Boost Email Delivery: Send Ticket Emails using SMTP

Ensuring that your WordPress site is able to send ticket emails reliably is crucial to the success of your event. While WordPress’s default email sending method is convenient, it comes with limitations that can affect the reliability of email delivery. In this article, we’ll explore these limitations, discuss how FooEvents manages ticket emails, and provide you with several effective solutions to ensure you send ticket emails reliably and that they arrive in your attendees’ inboxes.

How does WordPress Send Emails?

WordPress sends emails using the wp_mail() function, which leverages the server’s PHP mail function to manage email delivery. This function is used by default for various types of emails, including notifications, password resets, WooCommerce transaction emails, FooEvents ticket emails, and contact form submissions.

The process begins when an action on the site triggers the need to send an email, such as a user registering, a comment being posted, or an order being placed. The wp_mail() function constructs the email by setting the subject, message body, headers, and any attachments. Once the email is ready, wp_mail() uses PHP’s mail() function to send it. The mail() function then attempts to deliver the email through the server’s mail system.

What are Limitations with WordPress mail function?

Because emails sent using this method often lack proper authentication and may miss essential headers, they are frequently flagged as spam or outright rejected by recipient mail servers. This results in unreliable email delivery, which is why many WordPress site owners opt for SMTP plugins or third-party email services. These alternatives help ensure that emails are properly authenticated and have a higher chance of being delivered to the intended inboxes.

How Does FooEvents Send Ticket Emails?

When selling tickets with FooEvents, a ticket email is generated by FooEvents which then utilizes the WordPress wp_mail() function to send ticket emails to your event attendees. This allows FooEvents to seamlessly work within the WordPress environment, ensuring that ticket emails are automatically dispatched through WordPress whenever a ticket is purchased.

One of the key advantages of using the wp_mail() function is that it gives you full control over the email delivery process. Since wp_mail() is a core WordPress function, it allows you to leverage a wide array of WordPress tools and plugins to enhance how emails are sent, tracked, and monitored. For example, you can customize the email content, format, and headers to better align with your brand, or you can add functionality to log and track email deliveries to ensure they reach your attendees. Additionally, this approach integrates with WordPress’s ecosystem, meaning you can use various plugins to improve deliverability, manage notifications, and monitor the status of your ticket emails in real-time.

Send Ticket Emails with SMTP

One of the most effective ways to ensure reliable email delivery is by using an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) plugin. SMTP plugins like WP Mail SMTP, Post SMTP, or FluentSMTP allow you to send emails via a dedicated SMTP server, which ensures proper authentication and reduces the chances of emails being flagged as spam. These plugins also provide options to connect with popular email services like Gmail, SendGrid, or Amazon SES.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a standard protocol for sending emails that offers several advantages over the default PHP mail() function:

• Improved Deliverability – SMTP plugins integrate with popular SMTP services to ensure your emails reach recipients’ inboxes. By using proper authentication, SMTP plugins reduce the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
• Enhanced Security – SMTP plugins encrypt your emails, protecting them from interception. This ensures that your ticket emails are secure and maintain the privacy of your attendees’ information.
• Detailed Email Logs – Many SMTP plugins offer features like email logging and reporting. This allows you to track the status of your emails and confirm that your ticket emails have been sent and delivered successfully.

Choosing the Best SMTP Plugin to Send Ticket Emails

Here’s a comparison of four popular SMTP plugins to consider for your WordPress site to improve the delivery of FooEvents ticket emails:

Services	WP Mail SMTP	Easy WP SMTP	Post SMTP	FluentSMTP
Installs	3+ million	600,000+	400,000+	300,000+
SendLayer			–	–
SMTP.com			–	–
Brevo
Gmail SMTP		Pro
Mailgun SMTP
SendGrid SMTP
Postmark SMTP
SparkPost SMTP
SMTP2GO		–	–	–
Microsoft SMTP	Pro	Pro
Amazon SES SMTP	Pro	Pro
Zoho Mail SMTP	Pro	–
Mandrill SMTP	–	–		–
Mailjet SMTP	–	–		–
Elastic Email SMTP	–	–
Pepipost	–	–	–
Zoho ZeptoMail	–	–	–
Other SMTP

Monitoring and Testing Email Sending

Ensuring that your WordPress installation can send emails correctly is essential for the successful delivery of your FooEvents ticket emails. One way to verify this is by using a plugin like Check & Log Email. It allows you to test your site’s email functionality and ensure that everything is working as expected.

If your emails are not being delivered or are ending up in spam or junk folders, there could be several underlying issues. Here are some potential causes and solutions:

• Spam Address: The email address you’re using to send tickets might be perceived as a spam address. Consider using a more reputable or professional email address, ideally one that matches your domain.
• WordPress Email Configuration: The way your WordPress setup sends emails could be problematic. Ensure that your email sending method is properly configured, and consider using an SMTP plugin to improve reliability.
• Subject Line and Content: The subject line or specific content within your ticket emails might be triggering spam filters. Avoid using overly promotional language or common spam trigger words, and ensure your content is clear and professional.

To diagnose and address these issues, here are some proactive steps you can take:

• Email Report: Generate an online report detailing potential problems with your emails by sending a test ticket email to IsNotSpam. This service will analyze your email and provide feedback on what might be causing it to be marked as spam.
• Blacklist Check: Verify whether your domain has been blacklisted, which can significantly impact email deliverability. Refer to this article on blacklists for more information. If your domain is on a blacklist, it’s advisable to contact the blacklist authority directly to request removal, as FooEvents has no control over such matters.

By regularly monitoring and testing your email sending setup, you can identify and resolve issues before they affect your event communications, ensuring that your attendees receive their tickets without any problems.

Conclusion

By understanding the limitations of WordPress’s default email system and implementing the recommended solutions, such as using SMTP plugins and monitoring your email performance, you can significantly improve the chances of your ticket emails reaching your attendees’ inboxes. Taking these steps will help you avoid common email pitfalls, ensuring that your attendees receive their tickets without any issues, and contributing to the overall success of your event.