Do You Want to Break Free of WordPress Plugins? Learn How to Send Emails Without Them!

Are you fed up with relying on plugins for every little task in WordPress? Well, you’ll be delighted to know that you don’t need them for sending emails to your users or subscribers. WordPress comes equipped with a built-in function, called “wp_mail()”, that enables you to send emails without the need for additional plugins. Follow our step-by-step guide and we’ll show you how you can send mails in WordPress, free from the tyranny of plugins.

What is wp_mail() Function?

“wp_mail()” is a built-in function that WordPress has designed to allow sending emails. This function doesn’t require any additional plugin or code, as it forms part of the WordPress core. As wp_mail() uses the PHP mail() function, it comes with extra features such as HTML emails or including attachments, CC, and BCC.

How to Use wp_mail() Function in WordPress

Your first task is to create a new PHP file in your theme directory, such as “send-mail.php”. Then open it using your code editor and paste in the code below:

',
'Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8');

wp_mail($to, $subject, $body, $headers);
?>

Now, let’s break down the code:

• The first line specifies the email address of the recipient. Replace “destination@email.com” with the email address where you want to send the email.
• The second line sets the subject of the email. Replace “Test Email from WordPress” with a relevant subject line.
• The third line sets the body of the email. Replace “This is a test email sent from WordPress without any plugin” with the content you want to send.
• The fourth line sets the headers of the email. The first item in the array is the “From” header, which sets the name and email address of the sender. Replace “Me Myself” with the name of the sender and “me@myself.com” with the email address of the sender. The second item in the array sets the “Content-Type” header, telling the email client that the email is in HTML format.
• The last line uses the “wp_mail()” function to send the email. It takes four arguments:
• $to – the email address of the recipient.
• $subject – the subject of the email.
• $body – the body of the email.
• $headers – the headers of the email.

You can customize the email message as per your requirements. You can also add additional headers such as CC and BCC if required. Simply modify the code as follows:

$headers = array('From: Me Myself ',
'Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8',
'Cc: copy@thisemail.com',
'Bcc: blind-copy@thisemail.com');

This code will send the email to the recipient email address and also send a copy to “copy@thisemail.com” and a blind copy to “blind-copy@thisemail.com”.

Having customized the code as per your requirements, save the file and upload it to your server in the root of your WordPress installation. Alternatively, you can put the file in your theme directory but ensure that you include it in your templates or add it to your functions.php file to ensure it runs when required.

Now, you can send emails without using any plugins. To send an email, all you need to do is call this file. You can either create a template page or add it to your functions.php file. Here is an example of how to call the file in your functions.php file:

function send_email_example(){
include('send-mail.php');
}
add_action('wp_loaded', 'send_email_example');

This code will activate the “send-mail.php” file as soon as the WordPress core is loaded.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, sending emails in WordPress without using any plugins is an easy, efficient process. Create a file with the “wp_mail()” function and customize it as per your requirements. You’ll soon discover that it’s incredibly satisfying to break free from over-dependence on plugins, and instead rely on WordPress’s built-in features.