Table of contents

1. Install an SMTP plugin in WordPress 2. Create a SendGrid account and generate an API key 3. Configure your SMTP plugin with SendGrid 4. (Optional) Set manual SMTP settings for SendGrid 5. Send a test email 6. (Recommended) Set up domain authentication in SendGrid 7. Monitor email delivery with logs or analytics Pro tip: Improve email reputation with a dedicated IP (advanced) SendGrid SMTP FAQ Getting started

Get the industry’s fastest WordPress hosting ◦ 99.999% uptime
◦ Comprehensive security
◦ 24/7 support

WordPress Guide → Development → Set Up SMTP

How to set up SMTP for SendGrid in WordPress

Quick setup doesn’t always equal reliable email delivery. If your WordPress site sends order confirmations, form alerts, or password resets, you need those messages to land in inboxes—not spam folders.

Setting up SendGrid SMTP is one of the best ways to make that happen.

Get fast, reliable hosting for WordPress

Power your site with the industry’s fastest, most optimized WordPress hosting

WordPress.org hosting

1. Install an SMTP plugin in WordPress

WordPress doesn’t use SMTP by default. Instead, it sends emails through the PHP mail() function—which is often blocked or flagged as spam.

An SMTP plugin replaces that with authenticated, reliable delivery.

Popular options include:

WP Mail SMTP – A well-rated plugin with built-in support for SendGrid’s API, ideal for users who want an easy, guided setup with minimal manual configuration.
Post SMTP – Designed for advanced users, it includes robust delivery logs, failure alerts, and fallback mailers for mission-critical emails.
Easy WP SMTP – A lightweight option for manually entering SMTP credentials, great for simple sites that don’t need API integration or analytics.

To install any of these plugins:

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
Search for your plugin of choice.
Click Install Now, then Activate.

2. Create a SendGrid account and generate an API key

You’ll need an API key to connect your site to SendGrid’s mail servers. (An API key is a unique code that authenticates your website or app when connecting to a third-party service like SendGrid.)

Go to SendGrid.com and sign up or log in.
Click Settings > API Keys from the left-hand menu.
Select Create API Key.
Name it something memorable like “WordPress SMTP.”
Set permissions to Full Access or at minimum “Mail Send.”
Copy the API key and store it securely—you won’t be able to view it again later.

3. Configure your SMTP plugin with SendGrid

Next, you need to configure your SMTP plugin with SendGrid so WordPress can securely send emails through SendGrid’s email delivery servers, instead of using PHP mail. The setup process varies slightly depending on which plugin you use.

With WP Mail SMTP:

Go to WP Mail SMTP > Settings.
Set your From Email (e.g., [email protected]) and From Name.
Under Mailer, choose SendGrid.
Paste your API key into the appropriate field.
Save your settings.

With Post SMTP:

Go to Post SMTP > Setup Wizard.
Enter your From Email and Name.
Choose SendGrid API or manual SMTP as your delivery method.
Paste your SendGrid API key or SMTP credentials when prompted.
Complete the wizard and save your settings.

4. (Optional) Set manual SMTP settings for SendGrid

If you prefer not to use an API, or if your plugin doesn’t support SendGrid directly, you can configure it manually using SMTP credentials.

Manual SMTP settings:

SMTP Host: smtp.sendgrid.net
SMTP Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
Encryption: TLS or SSL
Username: apikey (this is literal)
Password: Your actual API key

This method works well with plugins like Easy WP SMTP or in custom environments.

5. Send a test email

Now verify that everything works. Sending a test email confirms that your SMTP settings are working correctly and that emails can be delivered successfully from your WordPress site.

In WP Mail SMTP:

Go to WP Mail SMTP > Tools > Email Test.
Enter an email address.
Click Send Email and wait for the success message.

In Post SMTP:

Visit the Email Log tab or click the “Send a Test Email” button from the setup screen.
Check for success/failure indicators.

If you don’t receive the email:

Check your spam folder. Sometimes new or unauthenticated email senders are flagged as spam by email providers; marking the message as “Not Spam” can help train your inbox.
Look at plugin logs for errors. Most SMTP plugins like Post SMTP include detailed logs that show exactly where the process failed—such as authentication errors, timeouts, or bad API keys.
Confirm your DNS or firewall settings aren’t blocking outbound connections. Make sure your server allows outbound SMTP connections on ports 587 or 465, and double-check your DNS records if you’re using domain authentication.

6. (Recommended) Set up domain authentication in SendGrid

Domain authentication boosts deliverability. Skipping this step means your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam or rejected by recipient mail servers.

In your SendGrid dashboard, go to Settings > Sender Authentication.
Choose Domain Authentication and enter your domain.
Select your DNS provider and copy the CNAME records provided.
Add these records to your DNS panel (e.g., Cloudflare, GoDaddy).
Once DNS propagates, SendGrid will verify your domain.

Note: If you use Cloudflare, turn off proxying (the orange cloud) for each record.

7. Monitor email delivery with logs or analytics

Monitoring ensures your messages keep flowing reliably.

WP Mail SMTP Pro offers email logs, open/click tracking, and weekly summaries.
Post SMTP includes logging, delivery alerts, and a fallback mailer.
SendGrid includes an email activity log, performance metrics, and suppression lists in its dashboard.

When monitoring email delivery with logs or analytics, look for key metrics like delivery success rate, bounce rate, open rate, click rate, and spam complaints—along with issues like authentication failures, DNS misconfigurations, or messages stuck in the queue.

Pro tip: Improve email reputation with a dedicated IP (advanced)

If you send large volumes of email—especially for ecommerce or memberships—a dedicated IP can help maintain your sender reputation.

Benefits:

You’re not affected by other users’ spam behavior. On a shared IP, if another sender triggers spam filters or gets blacklisted, it can hurt your deliverability too—but a dedicated IP ensures only your activity impacts your reputation.
Increased deliverability for transactional and marketing emails. Email services and inbox providers are more likely to trust consistent, authenticated mail from a single source, which improves the chances of your emails reaching the inbox instead of the spam folder.
More control over email performance. With a dedicated IP, you can monitor sending patterns, reputation scores, and delivery metrics without interference from other users, making it easier to troubleshoot and optimize results.

In SendGrid:

Go to Settings > IP Addresses.
Request or purchase a dedicated IP address.
Follow their instructions to assign it to your domain.

SendGrid SMTP FAQ

What is SendGrid?

SendGrid is a cloud-based email delivery platform used for sending transactional emails, marketing campaigns, and notifications. It provides tools for SMTP relay, APIs, analytics, and domain reputation management.

Is SendGrid like Mailchimp?

Not exactly. Mailchimp is primarily a marketing automation platform with email templates and campaign builders. SendGrid focuses more on transactional email delivery and infrastructure. Both send emails—but their use cases are different.

Is SendGrid free?

Yes, SendGrid has a free tier. As of 2025, it allows up to 100 emails per day. You can upgrade to a paid plan if you need more volume, dedicated IPs, or advanced analytics.

Next steps for setting up SMTP for SendGrid in WordPress

Using SendGrid with WordPress ensures your emails actually reach inboxes, not junk folders. It’s one of the easiest ways to fix email deliverability problems for good.

If you’re ready to set it up, start with a plugin like WP Mail SMTP and generate your SendGrid API key. From there, you’ll be up and running in minutes.

Ready to upgrade your WordPress experience? Professional hosting improves speeds, security, and reliability for a website and a brand that people find engaging and trustworthy.

Don’t want to deal with server management and maintenance? Our fully managed hosting for WordPress is the best in the industry. Our team are not only server IT experts, but WordPress hosting experts as well. Your server couldn’t be in better hands.

Click through below to explore all of our hosting for WordPress options, or chat with a WordPress expert right now to get answers and advice.