Email / SMTP Configuration

Shop Craft sends email notifications to customers for important events like order confirmations and shipping updates. For these emails to be delivered, you need to configure an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server.

When to Configure Email

You have two opportunities to set up email:

1. During installation — Step 5 of the installer wizard (Email Setup) lets you enter your SMTP credentials. This is the easiest time to do it.
2. After installation — You can configure or update SMTP settings later by editing the .env file on your server.

WARNING

If you skipped the email setup step during installation, no emails will be sent by your store until you configure SMTP. Customers will not receive order confirmations, status updates, or password reset links.

SMTP Settings

To configure your email server, you need the following information from your email/hosting provider:

Setting	Description	Example
SMTP Host	Your email server's hostname	smtp.hostinger.com, smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port	The port number for the SMTP connection	587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
SMTP Username	Your email account username (usually your email address)	info@yourstore.com
SMTP Password	Your email account password or app-specific password	(your password)
From Email	The email address that appears as the sender	info@yourstore.com
From Name	The name that appears as the sender	Your store name

Configuring During Installation

During Step 5 of the installation wizard:

1. Enter your SMTP host, port, username, and password
2. Enter the "From Email" and "From Name"
3. The "From Name" is automatically pre-filled with your store name
4. Click Next to continue

If you do not have your SMTP details ready, you can click Skip to continue with the installation. Emails will be logged to files instead of being sent.

Configuring After Installation

If you skipped email setup during installation or need to change your SMTP settings:

1. Connect to your server via FTP or your hosting file manager
2. Open the .env file in your Shop Craft root directory
3. Find and update these settings:

MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.yourprovider.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@example.com
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-email-password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=your-email@example.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Your Store Name"

4. Save the file

DANGER

The .env file contains sensitive information. Never share it publicly or commit it to version control. Make sure it is not accessible from the web.

Email Notifications

Shop Craft sends the following email notifications:

Notification	When It Is Sent	Recipient
Order Confirmation	When a COD order is placed, or when an online payment is verified	Customer
Order Status Changed	When you update an order's status in the admin panel	Customer
Welcome	When a new customer registers an account	Customer
Customer Password Reset	When a customer requests a password reset	Customer
Contact Form Submission	When someone fills out the contact form on your storefront	Store admin

TIP

Order status update emails include tracking information (tracking number and courier details) when available. Make sure to enter tracking details when you update an order to "Shipped" status.

Common SMTP Providers

Here are SMTP settings for popular hosting and email providers:

Hostinger

Setting	Value
Host	smtp.hostinger.com
Port	587
Encryption	TLS

Gmail

Setting	Value
Host	smtp.gmail.com
Port	587
Encryption	TLS

Gmail

If you use Gmail, you need to enable "Less secure app access" or generate an App Password in your Google Account settings. Regular Gmail passwords may not work with SMTP. We recommend using your hosting provider's email instead.

Zoho Mail

Setting	Value
Host	smtp.zoho.com
Port	587
Encryption	TLS

SendGrid

Setting	Value
Host	smtp.sendgrid.net
Port	587
Encryption	TLS
Username	apikey
Password	(your SendGrid API key)

Troubleshooting

Emails are not being sent

• Verify your SMTP credentials are correct
• Check that MAIL_MAILER in .env is set to smtp (not log)
• Some hosting providers block outgoing SMTP on port 25 — try port 587 instead
• Check storage/logs/laravel.log for email-related error messages

Emails are going to spam

• Make sure your "From Email" matches a real email address on your domain
• Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain (ask your hosting provider for help)
• Avoid using free email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo) as your "From Email"

"Connection timed out" errors

• Your hosting provider may block outgoing SMTP connections
• Contact your hosting support to confirm SMTP is allowed
• Try different ports: 587 (TLS), 465 (SSL), or 25 (plain)

Next Steps

• SEO Settings — Configure search engine optimization
• Settings Overview — Return to settings overview