SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is a standard protocol used for sending emails across a network, such as the internet. SMTP acts as the language that email servers use to communicate with each other, enabling the transfer of emails from the sender to the recipient.
In essence, SMTP functions as the postman of the digital age. When you send an email, it is transmitted via SMTP from your email client to the outgoing mail server. The outgoing mail server then uses SMTP to send the message to the recipient’s server. Eventually, the message is retrieved by the recipient’s email client.
SMTP plays a crucial role in the email sending process, ensuring that emails are transferred between servers in a standardized manner, regardless of the email platform being used.