Configure Mailgun with FluentSMTP

With FluentSMTP, you can integrate Mailgun into WordPress to improve email deliverability and authenticity. Mailgun is one of the leading mailer options for WordPress, that is reliable and easy to set up.

This article will guide you through integrating Mailgun into WordPress using the FluentSMTP plugin to send emails via SMTP.

Configuring Mailgun

Go to Settings in the FluentSMTP top bar. If you haven't set up any connection yet, the setup wizard opens automatically. Otherwise, click the + Add Connection button.

Then select the mailgun icon from the provider grid.

NOTE

If you want to change the connection provider, click the change button next to the provider logo at the top of the page.

This opens the connection form, where you provide:

• From Email and From Name
• Set the return-path to match the From Email: sends bounce notices back to the From Email address.
• Force Sender Name: uses this connection's From Name, whatever name the sending plugin set.
• Private API Key: obtained from your Mailgun account via the Get a Private API Key link, described in the next section.
• Domain Name: the domain you've added and verified in Mailgun, via the Get a Domain Name link, described further below.
• Select Region: US or EU, matching what you set up in Mailgun. Anyone outside the European Union should select US. See more information on Mailgun.com.

The rest of this guide walks through getting the Private API Key and Domain Name from Mailgun, then pasting them into this form.

Get Private API Key from Mailgun

Learn how to get the Private API Key from Mailgun by following the steps with the screenshots below –

First, log into your Mailgun Account Dashboard, click the Dropdown Arrow right next to the profile section from the top navbar, and open the API Security tab.

This will take you to a page that includes your Mailgun API keys.

NOTE

In your Mailgun account, you will see 3 API keys; Mailgun API keys, HTTP Webhook Signing key, and Verification Public key. We recommend using your Mailgun API Key to configure FluentSMTP.

Now, if you want to generate a new API key for the configuration, click the Add new key button.

Now add a Name for your API key into the Description box to find it easily later, select the Role from the Dropdown List, and click the Create Key button to get your desired API key.

Plus, by expanding the “What does each role have access to?” option, you can see what permissions each role has. To know more details, visit the Learn more about role-based access control link.

Here is your Mailgun Private API Key, copy it by clicking the Copy icon.

NOTE

Make sure you copy the key and store it somewhere safe and accessible, as the key is only displayed once. If you lose the key, you'll need to generate a new one by repeating the previous steps.

Get Domain Name from Mailgun

Learn how to get the Domain verified from Mailgun by following the steps with the screenshots below –

First, log into your Mailgun Account Dashboard, expand the Send dropdown list from the left sidebar, open the Domains tab by clicking the Sending button, and click the Add new domain button.

On this page, provide all the necessary information to get your desired Domain Name.

Domain Name: Here, enter the site domain you want to add in the Domain Name field.

NOTE

We recommend you use a subdomain of your website's domain name (e.g., subdomain.example.com). Mailgun will use this subdomain exclusively for sending emails and it will not be visible on your site. It doesn't matter what you name your subdomain, but you can use "mail" or "mg" in your subdomain as it makes the purpose clear.

Domain Region: Here, you need to select the domain region between US and EU. If your site is hosted in the European Union, please choose the EU. If your site is hosted outside of the European Union, please leave the default option as the US.

DKIM key length: This advanced setting adds an extra security layer for spam protection. We recommend selecting the 2048 option, which creates a longer DKIM key to make spamming more difficult for spammers.

Once you are done, click the Add Domain button, and your desired domain will be added.

After adding the domain, you will be redirected to the DNS records tab to verify the added domain and activate the configuration. You will see, each record is showing as Unverified.

Verify Your Domain

NOTE

Like other SMTP services, Mailgun also requires you to verify your added domain by adding Mailgun-provided Records to your Site's DNS to protect the site owners and their visitors. You can find more information on the benefits of verifying your domain in Mailgun's guide.

First, go to the Site which domain you added and open the DNS settings. Then**, add** all of the Mailgun Records for Sending, Receiving, and Tracking shown in the screenshot below into your Site’s DNS Provider.

If you’re not sure how to find your DNS Provider, Mailgun added a detailed Guide with some helpful links under the Assist Me dropdown list. Read these accordingly.

Once you have completed the process on your site, return to this page and click the Verify button.

Once Mailgun verifies the DNS changes you made, you can see each record is shown as Active/Verified.

NOTE

Mailgun will verify whether your domain has proper DNS records. This verification can take a while (sometimes 24-48 hours) because DNS records may take some time to update.

After completing the Domain Verification, it will show a Tick Sign as an active status next to your domain name.

Simply, copy it for later use in the configuration with FluentSMTP.

Finally, go back to the desired Add Connection page under Settings from the Fluent SMTP Navbar, and paste the Private API Key and Domain Name you copied from Mailgun into respective fields.

Once you input all the necessary information, finally, click the Save Connection Settings button. And, your Mailgun Server will be connected to your Fluent SMTP.

Details of Mailgun API Settings

• Store in Database: By default, this is enabled and strongly recommended. This will keep the information in the database in encrypted format. Tick Disable Encryption for API Key (Not Recommended) only if a security plugin rotates your SALT keys and the encrypted value keeps breaking.
• Store in wp-config.php: This allows you to store the access keys inside the wp-config.php file by the following directives.

Copy the snippet below, replace the stars with your own credentials, and paste it into your site's wp-config.php file.

define( 'FLUENTMAIL_MAILGUN_API_KEY', '********************' );
define( 'FLUENTMAIL_MAILGUN_DOMAIN', '********************' );

That’s all about Configuring FluentSMTP with Mailgun to send emails from the WordPress website.