How to Configure Yahoo SMTP Settings

Have you ever wondered how emails magically find their way from your computer to the recipient's inbox? 

Well, there’s something called SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). 

Your SMTP server collects your email messages from your email client/program and ensures they reach your recipients’ email provider, and eventually their email client. 

If you're a Yahoo Mail user, your email provider/service is Yahoo mail and your email client/program is the app (or web-based program) you are using to access your inbox and emails. It can be Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, macOS Mail, IncrediMail, iOS Mail, and Gmail, etc.

Configuring Yahoo SMTP settings for email marketing allows marketers to send bulk emails and newsletters directly through their Yahoo Mail accounts. This can help them to increase email deliverability and the sender's reputation. 

In this blog post, I have covered: 

• Yahoo SMTP settings
• POP3 settings
• IMAP settings
• How to configure Yahoo SMTP for your email client
• How to configure Yahoo SMTP for WordPress sites.  

Let’s dive in! 

Yahoo SMTP, POP3 & IMAP Settings 

As mentioned before, SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) settings are used for sending outgoing emails. They include the SMTP server address (e.g., smtp.example.com) and port numbers (usually 465 for SSL or 587 for TLS).

While POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) settings are used for downloading emails from the server to your device, IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) settings are used for accessing emails on the server without downloading them.

Yahoo SMTP Settings

• SMTP Server address: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
• Port: 465 or 587 
• Requires SSL: Yes
• Requires TLS: Yes (if available)
• Authentication: required
• Username: Your Yahoo email address (e.g. xyz@yahoo.com)
• Password: Not your regular Yahoo Mail password. You need to generate an app password for this. 

Yahoo POP3 Settings

Server: pop.mail.yahoo.com

Port: 995

Requires SSL: Yes

Username: Your Yahoo Mail email address (xyz@yahoo.com)

Password: The App password

Yahoo IMAP Settings

Server: imap.mail.yahoo.com

Port: 993

Requires SSL: Yes

Username: Your full Yahoo Mail email address (xyz@yahoo.com)

Password: The App password

How to Configure Yahoo SMTP for Email Clients

Step 1: Log in/Sign up to Yahoo Mail Account

Before you begin the configuration, make sure you have access to your Yahoo Mail account. Open your web browser, visit Yahoo Mail, and log in using your account credentials.

If you don’t have one yet, you can create a Yahoo Mail account here. 

Step 2: Enable Less Secure Apps Or Two-Step Verification

Enable Less Secure Apps

• Log in to your Yahoo Mail account.
• Go to your "Account Info" page by clicking on your profile picture at the top-right corner and selecting "Account Info."
• In the "Account Info" page, click on "Account Security" in the left-hand panel.
• Under the "Less secure app access" section, turn on the toggle switch to allow less secure apps.

‍Please note: the option of using "Less Secure Apps" is not available for people who have enabled "Two-Step Verification". 

***How to Do Two-Step Verification in Yahoo Mail?

• Log in to your Yahoo Mail account.
• Go to your "Account Info" page by clicking on your profile picture at the top-right corner and selecting "Account Info."
• In the "Account Info" page, click on "Account Security" in the left-hand panel.
• Under the "Two-step verification" section, turn on the toggle switch to enable two-step verification.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to set up the two-step verification process and verify your account using a phone number.

How to Generate an App Password in Yahoo

You need to generate a Yahoo app password when you have enabled "Two-Step Verification" for your Yahoo account. The app password is used as an alternative to your regular account password when configuring Yahoo SMTP in email clients that do not support the two-step verification process directly. Here's the step-by-step process to generate a Yahoo app password:

• First, go to “Account Settings”

• Click on “Account Security” option

• Now, click on the “Generate app password” under that other ways to sign in option

• There will be a popup on your screen. Click the blue “Get started” button in the popup.

• Now, there will be an option to “enter your app’s name”. Write the app you are trying to connect your Yahoo account with to remember the service you are generating the password for. Example: “Smartlead” or “WordPress”.

• Next, click the “generate the password” button. You will see the password on the screen. Note it down. 

Step 4: Configure Outgoing (SMTP) Server

• Enter the SMTP Server and the Port number in the designated fields.
• Select the encryption method. For increased security, it is recommended to choose "STARTTLS" (sometimes referred to as TLS) with port 587. If you prefer using SSL/TLS, choose port 465.
• Provide your full Yahoo email address as the Username and enter your Yahoo account password.
• Save the SMTP settings and proceed to test the configuration.

Step 5: Test the Configuration

• Send a test email from your email client to an external email address.
• Check if the test email is delivered successfully and if there are any errors or issues reported during the sending process.
• If the test email is sent and received without any problems, your Yahoo SMTP configuration is successful.

Please note that Yahoo may occasionally update their security settings or require app-specific passwords for certain email clients. If you encounter any issues during the configuration, contact Yahoo's help center for the latest information.

How to Configure Yahoo SMTP for WordPress Sites

Here’s a step-by-step guide on “How to Configure Yahoo SMTP for WordPress Sites”.

• First generate the “App Password” from Yahoo Account Settings
• Install and activate a plugin like "Free Post SMTP Plugin" on your WordPress site.
• Access the plugin's settings by going to "Post SMTP" in the WordPress dashboard.
• Now, click on the "Show all settings" tab to configure the SMTP settings.
• Go to the “message” option and put your Yahoo Mail email address under the “From Address” section
• Click Save Changes button

Now, you need to go back and click on Show All Settings again.

• Go to the Account tab
• Choose SMTP as the transport Type 
• Set the Mailer Type equal to PostSMTP

Now, you need to put the below details and you are done. 

• Outgoing Mail Server Hostname: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
• Outgoing Mail Server Port: 465 or 587 
• Envelope-From Email Address: Your Yahoo Mail email address. 
• Security: SMTPS
• Authentication: Login
• Username: your Yahoo Mail email address.
• Password: The Yahoo Mail app password you generated.

Go to Post SMTP and then click the Send a Test Email link in the Actions column to check if the settings are set well. 

FAQs

Is Yahoo mail an email provider?

Yes, Yahoo Mail is an email provider/service provided by Yahoo. When you sign up for a Yahoo Mail account, you get an email address that ends with "@yahoo.com." Yahoo Mail is the service that manages your email account, stores your emails, and allows you to send and receive emails.

What is an email client?

An email client or email program is the software you use to access your email account and manage your emails. It provides you with an interface to read, write, send, and organize your emails. Examples of email clients/programs include Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, macOS Mail, IncrediMail, iOS Mail, and Gmail.