Configure SMTP and digest defaults

Where: Admin → System → Communications → Communications

Before you start

Automatic uses SMTP when a host is present, otherwise PHP’s mailer. Log only records instead of delivering. A successful immediate test does not schedule queued delivery. STARTTLS/SSL choices must match the provider’s port/service. Member digest opt-in remains separate from the board master setting.

Step by step

Choose Transport: Automatic, SMTP server, PHP mailer or Log only.
Set From name/address, Reply-to and signature. Use your domain’s verified sender address.
For SMTP enter Host, Port, Encryption, Username and Password from your mail provider; save.
Set board digest frequency and Only send to members who have not visited where desired.
Open Mail & delivery, send a test email and schedule queue delivery.

Settings and behaviour

Outgoing mail

Which server sends the board's mail, and who it comes from. Messages are queued and delivered by the cron job on Mail & delivery, so a slow mail server can never hold up a page.	Control	What to enter / effect
Transport	Automatic uses SMTP once a host is filled in below, and PHP's mailer until then. Log only writes each message to the PHP error log instead of sending it, which is what a board that has no mail server yet wants: nothing is delivered, and nothing is lost silently. Choices: Automatic; SMTP server; PHP's own mailer; Log only — do not send. Initial default: empty.
From name	Initial default: empty.
From address	Use an address on your own domain, or the mail is likely to be filed as spam. Initial default: empty.
Reply-to	Initial default: empty.
Signature	Added under every message the board sends. Initial default: empty.

SMTP

Control	What to enter / effect
Host	Initial default: empty.
Port	Initial default: `587`.
Encryption	Choices: STARTTLS; SSL; None. Initial default: `tls`.
Username	Initial default: empty.
Password	Enter the private credential; do not include it in support requests.

Digests

Control	What to enter / effect
Activity digest	Choices: Off; Daily; Weekly. Initial default: `off`.
Only send a digest to members who have not visited	Initial default: `1`.

Check the result

Receive the test in the intended inbox, then verify a normally queued message is sent by the host’s scheduled task.

Common questions and troubleshooting

Test works but resets/digests do not arrive: check queue/cron. Spam folder: verify domain sender authentication with the mail host. Digest missing: board master switch, member cadence, followed activity and optional quiet-only policy all matter.