If your WordPress website is no longer sending emails such as:
- Contact form notifications
- Password reset emails
- WooCommerce order notifications
- WordPress system notifications
…the most common cause is that PHP Mail (mail()) is disabled on the hosting server.
Why Is PHP Mail Disabled?
On shared hosting environments, the PHP mail() function is commonly disabled for security and spam prevention purposes.
Unfortunately, the PHP mail system is:
- unreliable
- easily abused by spam scripts
- more likely to fail spam filtering checks
Because of this, modern websites should use SMTP authentication instead.
Recommended Solution: SMTP
SMTP is the recommended and industry-standard method for sending email from WordPress websites.
Benefits of SMTP include:
- Improved email deliverability
- Better reliability
- Authenticated email sending
- Reduced chance of emails landing in spam folders
- More secure email transmission
Recommended Plugin: GoSMTP Premium
We provide GoSMTP Premium free of charge for WordPress websites hosted with us.
To install GoSMTP:
- Log into cPanel
- Open WordPress Manager
- Click Manage Plugins
- Locate GoSMTP Premium
- Click Install
Once configured, WordPress emails and contact forms should begin sending normally again.
Common Symptoms of PHP Mail Issues
You may notice:
- Contact forms appear to submit successfully, but no emails arrive
- Form entries save in the database only
- WooCommerce emails are missing
- Password reset emails do not send
- Email test plugins fail
Need Help?
If you need assistance configuring SMTP on your WordPress website, please open a support ticket and we’ll be happy to help.
