What is mail smtp

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a protocol used for sending and receiving email messages over the internet. It is a standard protocol used by email clients and servers to exchange email messages.

Here's how it works:

1. Email Client: When you compose an email using an email client like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail, the email client converts the email message into a format that can be sent over the internet.
2. SMTP Server: The email client sends the email message to an SMTP server, which is usually provided by your email provider (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, etc.).
3. SMTP Relay: The SMTP server receives the email message and forwards it to an SMTP relay, which is a server that acts as a middleman between the sender's SMTP server and the recipient's SMTP server.
4. Recipient's SMTP Server: The SMTP relay forwards the email message to the recipient's SMTP server, which is usually provided by the recipient's email provider.
5. Delivery: The recipient's SMTP server receives the email message and delivers it to the recipient's email client.

SMTP uses a set of commands to manage the email transmission process. Here are some common SMTP commands:

• HELO (Hello): The client introduces itself to the server.
• MAIL FROM (Mail From): The client specifies the sender's email address.
• RCPT TO (Recipient To): The client specifies the recipient's email address.
• DATA (Data): The client sends the email message.
• QUIT (Quit): The client terminates the connection.

SMTP is a simple protocol, but it has some limitations. For example:

• It is not secure: SMTP uses plain text to transmit email messages, which makes it vulnerable to eavesdropping and tampering.
• It is not reliable: SMTP does not guarantee delivery of email messages, and messages can be lost or delayed during transmission.

To address these limitations, newer protocols like SMTPS (SMTP over SSL/TLS) and STARTTLS (START of TLS) have been developed to provide encryption and authentication for email transmission.