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Dragon SMTP

Reliable email delivery for wp_mail with the clearest diagnostics in WordPress: a live SMTP transcript that shows exactly what the server said.

Getting started

  1. Settings → SMTP → Connection: enter host, port and credentials (587 + TLS for most providers). Passwords are stored encrypted.
  2. Send Test: send yourself a message. The live transcript shows the actual SMTP conversation - if a server rejects you, you see its exact words, not a generic error.
  3. Deliverability: SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks for your sending domain with plain-language advice. The DKIM check runs automatically, probing the common selectors (and the ones your configured mail provider typically uses) and showing the published key when it finds one.

Importing from another SMTP plugin

The Import tab detects settings from other SMTP plugins and copies them across in one click - host, port, encryption and from-address. Enter the password fresh (other plugins store theirs in their own formats). The import confirms the settings were saved before reporting success; if they could not be stored, the Import tab shows an error and your existing settings are unchanged.

From address control

Set a forced From email/name to stop plugins scattering your identity across senders - important for DMARC alignment.

Data & privacy

Credentials are stored encrypted in your own database. Nothing is sent anywhere except your own SMTP server. The only other network activity is the Deliverability tab, which performs read-only DNS TXT lookups through your server's resolver for your sending domain (SPF), _dmarc.<domain> (DMARC) and a short list of common DKIM selectors at <selector>._domainkey.<domain>; no third-party API is contacted. Uninstalling keeps settings by default; opt into deletion if you want a clean removal.

wp-config.php overrides

Define any of DRAGONSMTP_SMTP_HOST, DRAGONSMTP_SMTP_PORT, DRAGONSMTP_SMTP_ENCRYPTION, DRAGONSMTP_SMTP_USER, DRAGONSMTP_SMTP_PASS, DRAGONSMTP_FROM_EMAIL or DRAGONSMTP_FROM_NAME in wp-config.php to override the saved value and lock the field in the UI. The older DSM_* names are still honoured as a fallback when the matching DRAGONSMTP_* constant is not defined.

Troubleshooting

  • Connection refused / timeout - the host blocks outbound SMTP ports (common on cheap shared hosting). Ask the host to open 587, or use Dragon SMTP Pro's HTTP API sending which uses port 443.
  • Authentication failed - Gmail/Google Workspace need an app password, not the account password.

Dragon SMTP Pro

Adds API sending (Amazon SES, Postmark, Mailgun, Brevo, Resend), automatic failover to a backup connection, duplicate-safe retries and failure alerts. Every SMTP Pro licence also activates Dragon Email Log Pro.

Uninstall

Deleting the plugin keeps all its data by default, so a reinstall picks up where you left off. To remove everything on uninstall, opt in first:

bash
wp option update dragonsmtp_delete_data_on_uninstall 1