Title: Actra SMTP Author: Christof Moser Published: May 27, 2026 Last modified: August 15, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/actra-smtp/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3648882) ![](https://ps.w.org/actra-smtp/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=3648882) # Actra SMTP By [Christof Moser](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jayq1982/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/actra-smtp.1.1.0.zip) * [Details](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/actra-smtp/#description) * [Reviews](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/actra-smtp/#reviews) * [Installation](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/actra-smtp/#installation) * [Development](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/actra-smtp/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/) ## Description Actra SMTP is designed for simplicity and performance. It uses the native PHPMailer library included in WordPress core to route all emails through your preferred SMTP server. ## Screenshots [⌊The Actra SMTP settings page with smart defaults and clear authentication hints.⌉⌊ The Actra SMTP settings page with smart defaults and clear authentication hints.⌉[ The Actra SMTP settings page with smart defaults and clear authentication hints. ## Installation 1. Upload the actra-smtp folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory. 2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress. 3. Configure your SMTP settings under ‘Settings > Actra SMTP’. ## FAQ ### Does this plugin support Gmail/Outlook? Yes, as long as you provide the correct SMTP host and credentials. ### Can I store SMTP settings in wp-config.php instead of the database? Yes. SMTP settings can be defined in wp-config.php using constants. Constants take priority over values stored in the database. Available constants: define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_FROM_EMAIL’, ‘noreply@example.com’); define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_HOST’,‘ smtp.example.com’); define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_USERNAME’, ‘user@example.com’); define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_PASSWORD’,‘ your-smtp-password’); define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_PORT’, 587); define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_TLS’, true); You may define individual constants, but using the full set is recommended to avoid mixed configuration sources. When a constant is defined, the matching field in the plugin settings screen is disabled and cannot be changed there. ### Can I define an empty SMTP password in wp-config.php? Yes. For local environments that do not require SMTP authentication, such as some DDEV or Mailpit setups, you can intentionally define empty credentials: define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_USERNAME’, ”); define(‘ACTRA_SMTP_PASSWORD’, ”); ### How do wp-config.php constants work in WordPress multisite? In WordPress multisite installations, all sites share the same wp-config.php file. Any ACTRA_SMTP_* constant defined there applies network-wide to all sites in the multisite network. Database settings remain site-specific. This means each site can have its own SMTP settings in the database unless a matching ACTRA_SMTP_* constant is defined. If you need different SMTP settings for each site, configure them through each site’s settings screen and avoid defining global ACTRA_SMTP_* constants. ### Is the SMTP password displayed in the WordPress admin area? No. The saved SMTP password is never displayed in the settings screen. If a password exists in the database, the field remains empty and can be left unchanged. ### What happens to passwords saved before this update? Existing plaintext passwords remain supported for backwards compatibility. When a new password is saved through the settings screen, it is stored encrypted in the WordPress database. ### Is it compatible with other mail plugins? You should only have one SMTP plugin active at a time to avoid conflicts. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a3a9037f7808933c566aa411d46fdb62b145318d50b7b8633a9a6d4ec116cecf? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Simple, lightweight and it just works](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/simple-lightweight-and-it-just-works/)󠁿 [Eric](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ericschuemann/) June 26, 2026 1 reply Exactly what an SMTP plugin should be: simple, lightweight, and it just works. No unnecessary features, no ads, no upsells, and no complicated setup. I had it configured in just a few minutes, and emails were sent reliably right away. If you’re looking for a straightforward SMTP plugin without all the extra clutter, this is an excellent choice. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/999ec5e6660899b567339514eca5c90da7590f7a65942ef667297e0dc31b797f? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[simple and useful](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/simple-and-useful-429/)󠁿 [Aziz Ozbek](https://profiles.wordpress.org/azizozbek/) May 28, 2026 thanks to this plugin, i don’t need to edit my functions.php anymore to set up the smtp. [ Read all 2 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Actra SMTP” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Christof Moser ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jayq1982/) [Translate “Actra SMTP” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/actra-smtp) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/actra-smtp/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/actra-smtp/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/actra-smtp/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/actra-smtp/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.1.0 * Security: Encrypt SMTP passwords stored in the WordPress database. * Security: Do not display the saved SMTP password in the settings screen. * New: Allow defining SMTP settings via wp-config.php constants. * New: Allow individual wp-config.php constants while recommending the full set. * New: Support intentionally empty wp-config.php credentials for local environments. * Compatibility: Keep support for existing plaintext database passwords. #### 1.0.6 * Update: Plugin assets (banner and icons) added * Tested up to WordPress 7.0.4 #### 1.0.5 * Revert custom password sanitization to ensure valid passwords remain unchanged. #### 1.0.4 * Refactor sanitization and general code structure. * Implement custom sanitization for password fields. #### 1.0.2 * Initial release. ## Meta * Version **1.1.0** * Last updated **3 days ago** * Active installations **10+** * WordPress version ** 6.3 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.0.4** * PHP version ** 8.0 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/actra-smtp/) * Tags * [delivery](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/delivery/)[email](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/email/) [mail](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/mail/)[phpmailer](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/phpmailer/) [smtp](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/smtp/) * [Advanced View](https://test.wordpress.org/plugins/actra-smtp/advanced/) ## Ratings 5 out of 5 stars. * [ 2 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 0 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 0 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Christof Moser ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jayq1982/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/actra-smtp/)