How to Configure Email Sending in PrestaShop (1.7, 8 and 9)

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Configure PrestaShop email from Advanced Parameters > Email (shown as Emails in some versions). For a live store, choose Set my own SMTP parameters, enter the server details supplied by your email provider, save, and run Test your email configuration. SMTP gives you explicit control over authentication, encryption and port settings; PHP’s mail() can work when your host has correctly configured local mail, but is harder to diagnose when delivery fails.

What you need before changing the setting

Have the following information ready before opening the form:

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• Back-office administrator access.
• An email address that will send store messages and an inbox you can check for the test.
• The SMTP hostname, username, password, encryption mode and port supplied by your hosting company or email provider.
• For Gmail, a Google account with two-factor authentication enabled and a generated application password.
• A decision about whether you are configuring a development store, a staging store or a public shop. The “Never send e-mails” option is suitable only while testing and must not be used on a public store.

Do not infer a port or encryption mode from a generic example if your provider supplies different values. SMTP authentication and transport security are a matched set: the server, credentials, encryption and port must agree with the provider’s requirements.

Where PrestaShop email settings are located

Sign in to the PrestaShop back office and open Advanced Parameters > Email. In PrestaShop 8 documentation and some translated interfaces, the menu is displayed as Advanced Parameters > Emails. The page combines several controls:

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• A list or history of sent messages.
• Technical sending settings, including the delivery method and SMTP fields.
• Visual-format controls for email output.
• Email logging controls.
• A test-email section used to validate the configuration.

The exact wording and grouping can vary slightly between PrestaShop 1.7, 8 and 9, but the Advanced Parameters area is the correct starting point. If a module supplies its own mail settings, configure the core setting first so you have a known baseline.

Choose a sending method

PHP’s mail() is simple because there are few fields to enter, but that simplicity moves responsibility to the server. Custom SMTP takes a few more minutes and exposes the settings you need when a provider requires TLS, a non-default port or authenticated submission.

Configure custom SMTP step by step

1. Open the email page. In the back office, go to Advanced Parameters > Email (or Emails).
2. Select the custom method. Choose Set my own SMTP parameters.
3. Enter the SMTP server. Copy the provider’s hostname exactly. This is commonly a dedicated mail hostname rather than your website domain.
4. Enter the username. Most providers use the complete mailbox address, but some issue a separate SMTP login. Use the value supplied by the provider.
5. Enter the password. Use the SMTP password or application password, not necessarily the password used to sign in to the provider’s webmail.
6. Select encryption. Pick the SSL or TLS option required by the provider. Do not select an encryption mode merely because it is familiar; the wrong mode can cause handshake or connection errors.
7. Enter the port. Use the port paired with the selected encryption mode in the provider’s documentation.
8. Save the configuration. Keep the page open so you can immediately run the built-in test.
9. Run the test. In Test your email configuration, enter an address you can access and click Send a test email.
10. Confirm receipt. Check the inbox, spam or junk folders. If nothing arrives, use the troubleshooting steps below rather than repeatedly changing random fields.

Make one coherent change at a time and retest. A server, encryption and port combination is meaningful only as a set; changing all three at once makes it difficult to identify which value fixed or caused the problem.

Gmail SMTP settings in PrestaShop

PrestaShop’s help article dated July 16, 2025 requires two-factor authentication and an application password for Gmail SMTP. A normal Gmail account password is not the credential described for this integration.

Prepare the Google account

1. Enable two-factor authentication on the Google account that will send store mail.
2. Create an application password in that account’s security settings.
3. Keep the generated application password available for the PrestaShop form. Treat it like a password and do not paste it into support tickets or public configuration examples.

Enter the Gmail values

Save the form and use Send a test email. If the test fails, verify that two-factor authentication remains enabled, that the application password belongs to the same account as the username, and that the server, TLS selection and port have not been altered by copy-and-paste errors.

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How to verify that sending actually works

A saved form does not prove that a message was accepted or delivered. Use a short verification routine:

• Send the built-in test to an address outside the store’s domain as well as, if practical, an address on the same domain.
• Check the recipient’s inbox and spam or junk folders.
• Inspect the sent-email list and logging controls on the Advanced Parameters email page for an error or a recorded attempt.
• Trigger a normal store event in a safe environment, such as a customer notification on staging, only after the test message succeeds.
• Confirm that the visible sender address is one your provider permits. Some providers reject or rewrite a sender that is unrelated to the authenticated mailbox.

Testing a message to one inbox checks the application-to-server path. It does not guarantee that every recipient will accept the message, so monitor bounces, spam placement and provider warnings after the shop starts sending real order and account notifications.

Why a PrestaShop test email does not arrive

1. The delivery method is still disabled

Reopen the page and confirm that Never send e-mails is not selected. This option intentionally suppresses messages, so no inbox or SMTP log can show a successful delivery while it is active.

2. The SMTP values do not match

Compare the hostname, username, password, encryption and port character by character with the provider’s values. A correct password paired with the wrong server, or TLS paired with a port intended for another mode, can fail before PrestaShop sends any message.

3. The provider requires an application password

Gmail is the documented example: two-factor authentication and an application password are required for the described setup. If the account uses stronger sign-in controls, check the provider’s SMTP-specific credential requirements instead of reusing the web-login password.

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4. The host blocks outbound SMTP

Some hosting environments restrict outbound connections or require their own relay. Ask the host whether the selected port is allowed from the server and whether PHP mail or external SMTP is supported on your plan. A timeout or connection refusal points more strongly to network policy than to a mistyped mailbox password.

5. TLS negotiation fails

TLS errors usually indicate a mismatch between the selected encryption option, the port, the server name or the server’s certificate and supported protocol. Recheck the provider’s current requirements and ask the host whether its PHP and OpenSSL stack supports them. Avoid disabling encryption as a blind workaround for a live store.

6. The message is accepted but filtered

If the test reports success but the recipient sees nothing, check spam or quarantine and review the provider’s delivery log if available. Verify that the sender domain is authorized for the mailbox and that the message is not being rejected by a recipient gateway. Acceptance by the SMTP server is not the same as inbox placement.

7. The store log shows no useful detail

Enable or review the email logging controls on the Advanced Parameters page, reproduce one test and record the exact error. Then give the error, timestamp, server hostname and port to the hosting or email provider. Repeated blind retries can trigger provider rate limits without adding diagnostic information.

DKIM configuration in PrestaShop 8

The PrestaShop 8 guide documents optional DKIM controls under Advanced Parameters > Emails. DKIM adds a cryptographic signature that receiving systems can verify, helping them distinguish authorized messages from spoofed mail.

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Values requested by the form

• DKIM domain: the domain associated with the signing identity.
• Selector: the identifier used to locate the corresponding public key.
• Private key: the signing key supplied or generated for the mail setup.

Obtain these values from the email provider or the administrator responsible for your domain. Enter the private key only in the protected back office and follow the provider’s instructions for publishing and rotating the matching public record. DKIM does not replace correct SMTP authentication; it addresses message authorization and helps receiving systems evaluate authenticity.

PHP mail() versus custom SMTP

For a public shop that sends order confirmations, password resets and account messages, custom SMTP is generally the more diagnosable configuration. PHP mail can remain reasonable for a private development installation or a server whose administrator provides a managed local relay.

When to use a dedicated transactional email provider

PrestaShop’s troubleshooting guidance recommends considering a dedicated third-party email solution when mail or TLS problems persist. Examples named in that guidance include Mailgun, Mailjet, Sendinblue and Mailchimp. These services are designed to accept authenticated application mail, expose delivery events and provide provider-side support that a basic web-host mailbox may not offer.

Move to a dedicated provider when one or more of these conditions apply:

• Your host blocks the required SMTP ports or cannot maintain reliable TLS connections.
• Messages intermittently disappear despite correct credentials and successful local tests.
• You need bounce, suppression or delivery-event visibility beyond the PrestaShop sent-email list.
• The shop’s sending volume or reputation requirements exceed what a shared hosting mailbox can support.
• You want domain authentication and a mail-specific support channel.

The migration still follows the same PrestaShop workflow: obtain the provider’s SMTP values, select Set my own SMTP parameters, save, send a test and monitor the provider’s delivery records. A provider cannot correct a disabled PrestaShop setting or a mismatched sender, so validate the application configuration first.

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Using an SMTP integration module

An optional PrestaShop SMTP module can provide a guided connection to popular email services, centralize provider-specific fields or add compatibility helpers. One vendor document for the PrestaHero Easy SMTP module lists compatibility with PrestaShop 1.6.x, 1.7.x, 8.x and 9.x. Treat that range as the vendor’s stated compatibility, not a guarantee for every module release or hosting stack; confirm the current module version, PHP requirements and provider support before installation.

A module is most useful when the native form cannot express a provider’s authentication flow or when a merchant needs a guided integration. It also adds another component to update and troubleshoot. Keep the core Advanced Parameters email settings documented, test after module updates and avoid running two different mail overrides without knowing which one controls the final message.

Operational and security checklist

• Use Never send e-mails only on non-public environments and remove it before launch.
• Store SMTP passwords and Gmail application passwords as secrets; do not place them in screenshots, tickets or public code repositories.
• Use the encryption mode and port supplied by the provider instead of guessing.
• Keep the authenticated sender aligned with the mailbox and domain policies of the provider.
• Run the built-in test after every credential, port, encryption or provider change.
• Check both the recipient inbox and spam or quarantine folders.
• Review PrestaShop email logs and provider delivery events when a message is accepted but not visible.
• Record the working server, username format, encryption and port in a restricted operations document so another administrator can recover the setup.
• Revoke and replace an application password if it is exposed or when the responsible staff member leaves.
• After a PrestaShop, PHP, hosting or mail-provider change, send a new test before relying on order and account notifications.

Version notes for PrestaShop 1.7, 8 and 9

The core workflow is consistent across the documented PrestaShop 1.7 and 8 guides and the tutorial covering 1.7, 8 and 9: open Advanced Parameters, choose a sending method, enter provider values when using SMTP, save and send a test. PrestaShop 8 adds documented DKIM fields under the Emails page. Interface labels may differ by translation or minor release, so use the Email or Emails page under Advanced Parameters rather than relying on an exact sidebar screenshot.

If a version upgrade changes the page or a module intercepts mail, first reproduce the test with the native settings and note which component reports the error. That establishes whether the issue is a PrestaShop configuration problem, a module conflict, a hosting restriction or a provider-side rejection.

Recommended configuration path

For most public stores, the practical path is: obtain authenticated SMTP values from the email provider, select Set my own SMTP parameters, use the provider’s required encryption and port, save, send a test, inspect the inbox and logs, and add DKIM in PrestaShop 8 when your provider supplies the necessary domain, selector and key values. Use PHP mail() only when the host explicitly manages a reliable local mail relay, and escalate to a dedicated transactional provider when connection, TLS or delivery problems continue.

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