Error: From Address Does Not Match Verified Sender Identity

What This Error Means

SendGrid requires you to verify every From email address before it can send mail. This error indicates that the From address you configured in WP Mail SMTP doesn’t match any verified Sender Identity in your SendGrid account.

Common Causes

• From Email never verified: You never added the address in WP Mail SMTP as a Single Sender, and Domain Authentication doesn’t cover it
• Sender Identity deleted: You removed a previously verified Single Sender from the SendGrid account
• Domain Authentication covers a different domain: The authenticated domain in SendGrid doesn’t match the domain in the From Email (e.g. you authenticated example.com but you’re sending from otherdomain.com)
• From Email changed in WP Mail SMTP: You updated the From Email in WP Mail SMTP without verifying the new address or domain in SendGrid

How to Fix

Here is the complete step-by-step guide to resolving the error. Choose Option A if you already have a verified Sender Identity. Choose Option B to verify a single address quickly. Choose Option C (recommended for production) to authenticate an entire domain.

Option A: Match the From Email to an Already-Verified Address

If you already have a verified Sender Identity in SendGrid, the fastest fix is updating the From Email in WP Mail SMTP to match it.

Start by logging in to your SendGrid account. Then, go to Settings » Sender Authentication and note which addresses or domains are already verified.

Next, go to WP Mail SMTP » Settings and click the General tab.

Change the From Email to an address that matches a verified Sender Identity. Also enable Force From Email to apply the changes site wide.

Be sure to save your changes afterward.

Finally, send a test email (see Sending a Test Email below).

If you don’t have any verified identities, or you need to use a different From address, continue to Option B or C.

Option B: Verify a Single Sender Address

Use this option to verify one specific email address quickly. For production, Domain Authentication (Option C) is the recommended approach.

Start by logging in to your SendGrid account. Then, go to Settings » Sender Authentication. In the Single Sender Verification section, click Get Started.

Next, enter the sender name and the exact From Email address you want to use in WP Mail SMTP, fill in the required physical address fields, and click Create.

After that, check the inbox for that email address. Open the verification email from SendGrid and click the confirmation link.

Finally, go to WP Mail SMTP » Settings and confirm the From Email matches the address you just verified. Click Save Settings, then send a test email (see Sending a Test Email below).

Option C: Set Up Domain Authentication (Recommended for Production)

Domain Authentication verifies the entire domain at once, so you can use any address at that domain as the From Email. It also improves deliverability and removes the “via sendgrid.net” label from sent emails.

Start by logging in to your SendGrid account. Then, go to Settings » Sender Authentication. In the Domain Authentication section, click Get Started.

Next, answer the DNS host provider question (select your DNS provider or “Other”), select Yes for link branding, and click Next. Then, enter your domain (e.g. example.com).

After that, click Advanced Settings.

In Advanced Settings, uncheck “Use automated security” and check “Use custom return path”. Enter sg in the Return Path field, and click Next. SendGrid displays the DNS records you need to add.

Then, log in to your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Route 53, etc.) and add all the DNS records exactly as shown. Return to SendGrid, check the “I have added these records” checkbox, and click Verify.

After SendGrid confirms verification, go to WP Mail SMTP » Settings and click the General tab. Set the From Email to an address at the authenticated domain, and enable Force From Email so all outgoing mail uses this address.

Then, in the SendGrid section, set the Sending Domain to sg.example.com (matching the subdomain you chose above plus your domain).

Finally, click Save Settings, then send a test email (see Sending a Test Email below).

Sending a Test Email

To test the fix, go to WP Mail SMTP » Tools and click the Email Test tab. Enter a recipient email address in the Send To field, leave the HTML toggle ON, and click Send Email.

Once done, check for a success message, then check the recipient inbox to confirm delivery.

Notes

• Domain Authentication is the recommended approach. It verifies all addresses at your domain at once and improves deliverability. Single Sender Verification is quick but doesn’t improve deliverability.
• Don’t use mail as the subdomain during Domain Authentication. It can conflict with your hosting. Use sg instead.
• Don’t use underscores in the subdomain.
• Set the Sending Domain field in WP Mail SMTP to the authenticated subdomain plus your domain (e.g. sg.example.com).
• DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. If verification fails, wait and try again before troubleshooting DNS entries.
• If records appear correct but verification fails, double-check for extra spaces or trailing dots that some DNS providers add automatically.

That’s It! You now know how to fix the ‘From Address Does Not Match Verified Sender Identity’ error in SendGrid and get your emails sending again through WP Mail SMTP.