What is outgoing mail server smtp
Outgoing mail server, also known as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server, is a server that sends emails from your email account to the recipient's email account. It's a crucial component of the email delivery process.
Here's how it works:
- When you compose an email using your email client (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo), the email is sent to your email provider's outgoing mail server (SMTP server).
- The SMTP server authenticates your email account using your username and password.
- The SMTP server then connects to the recipient's email provider's incoming mail server (POP3 or IMAP) to deliver the email.
- The recipient's email provider's incoming mail server receives the email and stores it in the recipient's inbox.
The outgoing mail server (SMTP server) is responsible for:
- Authenticating your email account
- Encrypting the email (if necessary)
- Routing the email to the recipient's email provider
- Handling email delivery and error reporting
Common SMTP server settings:
- Server name or address: This is the hostname or IP address of the SMTP server (e.g., smtp.gmail.com, smtp.outlook.com).
- Port number: This is the port number used for SMTP communication (usually 25, 587, or 2525).
- Username and password: These are your email account credentials used for authentication.
- Encryption: Some SMTP servers require encryption (TLS or SSL) to secure the email transmission.
Some popular SMTP servers include:
- Gmail: smtp.gmail.com (port 587)
- Outlook: smtp.outlook.com (port 587)
- Yahoo: smtp.mail.yahoo.com (port 587)
- AOL: smtp.aol.com (port 587)
Remember to configure your email client with the correct SMTP server settings to ensure successful email delivery.