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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →You can publish a WordPress post by email on WordPress.com by enabling Post by Email in your site’s dashboard under Settings → Writing and sending a message to the private address WordPress generates. The subject normally becomes the post title and the email body becomes its content. Self-hosted WordPress has a separately documented, legacy email-posting setup that may not be available or dependable on every installation.
Choose the instructions for your WordPress setup
| Where your site is hosted | Documented route | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com | Enable Post by Email in the site dashboard and use its generated address. | Current plan and site-type eligibility; keep the address private. |
| Self-hosted WordPress | WordPress.org documents a legacy Post via e-mail mailbox configuration. | Whether the setting is present and works with your current WordPress version and host. |
These are different workflows. WordPress.com’s current guide was last reviewed August 11, 2026; the WordPress.org Writing Settings article was last updated June 8, 2024. Check your own dashboard and installation rather than assuming either route applies everywhere.
Publish by email on WordPress.com
1. Enable the feature and create an address
- Open your site’s dashboard and select Settings → Writing.
- Find Post by Email and follow the controls to enable the feature or generate an address. WordPress.com’s guide distinguishes sites without plugins from Business and Commerce sites with plugins. It says Business and Commerce sites with plugins need the Business plan activated, while free, Personal, and Premium sites must upgrade to access the feature. Plan rules and dashboard labels can change, so use the eligibility information shown in your account if it differs from the guide.
- Copy the generated address and store it as you would a password. WordPress.com warns: “Keep this address secret—anyone who knows it can publish to your blog.” If it is exposed, return to the settings and regenerate it.
2. Send one post in each email
Address a new email to the private publishing address. The subject normally supplies the post title, and the message body supplies the post content. Send a separate email for each post. WordPress.com says it sends a notification with published-post details a few minutes after the email is sent.
Plain text works. Rich formatting may be retained when your email client sends rich text or HTML, but WordPress.com strips unnecessary HTML. If appearance matters, check the published post after the notification arrives.
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3. Control the post with shortcodes
WordPress.com supports shortcodes in the email for settings such as status, category, tags, scheduling delay, excerpt, comments, password, social sharing, galleries, polls, geotagging, pagination, and where to stop importing a signature. Put the relevant shortcode in the message body. For example:
[status draft]saves the post as a draft rather than publishing it immediately.[status pending]submits it for review.[category News]assigns the existing News category; the category must already exist.[tags update, WordPress]adds the listed tags.[delay +2 days]schedules the post for a delay of two days.[end]tells WordPress.com to ignore the remainder of the email, useful for excluding a signature.
The guide lists other shortcodes for title, slug, password, and additional post behavior. The [password] shortcode is supported only on sites without plugins. On sites with plugins, create a private post first and add password protection in the editor.
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4. Know whose address it is
The address is associated with a user account, not a blog. On a multi-user site, each user can create their own address. Emails from users with the Contributor role are saved as pending rather than published.
What to do on a self-hosted WordPress site
WordPress.org’s Writing Settings documentation describes a Post via e-mail configuration using a mail server address, port, login name, password, and default category. It describes access to a POP3 mailbox and warns that messages received at that mailbox will be posted. Setting it up may require help from your hosting provider or email provider.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesDo not treat that documentation as proof the feature works on every modern self-hosted installation. WordPress core Trac records an initiative to remove email-to-post from core and move it to a plugin, along with a related ticket discussing bugs and mail-server limitations. The current developer reference documents the enable_post_by_email_configuration filter with a default of true; that implementation detail does not guarantee a working setup on your host.
- Check your current WordPress version and whether the email-posting settings actually appear.
- Ask your host or email provider about mailbox access and any restrictions on the required mail protocol.
- If considering a plugin, check its recent maintenance, compatibility with your WordPress version, security practices, and setup instructions. No particular plugin is established here as endorsed or suitable for every site.
Use the editor when email is not the right fit
If the email feature is unavailable or you want more control before a post goes live, use the standard WordPress.com editor. WordPress.com’s post creation guide covers creating a post in the dashboard, customizing and previewing it, then publishing or scheduling it. This also avoids sending a publishing credential through an email workflow.
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Sources
- WordPress.com Support: Post by Email
- WordPress.org: Writing Settings
- WordPress core Trac: email-to-post removal initiative
- WordPress core Trac: email-posting limitations
- WordPress Developer Reference:
enable_post_by_email_configuration - WordPress.com Support: Create a post
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