Do you want to send emails from a Gmail alias in WordPress?
Sending from a Gmail alias is handy if you want to use different aliases for different plugins or contact forms. You can use this as an alternative to email services such as Outlook or Mailgun.
With WP Mail SMTP, you can send emails from:
- Google Workspace (G-Suite) aliases
- Regular Gmail addresses (
@gmail.comor@googlemail.com) - Gmail aliases at a custom domain name
It’s easy to set up Gmail aliases on your site. We’ll show you what you need to do in the guide below.
Add Your Google Workspace Alias to WordPress
How to Send Emails From a Gmail Alias in WP Mail SMTP
In This Article
Step 1: Install the WP Mail SMTP Plugin
First, let’s install WP Mail SMTP.
Head to your WP Mail SMTP account and open up the Downloads tab. Click the orange button to download the zip file.
Now you’ll want to upload the plugin to your WordPress website.
Need help? Check out this guide on how to install a plugin in WordPress.
When you Activate the plugin, the Setup Wizard will open in your browser. Pause the setup process here and open up a new tab to continue setting up your Gmail or Google Workspace alias.
Step 2: Create a New Email Alias (Google Workspace Only)
If you want to send WordPress emails from Gmail or a Google Workspace alias, we’ll show you how to set it up now. If you’re using regular Gmail, you can skip this section and move on to Step 3.
To complete this section, you’ll need to be a Google Workspace administrator for your Google Workspace organization.
Start by opening up the Google Workspace Admin console. It’s easiest to do this from the Gmail interface for your ‘main’ Google Workspace email address: look to the toolbar across the top and click the gear icon.
Next, click Manage this organization.
You’ll see the Google Admin console open up.
Find the Users section here: it’s usually right on the homepage, but if it’s not, you can use the search bar to find it.
Click Create an alternative email address (email alias) to make your new alias.
Next, you’ll be prompted to type in the username for the Google Workspace account you want to add the alias to.
When you’ve selected the account, click Proceed. You’ll be asked to type in the first part of the email and select the domain.
Once you’ve completed the setup steps, your new alias will be confirmed. You can use the pencil icon to tweak the settings here if you need to.
Now we’re done, you can close the Google Workspace Admin console.
Next, we need to add your alias as a From address in Gmail.
Step 3: Add Your New Alias as a From Address in Gmail SMTP
Next, we’re going to set up your Gmail alias as a From address in Gmail.
It’s important to complete this step so that your WP Mail SMTP can ‘see’ the alias in WordPress.
To start, you’ll want to log in to your Gmail account for the main Gmail or Google Workspace account you’re using. Use your web browser so you can access all of the settings.
Then click the gear icon to open up the Quick settings panel.
From the panel, click the See all settings button.
Next, from the tabs across the top, click the Accounts tab. In Gmail, this is labeled Accounts and import.
Scroll down to the Send mail as section. You should see your primary address here.
Let’s click Add another email address.
A popup will open up so you can type in the From Name and email address that you want to add. If you just created a Google Workspace alias, type in the details here.
Take note of the Treat as an alias checkbox – it should be already checked.
Then click Next Step to continue setting up your Gmail SMTP.
If you’re using a custom domain with Gmail, you’ll be asked for the SMTP details next. You won’t see this for a Google Workspace or Gmail address.
Next, Google will ask you to verify your email address for Gmail SMTP configuration.
When you click the Send Verification button, Google will send an email to the new From address.
Follow the steps in the email to confirm that you want to use the email address as an alternate From address for your account.
Once that’s done, you’ll see your new From address in your Gmail settings.
Great! That’s all we need to do. Now you have 2 different From addresses in Gmail, you can use both of them in WP Mail SMTP.
If you have multiple aliases, repeat these steps for each one.
Let’s switch over to your WordPress site to complete the setup.
Step 4: Select Your New Alias in WP Mail SMTP
Now you’ve added your new alias as a From address in Gmail, it’ll appear in WP Mail SMTP automatically.
If you’re new to WP Mail SMTP, let’s first look at how to select an alias in the Setup Wizard. Then, we’ll show you how to change this setting if Gmail is already set up on your website.
Setting Up WP Mail SMTP With the Wizard
If you haven’t run the setup wizard yet, you can go ahead and pick that up now. You’ll want to follow our documentation on how to set up the Gmail mailer in WP Mail SMTP.
After you’ve added the account keys, you’ll see a dropdown where you can choose either your primary address or your alias as the primary From Email in the WP Mail SMTP plugin settings.
The primary From address will be used for all outgoing email if you check the Force From Email setting.
That’s all there is to it! Complete the Wizard and send a test email to your new aliases!
Changing Your Existing Gmail Settings
If you’ve already set up WP Mail SMTP in WordPress, you can easily change the primary From Address to your new Gmail alias.
You’ll find the setting on the plugin Settings page.
Scroll down to the Mail section and use the dropdown to select your primary alias as the From Email.
As we said before, the email you select here will be the primary From address. If you check the Force From Email setting, all of the plugins on your site will use it.
And that’s it! Now you’ve added your aliases in WP Mail SMTP.
Step 5: Using Multiple Aliases With Different Plugins
WP Mail SMTP lets you use different Gmail or Google Workspace aliases on different parts of your site.
For example, you might want to send your contact form notifications with a From Address of [email protected], and your WooCommerce emails with a From Address of [email protected].
This is an awesome way to match up the plugins and contact forms with your Google Workspace or Gmail mailbox.
To use more than 1 alias, you’ll want to make sure that the Force From Email checkbox is deselected in your WP Mail SMTP settings.
Now you can use any of your aliases in WordPress and your emails will always be authenticated.
FAQ on Gmail Aliases in WordPress
Here are some of the common questions we get about using Gmail aliases in WordPress.
How Do I Link My WordPress Email to Gmail SMTP Server?
You can send WordPress emails from Gmail or Google Workspace with WP Mail SMTP.
When you set up a WordPress website, most of the emails it generates are sent via your web hosting server. This method doesn’t add any authentication, so the mail servers receiving those emails often discard them or file them in the Junk Mail folder.
To fix this, WP Mail SMTP lets you set up a Google email alias in WordPress, so you can send messages from your Google account.
WP Mail SMTP also lets you use more than 1 Gmail alias in WordPress. So you can:
- Send emails from an alias instead of your primary Gmail or Google Workspace address.
- Use different aliases for different WordPress plugins or contact forms.
Can I Use a Domain Alias as a From Address?
Yes, you can.
A domain alias is a secondary domain that’s added to your Google Workspace. When you add the secondary domain, all of the email addresses at the primary domain get created at the domain alias as well. So there’s no need to go through Step 2 of this tutorial.
Instead, start at Step 3 to add your domain alias email address as a From address in the Gmail web interface. You’ll then be able to select it as a From address in WP Mail SMTP.
Why Is WP Mail SMTP Using the Wrong Gmail Alias?
You can use any verified Gmail or Google Workspace alias as a From Address in WordPress.
Note that the email address you use must exactly match the alias you set up.
If the From email doesn’t match your Workspace alias, WP Mail SMTP will send the emails from your primary Gmail address, which is the one you’ve selected as the ‘default’ From Address in your WP Mail SMTP settings.
Do I Need to Change My DNS Records?
Yes, you need to set up new DMARC, DKIM, or SPF records if you’re sending WordPress emails through Google Workspace or Gmail with a custom domain.
If you’re sending WordPress emails with an email address ending in @gmail.com, you don’t need to change any DNS records. You can ignore the warnings in WP Mail SMTP.
Why Are My WordPress Emails Not Going to Gmail Alias?
Gmail doesn’t allow messages that you send from your primary Gmail to your own alias’ inbox. You can view messages in the Sent folder of your primary Gmail account.
Add Your Google Workspace Alias to WordPress
Next, Fix Gmail Warning Messages On Your Emails
Are you seeing warning messages in Gmail when you receive emails from WordPress?
These warnings aren’t usually serious, but they can be worrying for you and your visitors. Check out this guide to fixing ‘be careful with this message’ warnings in Gmail.
Ready to fix your emails? Get started today with the best WordPress SMTP plugin. If you don’t have the time to fix your emails, you can get full White Glove Setup assistance as an extra purchase, and there’s a 14-day money-back guarantee for all paid plans.If this article helped you out, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more WordPress tips and tutorials.
