How to Send Test Email from WordPress
Do you want to send a test email from your WordPress site and check if everything is working as expected.
If yes then in this tutorial we have shared multiple ways using which you can do this easily.
After your are done setting up your WordPress blog, website or Woocommerce store, a step that is often overlooked by webmasters is sending test emails to check if you or the users will receive notifications from your site.
These notification includes
- Emails sent using the contact form on your site
- Security notifications
- Order confirmations for Woocommerce stores
- Password reset emails
- New user registration notification
- Account confirmation emails
And more.
In case your WordPress site fails to send emails like these then it is recommended that you fix this problem instantly or it can lead to you missing important emails and notifications.
Keeping this in mind, in this tutorial we have shared multiple easy ways to send test emails from your WordPress site.
Ways send a Test email in WordPress
We will be discussing the benefits of sending test email in WordPress later in the article and for right now lets take a look at different methods to do this.
There are multiple ways of sending a test email from your WordPress website.
In this tutorial we have discussed 3 easy ways to do this
Using Reset Password
The first method to send an email from your WordPress site is by requesting a reset password email.
For this you need to head over to your site’s WordPress login page by visiting https://your-domain.com/wp-admin.
Please note- Here you will have to replace your-domain.com with your WordPress website’s domain name.
Once you are on the login page you need to click the Lost your password option.
Doing this will take you to a new page where you will have to enter your username or email address and then click Get New Password.
On clicking Get New Password button, WordPress will send an email with a link using which you can reset your account’s password.
The email will be similar to the screenshot below and it will be sent to the admin email address if you are the only registered user.
It is important to know that, at times it can take up to 20 mins to receive the WordPress reset password email. Hence, it is suggested that you wait for at least this time.
If you haven’t received the email in this duration then we recommend that you first check your spam folder for it.
These emails at times have the tendency to skip inbox.
Just for good measure, make sure you are looking at the correct inbox because we have seen users having a different WordPress administration email and checking another for such emails.
It is a confusion that can happen if you manage multiple accounts or email addresses.
In case you do not find it there as well then we recommend using a SMTP plugin (WP Mail SMTP) to fix WordPress not sending reset password emails.
Before we move forward, it is important to know that to improve Login security of your site we recommend using Passwordless authentication in WordPress.
As the name suggests on enabling this feature, you will no longer require a password to login to your WordPress site.
And authentication will be done using unique credentials like Magic Link, Window Hello Pin, Biometrics and more.
Using Contact Form
The next method using which you can send test emails from WordPress is by using the Contact Form on your site.
If you have correctly set up contact form on your WordPress website then any information submitted will be directly sent to your inbox / configured email address.
In case, it fails to deliver then you will have to solve the problem as soon as possible.
Please note- You can use any form for this purpose. The only condition is it should be set to send email to your email address.
To send a WordPress test email using your contact form, you need to visit the page where you have added the contact form.
In the next step you will have to fill out all the required information and submit the form.
Once you have submitted the information, it should reach your inbox in a few minutes. If this is not the case then you have to check the spam folder.
In case you do not receive the email at all then you will have to fix the contact form not working issue in WordPress.
It is important to know contact forms / forms not working in WordPress is a common problem and can occur on any site.
To solve it, the first step is to check if you have set the right email address in the form settings for receiving emails.
If everything is set up correctly then you will have to use a WordPress SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP.
Using Plugins
The next way to send an email from WordPress is by using one of the plugins mentioned below.
We have 3 plugins on the list and all of them are free to use.
To send a test email from WordPress using these, all you have to do is install a WordPress plugin of your choice from the list below and configure it.
That’s all you have to do.
WP Mail SMTP
The first plugin that we will be using to send a test email in WordPress is WP Mail SMTP.
We recommend using WP Mail SMTP plugin to send emails as it the plugin using which you can resolve emails and notifications not delivering issues in WordPress.
Keeping this in mind, the first step in the process is to install and activate WP SMTP plugin in WordPress.
For this you need to head over to Plugins in WordPress dashboard and click Add New Plugins under it.
Doing this will take you to the build in plugin repository inside your WordPress admin where you will have to search for WP Mail SMTP.
On finding the plugin, you need to click Install Now and then Activate.
In the next step, you need to head over to Settings under WP Mail SMTP in your WordPress dashboard.
And it will take you to the General Settings. Here you will have to scroll down till you find the option to choose a Mailer.
As you can see WP Mail SMTP allows you to pick from popular SMTP services such as
- SendLayer
- SMTP.com
- Sendinblue
- Mailgun
- SendGrid
- Postmark
- SparkPost
- Google (Gmail, Google Workspace, G Suite)
- Microsoft (Outlook, Office 365)
- Amazon SES
- Zoho Mail
And here you will have to choose one as per your requirements. We have been using Brevo and Gmail / GSuite on different websites and have faced no issues as well.
Please Note– In case you just want to check if your default WordPress mailer is working or not then you need to select PHP Mailer option.
After you are done selecting a SMTP mailer, it will ask you to add API keys for authentication and the option for this will appear just below the Mailer selection.
Once you have successfully configured the plugin, the next step is to send email using WP Mail SMTP.
For this you need to click Tools option under WP Mail SMTP in your WordPress dashboard sidebar and it will take you Email Test tab.
As you can see in the screenshot above, there is a Send to field that you will have to configure.
By default it will fetch the WordPress administration email and in case you want to receive the test WordPress email on some other address then you can change and add the email address of your choice.
Please Note– Using other email address here will not change administration email of your WordPress site.
Keeping this in mind, the next step is to click the Send Email button and within a few seconds it will show you a success message.
In the next step you need to visit and check the email address where you have requested the test email.
And within a few minutes you will receive an email like the screenshot below.
If you have have selected the default PHP Mailer service in WP Mail SMTP service and have not received an email for up to 20 mins then we recommend selecting and configuring another available SMTP service from the list.
And doing this will solve your problem.
WP Mail SMTP plugin is on our recommended list of WordPress plugin and we install it on almost every site from day 1.
WP Test Email
The next plugin that we will be using to send emails from WordPress is WP Test Email.
To install this plugin, the first step is to click Add New Plugin under Plugins in your WordPress dashboard.
Doing this will take you to the built-in WordPress plugin repository inside your WordPress admin. Here you will have to search for WP Test Email.
And once found you need to install and activate this plugin.
In the next step you need to navigate to Tools in your WordPress dashboard and click Test Email under it.
On clicking Test Email, it will show you an option to add the email address where you want to receive the test email and following that will be the option to change subject.
After you are done adding the email address, you need to click Save Changes and it will show you a success message like the screenshot below.
Below is the screenshot of the Test Email sent by WP Test Email plugin
It is important to know here that despite seeing this success message, there are chances that you will not receive this email.
And the reason behind this is you need to configure WordPress to send emails properly. As mentioned above you will have to use a plugin like WP Mail SMTP for this.
Check & Log Email
Another free plugin using which you can send test email from your WordPress site is Check and Log Email.
To install this plugin, you need to visit Add New Plugin under Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and search for Check and Log Email.
In the next step you need to install and activate the plugin.
For this you need to first click the Install button on the plugin listing and then click Activate.
After successfully installing the plugin, you will notice a new Check and Log Email tab in the WordPress sidebar.
And here you will have to click Status under it.
On clicking Status, it will allow you to send test email.
The first option that you will come across is Send test email to and here you are required to enter the email address where you want to receive the test email.
The next lets you choose between Standard and Custom headers and for right now we will use Standard.
Once you are done till here, the next step is to click Send Test Email button
And on doing so, it will show you a success message like the screenshot below.
As mentioned before, it can take a few minutes for this email to reach your inbox and hence it is suggested that you wait.
Also, don’t forget to check your spam folder.
Below is the screenshot of the received Test Email.
Keep in mind, there are chances that this email will not be delivered at all and in this scenario you will have to use a SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP to fix the issue.
FAQ on Sending a Test Email from WordPress
What is a Test Email
A “test email” typically refers to a message that is sent to your email address for the purpose of testing a notification or email system (in this case it is WordPress) or verifying that an email account is set up correctly.
Can you send Test Emails through WordPress
First things first, WordPress is a CMS and not a platform that is meant for sending emails.
If you have a WordPress website then you must have noticed it sending notification emails for various events, such as new user registrations, comments, password resets, form submissions and more.
You can trigger an email by performing one of these actions.
The purpose of sending a test email from WordPress is to check if you are receiving important notifications in your inbox.
Why should you send test emails from WordPress?
Sending test emails from WordPress serves several purposes, and it is a common practice to ensure that the email functionality of your WordPress site is working correctly. Here are some reasons why sending test emails from WordPress is important:
- Email Notifications Testing:
- WordPress sends various email notifications for events such as new user registrations, password resets, and comments. Testing these notifications ensures that users receive the necessary information in a timely manner.
- Subscription and Contact Form Testing:
- If your WordPress site includes subscription forms, contact forms, or other user input forms, testing email functionality ensures that you and your users receive the necessary notifications when someone subscribes or submits a form.
- Troubleshooting and Debugging:
- Sending test emails can be a part of troubleshooting and debugging if you are experiencing issues with email delivery. It helps identify potential problems with email configuration or server settings.
- Spam Filter Testing:
- By sending test emails, you can check whether your emails are being marked as spam. This is important for email marketing or any situation where you need to ensure that your emails reach the recipients’ inboxes.
- Customizing Email Templates:
- If you have customized email templates for your WordPress site, testing ensures that the templates are displaying correctly and that any dynamic content is populating as intended.
- Plugin Configuration:
- Some plugins, such as those related to email delivery or contact forms, may have their own settings that you need to configure. Testing emails helps ensure that these plugins are set up correctly and functioning as expected.
- User Experience and Trust:
- Reliable email communication is crucial for user experience and building trust with your audience. Ensuring that emails are sent and received as expected contributes to a positive user experience.
When sending test emails, it’s essential to use valid email addresses, comply with anti-spam regulations, and consider the specific needs of your website or application.
Additionally, testing should be done in a responsible manner to avoid sending unnecessary emails to users or subscribers.
I’m not receiving test email from WordPress. What should I do?
If you are not receiving test emails from WordPress then it is recommended that you first check if the email address configured to receive these notifications is correct.
If it is correct and you are still not receiving emails then you need to check your Spam folder as test emails can get caught in filters.
In case you do not receive the test email at all then it is recommend you use a SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP to fix this issue.
What is the recommended method of sending Test Email from WordPress
We recommend using WP Mail SMTP plugin.
And the reason is simple- In case the Test Email fails to deliver or lands in your Spam folder then configuring WP Mail SMTP will solve the problem.
What are the best plugins for sending test emails from WordPress
You can send test emails from WordPress using any of the plugins suggested in this tutorial such as
- WP Mail SMTP
- WP Test Email
- Check and Log Email
Other than this there are other WordPress SMTP plugins available that you can use to send test email from WordPress.
We prefer using WP Mail SMTP plugin as it is easy to configure and offers integration with popular transactional email services.
Having said that,
I hope you will find this tutorial helpful and are able to send test emails from WordPress.
In case you have any queries then feel free to reach out.
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