs): These are similar to bounce messages, but they are sent to the sender when an email has been successfully delivered to the recipient’s email server, but not to the recipient’s inbox.

Delivery status notifications (DSNs): These are messages sent to the sender when an email has been successfully delivered to the recipient’s inbox. They can also include information about any delays or issues that occurred during the delivery process.

Email tracking and analytics: Some email services provide detailed information about the delivery status of an email, including whether it was opened, clicked, or marked as spam.

Email API: Some email service providers also offer APIs that can be used to track the delivery status of an email and get failure notification, this can be integrated with your application.

Email delivery software: Email delivery software that can be integrated with your application to track the delivery status of an email and notify you of any failures.

SMTP Plugins: A WordPress SMTP plugin connects your site to an SMTP server, allowing you to relay and send emails from your domain.

How Post SMTP Plugin Notifies About Failed Email Delivery

Post SMTP is a WordPress plugin that enables you to send email over an SMTP server rather than the conventional PHP mail function. This can increase the deliverability of emails sent from your website by utilizing a more trustworthy server and giving authentication information. Post-SMTP provides five services for notifying users of a failed email delivery. It helps you maintain track so that, if necessary, you may resend emails from the log section.

Admin Email: Admin email services are easily accessible by using a valid admin email account.

Slack: Enter your Slack webhook to set your email delivery notification.

Pushover – (Push notifications): Choose pushover for push notifications. Pushover user key and app token are required for configuration.
Twilio: Get SMS alerts when your email fails using Twilio. Setup requires a Twilio SIDr key, token key, send-to number, and messaging service SID.

Chrome extension: Post SMTP allows users to receive browser notifications in the event of an SMTP failure by enabling push to the extension and providing the extension’s UID.