WP Mail SMTP: Cloudways & Rackspace Setup

Your Emails Are Vanishing Into the Void (Here’s Why)

You launched your store. Orders came in. But here’s the problem: customers never got their confirmation emails. They email you asking “Where’s my receipt?” and you wonder if your hosting provider is eating them or if something broke without warning.

This happens constantly on WordPress sites, especially on shared or “managed” hosting. The default WordPress mail function is unreliable—it gets blocked, filtered, or silently fails while WordPress reports nothing. That’s where SMTP comes in.

The fix is actually simple. You don’t need to understand email infrastructure—you just need to route your emails through Rackspace using WP Mail SMTP so messages deliver consistently.

Why WP Mail SMTP Is Worth Your Time

WP Mail SMTP is the most-downloaded email plugin in WordPress with 3+ million installs, and it just works—which is exactly what you need when you run a real business.

It intercepts WordPress emails and sends them through an external SMTP server instead of your host’s mail function, improving reliability and inbox placement.

Cloudways integrates Rackspace so it’s simple to manage, and at $1 per mailbox per month you get reliable transactional email without extra complexity.

Step 1: Add a Mailbox in Cloudways (The Email Part)

Log into Cloudways and enable the Rackspace add-on (about $1/mailbox/month).

Once Rackspace is active, go to Mailboxes > Add Mailbox and fill in:

• Your email address (e.g., [email protected])
• A strong password (you’ll use this in WP Mail SMTP)

That’s it—you now have an actual email account on Rackspace, which is what will send your WordPress emails.

Write down the email and password; you’ll need them during plugin setup.

Step 2: Install WP Mail SMTP in WordPress

Go to Plugins > Add New, search for “WP Mail SMTP,” then install it.

Activate the plugin—look for the new WP Mail SMTP menu in your dashboard.

The Pro version adds logs/analytics, but the free version is perfectly fine to fix deliverability.

Step 3: Connect WP Mail SMTP to Rackspace

In WP Mail SMTP > General, choose “Other SMTP” as your mailer to enter custom settings.

Fill in these fields exactly:

• SMTP Host: secure.emailrnc.com
• SMTP Port: 587
• Encryption: TLS (modern standard; not SSL)
• Authentication: On
• SMTP Username: Your full email (e.g., [email protected])
• SMTP Password: The Rackspace mailbox password

Below the SMTP settings, set From Email to your Rackspace mailbox and From Name to your store or brand.

Step 4: Test It (This Is Critical)

Don’t assume anything—test it.

Go to WP Mail SMTP > Tools > Email Test, enter a personal email, and send a message.

If it fails, the error usually points to a typo in your credentials or a connection issue (wrong port/encryption).

If it succeeds, check your test email inbox to confirm the message arrived.

You’re done with the core setup.

What About DMARC, SPF, and DKIM? (The Security Layer That’s Increasingly Important)

After your test, you may see a notice about DMARC not being configured. That won’t block sending, but providers increasingly expect it.

DMARC, SPF, and DKIM are authentication protocols that prove your messages are legit—especially important as Gmail and Yahoo enforce stricter standards.

Your emails will send without them, but they improve your chances of landing in inboxes, particularly for transactional and bulk sends.

If you want to add them, it’s a DNS configuration—add SPF/DKIM/DMARC records in your domain’s DNS using Rackspace’s instructions, then allow time for propagation.

Common Hiccups (And How to Fix Them)

“Test email isn’t arriving”

Check your SMTP credentials carefully. Verify the mailbox and password in Cloudways, confirm Port 587 with TLS, and correct any typos.

“It works but emails still aren’t sending”

Look at WP Mail SMTP > Tools > Email Log for send status, and confirm your Rackspace mailbox hasn’t hit usage limits.

“I changed the password in Cloudways but it’s not working in WP Mail SMTP”

Update the password in WP Mail SMTP settings—credentials don’t sync automatically.

“What if I want to use a different SMTP provider?”

SendGrid, Mailgun, and Amazon SES work too—the steps are the same; just swap the host and credentials.

Why This Actually Matters

Transactional emails are critical infrastructure. Missed confirmations create confusion, refunds, and support churn.

Once configured, this setup requires almost no ongoing attention—it just runs until credentials change.

Final Thoughts

Getting WordPress emails to send is mostly just four fields and a test button—don’t overthink it.

Get this working first, then circle back to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for long‑term deliverability.

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