Sending emails is a core feature in PHP applications, used for user registration, password resets, notifications, and marketing campaigns. While PHP’s built-in mail() function exists, it lacks reliability and security. That’s why PHPMailer is the go-to library for sending emails in PHP.
🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:
✅ Why PHPMailer is better than PHP’s mail()
✅ How to install and configure PHPMailer
✅ How to send emails using SMTP (Gmail, Outlook, or custom servers)
✅ How to send HTML emails with attachments
✅ Best security practices to prevent email abuse
By the end, you’ll have a fully functional email-sending system ready for real-world use! 🚀
1️⃣ Why Use PHPMailer Instead of PHP’s mail()?
PHP provides a built-in function to send emails:
mail("recipient@example.com", "Subject", "Hello, world!");
🔥 But here’s why mail() is a bad idea:
❌ No authentication – Most mail servers block unauthenticated emails.
❌ Easily flagged as spam – Emails often end up in the spam folder.
❌ No HTML support – Limited to plain text emails.
❌ No debugging – Errors are hard to track.
✅ Why PHPMailer?
PHPMailer is a fully-featured email library that:
✅ Supports SMTP authentication (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
✅ Sends HTML emails with rich formatting
✅ Attaches files and images easily
✅ Handles error debugging
2️⃣ Installing PHPMailer (Easy Setup)
1️⃣ Install via Composer (Recommended)
composer require phpmailer/phpmailer
🔥 Why Composer?
✅ Automatically manages dependencies.
✅ Keeps your project organized and up-to-date.
2️⃣ Manual Installation
1️⃣ Download PHPMailer from GitHub.
2️⃣ Extract and place the PHPMailer folder in your project.
3️⃣ Include it in your PHP script:
require 'PHPMailer/src/PHPMailer.php';
require 'PHPMailer/src/SMTP.php';
require 'PHPMailer/src/Exception.php';
3️⃣ Sending Emails with PHPMailer
Now, let’s send an email using Gmail SMTP.
1️⃣ Configure PHPMailer in send.php
<?php
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\Exception;
require 'vendor/autoload.php';
$mail = new PHPMailer(true);
try {
// SMTP settings
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.gmail.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'your-email@gmail.com'; // Replace with your email
$mail->Password = 'your-app-password'; // Use an app password, NOT your Gmail password
$mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_STARTTLS;
$mail->Port = 587;
// Email headers
$mail->setFrom('your-email@gmail.com', 'Zero Dev');
$mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');
// Email content
$mail->isHTML(true);
$mail->Subject = 'Test Email from PHPMailer';
$mail->Body = '<h1>Hello, Zero Dev!</h1><p>This is a test email sent via PHPMailer.</p>';
// Send email
$mail->send();
echo 'Email sent successfully!';
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo "Error: {$mail->ErrorInfo}";
}
?>
🔥 What’s happening?
✅ Configures SMTP with Gmail (smtp.gmail.com)
✅ Sends an HTML email
✅ Handles errors with try...catch
4️⃣ Sending an Email with Attachments
Let’s send an email with a file attachment (e.g., a PDF).
$mail->addAttachment('files/report.pdf', 'MyReport.pdf'); // Attach a file
$mail->send();
🔥 Now you can send invoices, reports, and images!
5️⃣ Sending Bulk Emails (Multiple Recipients)
To send mass emails, add multiple recipients:
$mail->addAddress('user1@example.com');
$mail->addAddress('user2@example.com');
$mail->addCC('cc@example.com');
$mail->addBCC('bcc@example.com');
$mail->send();
🔥 Best for:
✅ Newsletters
✅ Marketing campaigns
6️⃣ Using a Custom SMTP Server
Instead of Gmail, use your own mail server (e.g., SendGrid, Mailgun, Outlook).
$mail->Host = 'smtp.yourdomain.com';
$mail->Username = 'your@yourdomain.com';
$mail->Password = 'your-email-password';
$mail->Port = 465;
$mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_SMTPS;
🔥 Why use a custom SMTP?
✅ Higher sending limits
✅ Better email branding
7️⃣ Best Security Practices for Sending Emails
🚨 To prevent email abuse, follow these security tips:
✅ Use App Passwords Instead of Real Passwords
For Gmail, enable 2FA and generate an App Password instead of using your real password.
✅ Limit Email Sending Frequency
Prevent spam by restricting email sending per user per hour.
✅ Enable DKIM & SPF Authentication
Use DKIM & SPF to verify emails and reduce spam flagging.
✅ Use reply-to for Better Email Communication
$mail->addReplyTo('support@yourdomain.com', 'Support Team');
8️⃣ Complete Email Sending Script
Here’s the full working script that:
✅ Sends an email with SMTP authentication
✅ Supports attachments
✅ Handles errors properly
📌 send_email.php
<?php
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\Exception;
require 'vendor/autoload.php';
$mail = new PHPMailer(true);
try {
// SMTP Settings
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.gmail.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'your-email@gmail.com';
$mail->Password = 'your-app-password';
$mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_STARTTLS;
$mail->Port = 587;
// Email Headers
$mail->setFrom('your-email@gmail.com', 'Zero Dev');
$mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');
$mail->addReplyTo('support@yourdomain.com', 'Support Team');
// Email Content
$mail->isHTML(true);
$mail->Subject = 'Secure Email with PHPMailer';
$mail->Body = '<h1>Hello, Zero Dev!</h1><p>This is a test email with PHPMailer.</p>';
// Attach a file
$mail->addAttachment('files/report.pdf', 'Report.pdf');
// Send email
$mail->send();
echo 'Email sent successfully!';
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo "Error: {$mail->ErrorInfo}";
}
?>
🔥 Now you can send secure and professional emails! 🚀
🚀 Final Thoughts
Now you can send emails like a pro using PHPMailer!
✅ Use SMTP for authentication
✅ Send HTML emails & attachments
✅ Implement security best practices
👉 Next: Handle Background Jobs and Queues in PHP
Happy coding! 🎉🚀