Stop Losing WordPress Emails! The Complete Brevo & WP Mail SMTP Setup Guide

If you run a WordPress website, you’ve probably faced the frustrating problem of emails disappearing: “My contact form emails aren’t arriving,” or “The password reset link went straight to spam.” The truth is, WordPress’s default email function (PHP Mail) is incredibly unreliable. Emails often get flagged as spam or simply fail to send.

But don’t worry. There’s a simple, free, and highly reliable way to solve this: by routing your emails through the powerful Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) SMTP server using the WP Mail SMTP plugin.

Why Does WordPress’s Default Email Fail?

WordPress relies on your web server’s PHP Mail function. This method sends emails directly from your website, bypassing the established checks of a proper email server. This leads to two critical downsides:

1. High Spam Risk: Major email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) often view emails sent via PHP Mail as suspicious and frequently send them to the spam folder or reject them entirely.
2. Lack of Authentication: Without proper certification, the sender’s credibility is low.

To fix this, you need a professional SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) service.

Why Choose Brevo (Sendinblue)?

While many email services are paid, Brevo’s free plan is the most robust and efficient solution for small to medium-sized websites.

Brevo Key Advantages

• Free Plan: Offers 300 emails per day permanently for free. (This limit is more than enough for most websites.)
• Easy Setup: Provides its own SMTP server and API Key, making configuration simple and stable. (SMTP check: smtp-relay.sendinblue.com / Port 587)
• High Deliverability: Since it’s a dedicated email service, the chance of your emails being marked as spam is significantly reduced.

Step 1: Brevo Account Setup and Domain Authentication

1. Brevo Sign-up and Domain Authentication (Crucial)

To send reliable emails, your domain must be officially ‘authenticated’ with Brevo. This is critical for deliverability.

1. Log into Brevo and navigate to Settings → Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs → Domains. Register your domain.
2. After registering, Brevo will provide four DNS records you need to add to your domain host.
3. Access your Domain DNS Management Page (e.g., Hostinger) and add all of the required TXT records provided by Brevo:
   • Brevo Code (Ownership Verification)
   • DKIM 1 Record
   • DKIM 2 Record
   • DMARC Record
4. Return to Brevo to finalize the authentication. (Note: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate.)

2. Generate and Secure Your API Key (Extremely Important)

The API Key acts as the ‘password’ that allows the WP Mail SMTP plugin to access Brevo’s server.

1. Go to the SMTP & API menu in Brevo.
2. Under the API Keys tab, create a New API Key.
3. Critical Notes:
   • The Name you give the API Key is unimportant; you can use any name you like.
   • The generated API Key is shown only once. You must copy and save it securely immediately.
   • If you lose the key, you cannot retrieve it and must generate a new one.

Step 2: Install and Configure the WP Mail SMTP Plugin

The WP Mail SMTP plugin is what connects your WordPress site to Brevo’s powerful SMTP capabilities.

1. Plugin Installation

1. From your WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for WP Mail SMTP and install and activate the WP Mail SMTP by WPForms plugin.

2. WP Mail SMTP General Settings

Go to WP Mail SMTP → Settings and fill out the following:

From Email (Sender Email Address)

Enter an email address on your Brevo-authenticated domain (e.g., info@sleekycase.com). All WordPress notification emails will be sent from this address.

From Name (Sender Name)

Enter your website or company name. This is the name recipients will see.

Mailer (Email Sending Method)

Select Brevo from the list.

3. Brevo Connection Settings

Once you select Brevo as the Mailer, additional fields will appear:

1. Brevo API Key: Paste the API Key you copied from Step 1 here.
2. Sending Domain: Enter the exact domain name you authenticated with Brevo (e.g., sleekycase.com).

Click the **Save Settings** button.

Step 3: Final Verification with a Test Email

It’s always best to send a test email to confirm the setup is working correctly.

1. Go to WP Mail SMTP → Tools → Email Test.
2. In the Send To field, enter an external email address you can check (e.g., a Gmail address).
3. Toggle the HTML switch on and click the **Send Email** button.

You should see a message confirming “Test HTML Email was sent successfully!” and the email should arrive in your recipient’s inbox. If it does, you’re all set!

Your WordPress site is now connected to Brevo’s stable SMTP server. You can stop worrying about lost customer communications and focus on running your website.