Mail server

ShopClass sends e-mail for account activation, password resets, listing alerts and the contact form.

Out of the box, it hands these messages to PHP’s mail(). On most shared hosting, that sends them from a local server that nobody has verified, and they land in spam.

SMTP is the standard way to send mail through a real mail server. Setting it up is the best thing you can do to get your mail delivered.

The settings are at Admin → Settings → Mail server.

The settings

Field	What to enter
Hostname	Your provider’s SMTP server, e.g. smtp.example.com.
Server port	587 for most providers. 465 if your provider says so.
Username	The mailbox or API user. Usually the full e-mail address.
Password	Its password, an app password, or an API key.
Encryption	TLS for port 587, SSL for port 465. Choose None only for a mail server on your own trusted network.
SMTP authentication enabled	Tick it.

Tick SMTP authentication enabled

ShopClass sends through your SMTP server only when this box is ticked, or when Use POP before SMTP is ticked. If neither is ticked, it uses PHP’s mail().

Use port 587 with TLS unless your provider says otherwise

Most hosting providers and home networks block port 25 for outgoing mail. If mail never leaves, check this first.

Sending through a mail provider

A sending service such as Postmark, Mailgun, Amazon SES, Brevo or SendGrid will improve delivery more than any setting in ShopClass. Each one gives you SMTP details that go into the fields above.

Whichever you pick, finish their domain check. They give you three DNS records (entries you add at the company that runs your domain name). Add all three:

• SPF says which servers may send mail for your domain.
• DKIM signs each message, so receivers can check it really came from you.
• DMARC tells receivers what to do when the first two checks fail.

Without all three, receivers cannot tell your mail from a fake, however you send it.

Sending through Gmail or Google Workspace

This works, and it is fine for a small site. But Google limits how much you can send each day. It also flags a classifieds site’s alert mail as suspicious sooner than a sending service would.

Field	Value
Hostname	smtp.gmail.com
Server port	587
Username	Your full address, e.g. [email protected]
Password	An app password, not your account password
Encryption	TLS
SMTP authentication enabled	Ticked

An app password needs 2-Step Verification turned on for the account. Gmail has not accepted your normal account password for SMTP for years.

Testing

Save your settings, then press Send a test email on the same screen. It sends a short message to your site’s contact address.

Then try a real message: register a test account, or use the contact form. If nothing arrives, look in the spam folder before you decide the send failed.

Troubleshooting

No e-mail arrives at all. Check the hostname, port and encryption for typos. Check that SMTP authentication enabled is ticked. Then ask your host whether it blocks outgoing mail. Many hosts block port 25, and some block 587 until you ask. Port 465 is often the one left open.

Mail arrives, but always in spam. Receivers cannot verify your domain. Add the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for the address in Mail from. Use an address on a domain you own, not a free mailbox.

It worked, then stopped. Either the provider stopped your sending, or a burst of alert mail hit a sending limit. Look on the provider’s dashboard for bounces, complaints or limits. You will not see this in ShopClass.

Some people get it, others never do. That is your domain’s reputation, not your settings. Move to a sending service that has already built a good reputation for its servers.