SMTP Connect() failed

With our WordPress Newsletters plugin users sometimes experience this error message when setting up SMTP for the first time.

The error message is SMTP Connect() failed or could also be Called Mail() without being connected.

Reason for SMTP Connect() failed Error

SMTP Connect() failed” means the connection to the SMTP server cannot be made.

​Can you please go to Newsletters > Configuration and turn on debugging on the right-hand side, then save the settings.

After you’ve saved the settings, go to Newsletters > Configuration > General > General Mail Settings and scroll down and click on the “Test Email Settings” button to test. It will then show an SMTP debug log. The debugging should describe the problem clearly.

​The most likely causes of this problem is that the hosting provider is blocking the outgoing PHP socket connection for security reasons. ​Alternatively, the SMTP settings you are using under Newsletters > Configuration > General > General Mail Settings are incorrect.

Solution to SMTP Connect() failed Error

Review your SMTP settings to make sure the host, port, protocol, username and password are 100% correct.

If the problem persists, the hosting provider is most likely blocking outgoing PHP socket connections in general or for that specific port or protocol. Tell your hosting provider that you are trying to use SMTP and give them the host, port and protocol you are using and ask them to allow the outgoing connection for you.

Also see the phpMailer Troubleshooting guide for further solutions and ideas. phpMailer is the library being used by WordPress for sending emails and is also used by our Newsletters plugin accordingly. Our plugin includes the phpMailer library from WordPress itself.

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