AI Summary
Would you like to see how your site’s emails are performing without digging through logs and reports? The WP Mail SMTP Dashboard puts your sending stats, connection health, and recommended next steps on a single screen, so you spot problems the moment they start.
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use the WP Mail SMTP Dashboard to monitor your emails and manage your setup.
Note: The Dashboard is available in WP Mail SMTP 4.10 and later, in both the free and Pro versions. Some widgets, such as Email Log and Email Sources, need WP Mail SMTP Pro to display data.
Accessing the Dashboard
To open the Dashboard, log in to your WordPress admin area and click WP Mail SMTP in the sidebar. The Dashboard is now the first screen you see. You’ll also find it under WP Mail SMTP » Dashboard.
Choosing a Date Range (Pro)
In WP Mail SMTP Pro, a date range menu sits in the top-right corner of the Dashboard. Choose Last 7 Days, Last 14 Days, Last 30 Days, or Custom Date Range to set the period for the stat cards, the Emails Overview graph, the Email Log, and Email Sources. The Dashboard shows the last 30 days by default.
WP Mail SMTP Lite doesn’t include a date range menu. Instead, the graph always shows your sent and failed emails for the last 12 weeks.
Reviewing Your Email Stats
The row of cards at the top of the Dashboard gives you a quick read on your sending activity. Each card also shows the percentage change compared to the previous period.
In WP Mail SMTP Pro, the cards show Total Emails, Sent, Failed, and Opened for the date range you selected.
In the free version, the cards show Emails Last Week and Failed Last Week. The Sent and Opened cards are locked and include an upgrade prompt.
Emails Overview
The Emails Overview graph charts your email activity over time. In WP Mail SMTP Pro, the graph plots Confirmed, Unconfirmed, Failed, and Opened emails. Click View all Reports to open the full Email Reports page.
If a large share of your recent emails fail to send, the Dashboard adds an alert card to this widget showing how many emails failed in the last 30 days. Click Set Up Email Alerts to get notified the next time it happens. In the free version, this card offers Upgrade to Pro instead.
Checking Your Connections
The Connections widget shows every mailer connection on your site at a glance.
- Primary: Your main mailer and its status. Click Manage to open its settings.
- Backup: The connection WP Mail SMTP uses if your primary mailer fails. If you haven’t added one, click Add New.
- Additional Connections: Extra mailers for features like Smart Routing. Click Add New to set one up.
Each connection displays one of four statuses:
- Connected: The mailer is sending emails without problems.
- Domain check warning: WP Mail SMTP found an issue with your domain’s DNS records.
- Mailer error: Recent emails failed to send through this mailer.
- Setup incomplete: The mailer’s settings aren’t finished yet.
To confirm everything works, click Test Connections. This opens the Email Test tool, where you send a test email.
If you haven’t set up a mailer yet, a Setup Your Mailer notice appears on the Dashboard. Click Launch Setup Wizard to connect one. You can also click Setup Primary Connection in the Connections widget to choose a mailer on the Settings page.
Viewing Recent Emails
The Email Log widget lists the 5 most recent emails your site sent in the selected date range, along with the recipient, mailer, and date sent.
Click the eye icon to preview an email, or click its subject to open the full log entry. To see everything, click View All Email Logs.
Note: The Email Log widget needs WP Mail SMTP Pro with email logging turned on. If logging is off, the widget shows an Enable Email Logging button instead.
Seeing Which Plugins Send Your Emails
The Email Sources widget breaks down which plugins send your site’s emails. It lists your top sources with their share of the total and groups the rest under Others. A chart next to the list shows the same breakdown.
Below the chart, the Dashboard adds suggestions based on your top senders. For example, it suggests Set Up Smart Routing to send a busy plugin’s emails through a mailer of its own, or Manage Notifications to silence WordPress emails you don’t need. Click the X on any suggestion to dismiss it.
Exploring the Rest of the Dashboard
The sidebar and lower half of the Dashboard point you to the next steps for your setup:
- Get the Most Out of WP Mail SMTP: A list of Pro features with links to each feature’s settings. Click View All Settings to see every option. In the free version, this section shows the features included with Pro and an Upgrade to Pro button.
- Setup Checklist Overview: Your remaining Setup Checklist tasks. Click any task to start it, or click View Complete Setup Checklist.
- Getting Started: Links to the most helpful WP Mail SMTP guides.
- Recommended Growth Tools: Free sister plugins you can install with one click.
- Version: The version of WP Mail SMTP you’re running, with a What’s New link to the changelog.
In the right-hand column, the Setup Checklist Overview tracks your remaining tasks. Click View Complete Setup Checklist to see them all.
That’s it! You now know how to use the WP Mail SMTP Dashboard to monitor your emails and manage your connections.
Next, would you like to finish setting up the rest of WP Mail SMTP’s features? Check out our guide to using the Setup Checklist.