Joomla send mail through SMTP Authentication

Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: Joomla 6.1 and 5.4

Joomla can send its mail (contact forms, registrations, password resets) through an authenticated SMTP mailbox, which is far more reliable than PHP mail.

Steps

1. Create a mailbox for the site in cPanel, for example noreply@yourdomain.com.
2. In the Joomla administrator, open System › Global Configuration › Server tab (the mail settings are in the Mail section).
3. Set Mailer to SMTP, and From Email to the mailbox address.
4. Set SMTP Authentication to Yes, SMTP Security to SSL/TLS, SMTP Port to 465, and SMTP Host to the mail server name shown under Email › Email Accounts › Connect Devices.
5. Enter the full email address as SMTP Username and its password, then click Save and use Send Test Mail.

Tip: Set up SPF and DKIM for your domain in Email › Email Deliverability so your messages are less likely to be marked as spam.