how to send smtp mail from localhost

Question

I always get this message when trying to send email from my local host.

SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host. Message could not be sent. Mailer Error: SMTP Er

Answer 1

1. Open the php.ini. For XAMPP, it is located in C:\XAMPP\php\php.ini. Find out if you are using WAMP or LAMP server.
   Note: Make a backup of php.ini file.

2. Search [mail function] in the php.ini file.

   You can find like below.
   [mail function]
   ; For Win32 only.
   ; http://php.net/smtp
   SMTP = localhost
   ; http://php.net/smtp-port
   smtp_port = 25
   
   ; For Win32 only.
   ; http://php.net/sendmail-from
   ;sendmail_from = postmaster@localhost
   

   Change the localhost to the smtp server name of your ISP. No need to change the smtp_port. Leave it as 25. Change sendmail_from from postmaster@localhost to your domain email address which will be used as from address.

   So for me, it will become like this.

   [mail function]
   ; For Win32 only.
   SMTP = smtp.example.com
   smtp_port = 25
   ; For Win32 only.
   sendmail_from = info@example.com
   

3. Restart the XAMPP or WAMP(apache server) so that changes will start working.

4. Now try to send the mail using the mail() function.

   mail("example@example.com","Success","Great, Localhost Mail works");
   

Mail will be sent to example@example.com from the localhost with Subject line "Success" and body "Great, Localhost Mail works".

Answer 2

You can add this line
$mail->SMTPSecure = "ssl";

after

$mail->SMTPAuth = true;