# Send WordPress email with Bird SMTP

Connect WordPress to [Bird SMTP](/smtp-service) to send site notifications through your verified domain. This guide uses WP Mail SMTP's **Other SMTP** connection, with Bird's existing API-key credentials.

## Before you start

- Have administrator access to your WordPress site and permission to configure its outgoing email.
- Install and activate WP Mail SMTP following the [plugin's setup guide](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/how-to-set-up-the-other-smtp-mailer-in-wp-mail-smtp/).
- Verify a [sending domain](/docs/guides/email/sending-domains) in Bird and create a key with the `emails` scope for this site.

## Configure the connection

1. Open **WP Mail SMTP** > **Settings** > **General**.
2. Set **From Email** to an address on your verified domain. Use **Force From Email** if the site's plugins should share that sender. Choose a recognizable From Name.
3. Select **Other SMTP** and enter these settings.

| Setting        | Value                                                               |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SMTP Host      | `eu1.smtp.bird.com` for an EU key; `us1.smtp.bird.com` for a US key |
| Encryption     | `SSL`, for implicit TLS on this port                                |
| SMTP Port      | `465`                                                               |
| Authentication | On                                                                  |
| SMTP Username  | `bird`                                                              |
| SMTP Password  | Your Bird API key                                                   |

The [Bird SMTP guide](/docs/guides/email/smtp#connection-settings) owns transport alternatives. The password field takes the application's API key. Protect access to the WordPress configuration and keep credentials out of exported configuration or public source control.

Save the settings.

## Verify delivery

Open the plugin's **Email Test** tool and send to an inbox you control. Confirm the test result, then inspect the corresponding message in Bird's [Email log](/docs/guides/email/email-log). Check the From address, recipient, and delivery events.

Next trigger the WordPress action you intend to use, such as a password-reset request for your own account. Verify that its email uses the configured sender and that the link completes the expected action. A plugin test alone does not exercise another plugin's sending path.

## Resolve setup failures

| Symptom                                            | Check                                                                                            |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Cannot connect to the SMTP host                    | Verify host and port, then ask your hosting provider whether outbound port 465 is allowed.       |
| Authentication fails                               | Check the key region, email scope, username, and copied password.                                |
| A plugin uses an unexpected From address           | Review its sender setting and WP Mail SMTP's Force From Email option.                            |
| The test succeeds but a site action sends no email | Confirm that action creates mail through WordPress and inspect its plugin logs.                  |
| Bird accepted an email that has not arrived        | Review its recipient events and [suppressions](/docs/guides/email/suppressions) before retrying. |

## Next steps

- [SMTP submission and recovery](/docs/guides/email/smtp).
- [Email authentication](/email-domain-authentication).
- [Email analytics](/email-analytics) for delivery and engagement reporting.

## Related resources

- [Getting started with email](/learn/email/getting-started-with-email) (video)
- [Email](/email-api) (product)
- [Build your first integration](/learn/paths/integration) (course)
- [Send your first email](/docs/get-started/send-your-first-email) (docs)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=email)