Never assume a connection works until you send a test. SMTPPai’s test is built into each connection card on the Dashboard.
Before you test
- The connection is saved.
- For Google Workplace/Gmail or Microsoft 365/Outlook, you have completed Connect to Google / Connect to Microsoft.
- Your From email is verified (or on a verified domain) at the provider.
- You have an inbox you can check (including spam/junk).
Send the test
- Go to SMTPPai → Dashboard.
- Find the connection card.
- Click Test.
- In the modal, enter the Recipient email (where you want the test delivered).
- Click Send test.
What a successful test looks like
- SMTPPai shows a success message in the admin UI.
- The connection status updates toward a working state (the card reflects last status).
- You receive a message with a subject like Connection test successful — {your site name}.
- A row appears under SMTPPai → Email Log with status Sent.
If the test fails
- Read the error message carefully — auth failures, unverified From addresses, and wrong regions are the most common causes.
- Open Email Log, find the failed row, and open details for the provider response.
- Re-open the connection (Edit) and compare fields against the provider guide under Connections Setup.
- Confirm you are not testing with an address your provider blocks (for example Postmark pending accounts that can only send to the same domain).
After a good test
- Set routing under Specify Connections.
- Optionally configure a Backup Connection.
- Trigger a real WordPress email (password reset to yourself) and confirm it in the Email Log.
Why this matters: a green test means SMTPPai could authenticate and hand the message to your provider. Inbox placement still depends on DNS (SPF/DKIM) and the provider’s reputation — but without a passing test, nothing else is worth debugging yet.