AWS WordPress Email Issue

> **"The email could not be sent. Your site may not be correctly configured to send emails."**

means your WordPress site **cannot send emails** from the server. This is a **very common issue** on AWS EC2 and other cloud servers because:

– PHP `mail()` is often disabled or not configured properly.
– AWS blocks **outbound SMTP ports** (25, 465, 587) by default for EC2 instances.
– No SMTP plugin is configured in WordPress.

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### ✅ Fix the issue by setting up SMTP email sending.

#### 🔧 Option 1: Use a WordPress SMTP Plugin (Recommended)

1. **Install Plugin:**
– Go to `Plugins → Add New`.
– Search and install **WP Mail SMTP** or **Easy WP SMTP**.

2. **Choose Mailer:**
– For example, Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, SMTP, etc.

3. **Set SMTP Settings:**
Example for Gmail (use App Password):

SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com
   SMTP Port: 587
   Encryption: TLS
   Authentication: Yes
   Username: your_email@gmail.com
   Password: [Your App Password]

Or use Amazon SES or SendGrid credentials if available.

4. **Save and Send Test Email:**
Go to **WP Mail SMTP → Tools → Email Test** to confirm it's working.

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### 🔧 Option 2: Fix PHP `mail()` on EC2 (Not Recommended)

– Install `sendmail` or `postfix` on your EC2:

sudo apt update
  sudo apt install sendmail

– But even with this, AWS might **still block SMTP port 25** unless you open a request to Amazon:
[https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/ec2-port-25-throttle/](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/ec2-port-25-throttle/)

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### ✅ Best Practices for Production

– Use a **reliable SMTP provider** (Gmail, Amazon SES, SendGrid).
– Avoid using raw PHP `mail()` for anything critical.
– Always test outgoing emails after launch.

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Would you like help configuring with **Gmail SMTP**, **Amazon SES**, or another service?