Are you looking for the necessary settings to configure Rackspace email to work with your WordPress website? Below is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to configure Rackspace Email for sending and receiving emails on a WordPress site. Properly configuring your email service on WordPress helps ensure your site’s transactional emails (password resets, form notifications, purchase confirmations, etc.) are delivered reliably and do not end up in spam folders.
1. Prerequisites
Rackspace Email Account
You must have an active Rackspace Email hosting plan and at least one email mailbox set up (e.g., [email protected]).
Domain Name & DNS Access
You should have access to your domain registrar or DNS hosting service, where you can update records such as MX (Mail Exchange) and TXT (SPF) records.
Administrator Access to WordPress
You will need to install and configure an SMTP plugin or adjust settings from your WordPress dashboard.
2. Rackspace IMAP Settings
IMAP enables you to set up your email client (for instance, Thunderbird or Outlook) to retrieve messages from your Rackspace email account. It also supports two-way syncing, which makes it ideal if you plan to access email on multiple devices.
Here are the IMAP settings at Rackspace:
- Server: secure.emailsrvr.com
- Port: 993
- Requires SSL: Yes
- Username: Your full email address
- Password: Your Rackspace webmail password
3. Rackspace POP Settings
POP is another protocol that lets you receive incoming mail with your email client (e.g. Thunderbird or Outlook).
POP can work if you plan to check your email from just one device. However, because it doesn’t offer the two-way syncing features that IMAP does, it’s not ideal for multiple devices. For that reason, Rackspace recommends using IMAP whenever possible.
Here are the POP settings at Rackspace:
- Server: secure.emailsrvr.com
- Port: 995
- Requires SSL: Yes
- Username: Your full email address
- Password: Your Rackspace webmail password
4. Rackspace SMTP Settings
While IMAP and POP handle incoming mail, SMTP is a protocol for sending emails through Rackspace. It can be configured in your email client so you can send messages directly. If you have a WordPress site, you can also use Rackspace SMTP to improve deliverability by sending emails through Rackspace.
Here are the SMTP settings at Rackspace:
- Server: secure.emailsrvr.com
- Port: 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS)
- Requires SSL: Yes
- Username: Your full email address
- Password: Your Rackspace webmail password
5. Set Up DNS Records for Rackspace Email on your WordPress Website
Before configuring WordPress to send email via Rackspace, you need to ensure your domain’s DNS is pointing to Rackspace’s mail servers. Proper DNS setup ensures you can send and receive emails reliably.
Log in to your DNS Management
This is typically at your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap) or a DNS service (e.g., Cloudflare).
Add MX Records
Replace existing MX records with Rackspace’s recommended ones (usually provided when you created your Rackspace email account). Rackspace MX records typically look like:
MX 10 mx1.emailsrvr.com
MX 20 mx2.emailsrvr.comPriority: Ensure mx1.emailsrvr.com has a lower number (higher priority), and mx2.emailsrvr.com has a higher number (lower priority).
Add SPF Record (TXT Record)
To ensure your emails are not marked as spam, create or update the TXT record for SPF. Rackspace suggests the following SPF entry:
v=spf1 include:emailsrvr.com ~allIf you already have an SPF record, just include include:emailsrvr.com within it:
v=spf1 include:existing-service.com include:emailsrvr.com ~allAdd DKIM Record (Optional but Recommended)
Rackspace may provide you with a DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) CNAME record to further authenticate your outgoing email. You add this as a CNAME record in your DNS. It might look like this (the host name and value may vary):
Host: yourdomain._domainkey
Value: yourdomain._domainkey.emailsrvr.comThis step helps reduce the chance of your emails being flagged as spam.
Allow DNS Propagation
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 48 hours to fully propagate. Wait until the records are recognized globally before proceeding to the next steps.
6. Choose and Install an SMTP Plugin on WordPress
By default, WordPress uses PHP’s mail() function to send emails, which can lead to deliverability issues. Instead, you’ll configure WordPress to send email via Rackspace’s SMTP servers. A plugin is the easiest way to handle SMTP in WordPress.
Popular plugins include:
- WP Mail SMTP (by WPForms)
- Post SMTP (by Post SMTP)
- Easy WP SMTP (by Easy WP)
We’ll use WP Mail SMTP in this walkthrough, but the general steps are similar for other plugins.
7. Steps to Install WP Mail SMTP
- Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard
Go toPlugins→Add New. - Search for “WP Mail SMTP”
Locate the official plugin by WPForms and click Install Now, then Activate. - Open WP Mail SMTP Settings
From your WordPress dashboard, go toWP Mail SMTP→Settings→Launch Setup Wizard.
8. Configure the SMTP Settings for Rackspace
Within the SMTP plugin (e.g., WP Mail SMTP), you will find fields for SMTP host, port, encryption type, username, and password. Here’s how to fill them out specifically for Rackspace Email:
From Email
Enter the email address you want to send from (e.g., [email protected]).
Check the box for “Force From Email” if you want to enforce this sender address site-wide.
From Name
This is the display name that appears in the “From” field.
You can put your company name or website name (e.g., YourSite Support).
Mailer
Select Other SMTP (if the plugin does not have a dedicated Rackspace section).
SMTP Host
For Rackspace, the outgoing (SMTP) server is typically:
secure.emailsrvr.comEnter this in the SMTP Host field.
Encryption
Choose TLS (recommended). Some plugins show it as “STARTTLS” or “Auto TLS.” SSL on port 465 is also an option, but TLS on port 587 is usually preferred.
SMTP Port
If you selected TLS, the standard port is 587.
If using SSL, the port might be 465.
SMTP Authentication
Make sure it is turned On.
SMTP Username
This is your full Rackspace email address (e.g., [email protected]).
SMTP Password
This is the same password you use to log into your Rackspace mailbox.
Save Changes
Click Save Settings to store your new SMTP configuration.
9. Test Your Email Configuration
Once saved, you should verify that WordPress can send email successfully through Rackspace:
- Go to the “Email Test” Tab (or “Test” section) in WP Mail SMTP.
- Enter an Email Address
Provide any valid email address (preferably external to your site’s domain, like a personal Gmail address) to ensure deliverability. - Send Test Email
Click Send Email. - Check Your Inbox
Look for the test message. You should see that it is delivered successfully. - Review WP Mail SMTP Logs (if available)
If there’s an error, the plugin typically provides debug information to help you troubleshoot.
10. Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Incorrect DNS Settings
If your MX or SPF records are not configured correctly, emails might fail or be marked as spam. Double-check spelling and priority levels. - Plugin Conflicts
Sometimes multiple SMTP plugins or security plugins can conflict. Make sure only one plugin handles SMTP to avoid confusion. - SPF/DKIM/DMARC Settings
- If SPF isn’t set up or includes conflicting entries, emails may be rejected or flagged as spam.
- Adding a DMARC policy (
_dmarcTXT record) helps further protect your domain’s reputation, but be sure to configure it correctly so it doesn’t inadvertently block legitimate emails.
- Host-Specific Restrictions
Some hosting providers block outbound SMTP ports. Confirm port 587 or 465 is open if you’re on shared hosting. - Authentication Credentials
An incorrect email address or password will immediately fail. Double-check your Rackspace mailbox username and password.
11. Additional Best Practices
- Use a Professional “From Email”
Stick with a domain-based address like[email protected],[email protected]or[email protected]. Generic addresses like “@gmail.com” can raise deliverability concerns if you’re sending via a different server. - Maintain a Clean Contact List
If you’re using forms or mailing lists on your site, ensure compliance with privacy and anti-spam regulations. Rackspace might throttle or suspend accounts that send spam. - Monitor Email Logs
Use a logging plugin (e.g., WP Mail Logging) to keep track of every email sent from WordPress. This helps diagnose issues quickly if certain messages aren’t delivered. - Stay Updated
Keep WordPress, your theme, and plugins (including WP Mail SMTP) up to date. SMTP-related updates can improve security and reliability. - Consider Using Rackspace’s Webmail for Ongoing Monitoring
You can always log in to Rackspace’s webmail interface (apps.rackspace.com) to send/receive messages, view spam folder, etc.
Conclusion
Configuring Rackspace Email on your WordPress site is straightforward once you have the right DNS records and an SMTP plugin in place. Properly setting up DNS (MX, SPF, DKIM) is critical for deliverability. Then, using a plugin such as WP Mail SMTP ensures WordPress sends emails through Rackspace’s trusted SMTP infrastructure instead of the often-unreliable default PHP mail function.
With this configuration, you should see a dramatic improvement in email reliability — fewer messages going to spam and greater confidence that your WordPress site’s transactional emails are reaching their intended recipients.
Tip: If you ever change your Rackspace mailbox password, don’t forget to update it in the SMTP plugin settings. Failure to do so will break outgoing email functionality.
By following these steps, you’ll have a secure, authenticated, and professional email solution for your WordPress site powered by Rackspace Email!
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