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Sending emails is a critical point on WordPress: contact forms, notifications, password resets... Yet many sites still encounter deliverability problems due to non-existent or inadequate SMTP configuration.
Amazon SES is today one of the most reliable and cost-effective solutions for sending transactional e-mails from WordPress. Stable, scalable and widely used in production, it prevents e-mails from being lost, blocked or classified as spam.
In this tutorial, we'll look at step by step how to configure Amazon SES as SMTP server on WordPress with WPMasterToolKit. From creating SMTP credentials to configuring the SMTP Mailer module, every step is detailed, so you'll be sending reliable, secure and functional e-mails in just a few minutes.
Whether you're managing a showcase site, WooCommerce or a more complex platform, this guide will get you off to a sound, professional start when it comes to WordPress email management.
What is Amazon SES?
Amazon SES is a service designed for sending e-mails to businesses. Even if the main objective here is to use this service to improve the deliverability of emails sent from your WordPress siteAmazon SES also offers tools for creating and sending marketing e-mails.
Cost
Free for the first year. Thereafter, pricing depends mainly on the number of e-mails sent, as well as other criteria such as attachment size. For full details, visit the Amazon SES pricing.
From Email" address requirements
Amazon SES works with any e-mail address associated with a domain name. To ensure the best possible deliverability, we strongly recommend that you use this address, linked to your domain, as your e-mail address. From Email when configuring SMTP in WPMasterToolKit on your WordPress site.
In a nutshell
Amazon SES is a secure, free solution for getting started, but a credit card is required to create an account. The configuration process is relatively technical and includes a validation step by Amazon's teams. For this reason, we recommend this service to users with a minimum of technical know-how.
Important prerequisites
To use Amazon SES, your WordPress site must have a SSL certificate active.
Setting up an Amazon AWS account
Before getting started, you need to create a free account on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Even though the account is free and the configuration of this SMTP service does not involve the use of any paid services, AWS will still ask you to enter a credit card when creating your account.
Once registration is complete, the AWS system will attempt to automatically determine your region according to your address. If AWS is unable to clearly identify your region, you will be asked to select the nearest region.
The following regions are currently supported:
- Africa (Cape Town)*
- Asia Pacific (Hong Kong)*
- Asia Pacific (Jakarta)*
- Asia Pacific (Mumbai)
- Asia Pacific (Osaka)
- Asia Pacific (Tokyo)
- Asia Pacific (Seoul)
- Asia Pacific (Singapore)
- Asia Pacific (Sydney)
- AWS GovCloud (US)
- Canada (Central)
- Europe (Ireland)
- Europe (London)
- Europe (Frankfurt)
- Europe (Milan)*
- Europe (Paris)
- Europe (Stockholm)
- Middle East (Bahrain)*
- South America (São Paulo)
- US East (N. Virginia)
- US East (Ohio)
- US West (N. California)
- US West (Oregon)
Creating an IAM user
Once your account Amazon Web Services created, the next step is to configure a IAM User. This user will provide you with access keys required for further configuration.
Start by opening the IAM Users from Amazon Web Services.
On this page, click on the "Create user.
Next, create a new user. In the User nameYou can enter any name you like. However, we recommend that you use the following format:
yourdomain_smtp
For example, for the wpmastertoolkit.com site, the username would be :wpmastertoolkit_smtp.
This naming format makes it much easier to identify the user associated with each site, especially if you need to manage or modify several users at a later date.
When ready, click on the "Next to continue.
In the next step, you'll define the permissions of this new user. In the row of options at the top of the page, select "Attach policies directly.
Then enter AmazonSESFullAccess in the search bar. Only one result with this name should appear.
Check the box next to this option to grant the user the necessary authorizations to access Amazon SES.
When everything is ready, click on the "Next to continue.
On the next page, a summary of all parameters defined for this user is displayed. Check that all the information is correct, then click on the "Create user.
Once you have completed the previous step, AWS displays a confirmation message and automatically redirects you to the Users.
Access key generation
On page Usersclick on the User name of the user you've just created to continue.
Then, among the tabs displayed, click on "Security credentials.
Then scroll down the page to the Access keysthen click on the "Create access key.
Then, in the Access key best practices & alternativesselect "Other.
When you're ready to continue, click on the "Next.
On the next page, you can ignore the description field and click directly on the "Create access key to finalize.
AWS then displays a confirmation message, along with theAccess key ID and Secret access key associated with your user.
⚠️ Please remember to store these keys in a secure location. They cannot be consulted at a later date.
Note: once this page is closed, you will not be able to consult theAccess key ID nor the Secret access key.
So be sure to download CSV file containing this information and/or copy to a secure location before leaving this page.
You can also leave this window open for the moment, as we'll need these keys later in the tutorial.
Configure in plugin
Go to the plugin interface and paste theAccess key ID and the Secret access key and choose your region on Amazon :
Finally, save your settings.
Check sending domain
In this step, we will proceed with the check shipping area to authorize Amazon SES to send e-mails on your domain's behalf.
Go to Amazon SES.
And click on Create identity in the Verify sending domain.
By checking a domain in Amazon SES, you can use any e-mail address associated with this domainwithout having to check each address individually.
To check a domain, select the "Domain. Then, in the "DomainEnter your domain name.
Make sure that the DKIM signatures is on Enabled.
Then click on Create identity.
This message should appear:
Scroll to the DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)and copy the DNS CNAME records and set them up on your domain register.
Once you have added the DNS records, click on the Update next to Delete.
Identity status must have the value Verified.
Switching AWS to Production mode
See you in Account dashboard.
Click on View Get set up page.
Then click on Request producion access in the section of the same name.
Choose Transactionalthen in Website URL enter your site URL.
Accept the terms and submit the form by submitting the form via the button Submit request.
This notification will appear:
You should now see the status Production access granted.
Verify / test configuration
Once you've saved your settings, you can now run an email test to make sure everything's OK.
Go to the E-mail testthen enter an e-mail address to which you would like to send your test, then click on Send Now.
If you receive an error message, go back and check the previous steps.
If you get a confirmation message and receive the email, you've finished configuring.
Conclusion
You now have an SMTP configuration reliable, secure and professional for your WordPress site. By combining Amazon SES and the SMTP Mailer from WPMasterToolKitIn this way, you eliminate classic deliverability problems and ensure that every important e-mail - whether forms, orders, notifications or passwords - reaches its destination.
Although setting up Amazon SES may seem a little technical at first, it offers a very attractive exceptional stabilitya excellent shipping reputation and tightly controlled costsperfectly suited to both simple and high-traffic WordPress sites in production.
Once you have this foundation in place, you can move forward with peace of mind: your e-mail system is no longer a weak point, but rather an asset. a solid technical foundation. Just remember to monitor your quotas, keep your access keys in a safe place and test your shipments from time to time.
