Denys Cherkasov

The default <code>wp_mail()</code> function in WordPress can often be unreliable. Many hosting providers limit or poorly configure email sending, which leads to important notifications (like registrations, password resets, or WooCommerce orders) ending up in spam or not being delivered at all.
Cherkasov SMTP Mailer solves this problem by re-routing all your site’s outgoing emails through a professional SMTP server (such as Gmail, SendGrid, or any other mail service). This significantly increases the reliability and deliverability of your emails.
The plugin features a modern, intuitive interface, an advanced email log, and the ability to receive instant notifications about sending statuses in your Telegram.
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Reliable Delivery: Send emails through any SMTP server to avoid spam filters.</li>
<li>Easy Configuration: Quick presets for popular services (Gmail, Outlook, SendGrid) and flexible options for any other SMTP provider.</li>
<li>Email Log: Keeps a detailed log of all sent emails. View content, status, headers, and error messages.</li>
<li>Log Management: Search for emails, resend failed messages (one by one or all at once), and delete entries.</li>
<li>Telegram Notifications: Get instant messages in Telegram about successfully sent or failed emails.</li>
<li>Testing Tool: A built-in feature to send a test email to verify your settings and see a detailed debug log.</li>
<li>Security: Passwords and tokens are not displayed in the form after being saved and are transmitted securely.</li>
<li>Modern UI: A clean, responsive, and user-friendly interface built with modern web technologies.</li>
<li>Retention Policies: Configure automatic deletion of old log entries to keep your database clean.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Configuration</h3>
After activating the plugin, go to Settings > Cherkasov SMTP Mailer.
<h4>1. Main SMTP Settings</h4>
<ol>
<li>Mailer:
<ul>
<li>SMTP: Choose this option to send emails via an external server.</li>
<li>Default WP Mailer: Use your host’s standard mail function (not recommended).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Providers: You can select a popular provider (Gmail, Outlook, SendGrid) to auto-fill the host and port fields.</li>
<li>SMTP Host, Port, and Encryption: Enter the details provided by your email service provider.</li>
<li>Authentication: In most cases, this toggle should be enabled.</li>
<li>SMTP Credentials: Enter the username (usually your email address) and password for your email account.
<ul>
<li>For Gmail/Google: If you have two-factor authentication enabled, you must create an “App Password” in your Google account’s security settings and use it here.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Save Changes.</li>
</ol>
<h4>2. Sender Details</h4>
<ul>
<li>From Name: The name recipients will see.</li>
<li>From Email: The address emails will be sent from.</li>
<li>Force Sender: If enabled, all emails from your site (even from other plugins) will be sent using the specified From Name and From Email.</li>
</ul>
<h4>3. Telegram Notifications</h4>
<ol>
<li>Click the “Telegram Notifications” button.</li>
<li>Enable the “Enable Telegram Notifications” option.</li>
<li>Bot Token: Create a new bot by talking to <a href="https://t.me/botfather" rel="nofollow ugc"><code>@BotFather</code></a> on Telegram. It will provide you with a unique token. Paste it here.</li>
<li>Chat ID: Talk to the <a href="https://t.me/userinfobot" rel="nofollow ugc"><code>@userinfobot</code></a> and click “Start.” It will send you your unique ID. Paste it here.</li>
<li>Choose which events you want to be notified about (failed and/or successful sends).</li>
<li>Save the settings and click “Send Test” to verify.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Third-Party Services</h3>
This plugin uses the Telegram API to send notifications about the status of sent emails. This functionality is optional and only activated if you enable it in the settings and provide your own Telegram Bot Token and Chat ID.
<ul>
<li>Service: Telegram Bot API</li>
<li>Data Sent: When enabled, the plugin sends the recipient’s email address, email subject, your site’s URL, and the sending status (success or failure) to the Telegram API to be delivered to your specified chat.</li>
<li>Terms of Service: https://telegram.org/tos</li>
<li>Privacy Policy: https://telegram.org/privacy</li>
</ul>

Cherkasov SMTP Mailer

A reliable SMTP plugin for WordPress that ensures email delivery with logging and Telegram notifications.

Pinny Fried

Pinny’s Simple SMTP is a ultra lightweight SMTP plugin weighing in at just 4KB. It’s simple to use, highly secure, and includes all the basic features you need to send emails reliably.
<h3>🚀 Super Easy 30-Second Configuration</h3>
Tired of bloated setup wizards, “Connect Account” popups, and endless menus?
Pinny’s Simple SMTP is designed to be invisible. We removed the fluff so you can get back to work. 
1. Enter your Host & Port. 
2. Enter your Login. 
3. Click Save.
That’s it. You are done. 
There is no complex UI to learn. No dashboards to manage. It is a true “Set and Forget” solution that just works.
Unlike most SMTP plugins (which are typically 2MB+ in size), Pinny’s Simple SMTP is ultra-lightweight, easy to set up, and never compromises on security. We ensure your sensitive credentials are always protected with automatic encryption—no more storing passwords in plain text.
This plugin is different. It’s smaller than a favicon, works with any mail provider, and takes just seconds to set up.
Features:
<ul>
<li>Ultra Lightweight (4KB): This is the a ultra lightweight SMTP plugin. It has zero impact on your site speed.</li>
<li>Encrypted Security: We take security seriously. Your SMTP password is encrypted in the database using native WordPress salts. We never store credentials in plain text.</li>
<li>Dead Easy Setup: No confusing wizards or tutorials needed. Just enter your Host, Port, and Login, then click Save.</li>
<li>All Basic Features: Supports TLS/SSL, custom ports, “From” email/name overrides, and includes a 1-Click Test Email tool.</li>
<li>Zero Bloat: No ads, no dashboard widgets, no usage tracking, and no upsells.</li>
<li>wp-config Configuration Mode: For added security, define SMTP settings in <code>wp-config.php</code> and lock the admin UI.</li>
</ul>
<h3>⚙️ Advanced: Configure SMTP via wp-config.php</h3>
Pinny’s Simple SMTP supports configuration directly from <code>wp-config.php</code>, allowing administrators and developers to lock SMTP settings and prevent changes from the WordPress dashboard.
When enabled, the plugin automatically switches the admin interface to read-only mode.
To enable this mode, add the following constants to your <code>wp-config.php</code> file
<pre><code>define('PINNYS_SMTP_FORCE', true);

define('PINNYS_SMTP_ENABLED', true);
define('PINNYS_SMTP_HOST', 'smtp.gmail.com');
define('PINNYS_SMTP_PORT', 587);
define('PINNYS_SMTP_ENCRYPTION', 'tls');

define('PINNYS_SMTP_AUTH', true);
define('PINNYS_SMTP_USERNAME', 'your@email.com');
define('PINNYS_SMTP_PASSWORD', 'your_app_password');

define('PINNYS_SMTP_FROM_EMAIL', 'your@email.com');
define('PINNYS_SMTP_FROM_NAME', 'Your Website');
</code></pre>
Once <code>PINNYS_SMTP_FORCE</code> is enabled:
<ul>
<li>SMTP settings are loaded from <code>wp-config.php</code></li>
<li>The WordPress settings page becomes read-only</li>
<li>Dashboard changes cannot override your configuration</li>
</ul>
Note: If <code>PINNYS_SMTP_FORCE</code> is not defined, the plugin behaves normally and settings can be configured from the WordPress dashboard.
<h3>🛡️ The “Zero-Retention” Security Promise</h3>
Pinny’s Simple SMTP is built on a strict security philosophy: WordPress is a CMS, not an Email Archive.
Most SMTP plugins log every email sent from your site into your WordPress database. While this seems convenient, it introduces massive security risks, database bloat, and privacy violations.
We feature a Zero-Retention Architecture. We connect, deliver, and vanish. Here is why this is safer for you:
<h4>1. The Security Risk (Why we don’t log)</h4>
Storing email logs in your database creates a high-value target for hackers.
<ul>
<li>The “Big Hack” Reality: In 2024 and 2025, major SMTP plugins (such as Post SMTP) suffered critical vulnerabilities (<a href="https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e675d64c-cbb8-4f24-9b6f-2597a97b49af" rel="nofollow ugc">CVE-2023-6875</a> and <a href="https://zeropath.com/blog/cve-2025-11833-post-smtp-unauthorized-email-log-access" rel="nofollow ugc">CVE-2025-11833</a>). Hackers were able to bypass authentication, trigger password reset emails, read the plugin’s email logs to capture the reset link, and take over the entire website.</li>
<li>Our Fix: You cannot steal what isn’t there. By not logging emails, Pinny’s Simple SMTP renders this entire class of “Account Takeover” attacks impossible.</li>
</ul>
<h4>2. The Database & Privacy Problem</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bloat: Transactional logs grow indefinitely. A busy store sends thousands of emails a month. Storing these in <code>wp_options</code> or custom tables slows down your site and bloats your backups.</li>
<li>GDPR & Privacy: Your database should not permanently store customer PII (Personally Identifiable Information) like password reset links, purchase receipts, or private contact form messages. If your site is compromised, those logs are a leak waiting to happen.</li>
</ul>
<h4>3. The Right Way to Log</h4>
If you need to track email delivery, do it where it belongs: At your Email Provider.
<ul>
<li>Gmail / Google Workspace: Has a “Sent” folder and comprehensive audit logs.</li>
<li>SendGrid / Mailgun / SES: These services are built to archive millions of emails securely, with proper rotation policies and access controls.</li>
<li>Microsoft / Outlook: Native “Sent Items” retention. 
Pinny’s Simple SMTP keeps your WordPress database clean, fast, and secure by letting your email provider do its job.</li>
</ul>
<h3>🚫 The “Anti-Bloat” Architecture: Why We Rejected OAuth</h3>
Pinny’s Simple SMTP is built on a strict performance philosophy: Do not load code you do not use.
The industry standard is to force users into OAuth (Log in with Google/Microsoft). While this looks fancy, for a WordPress plugin, it is technically inferior to standard SMTP. Here is why we deliberately stripped OAuth out of Pinny’s:
1. The “Universal Adapter” Trap (Bloat) 
Most users connect to one provider (e.g., just Gmail). However, to support OAuth, other plugins must bundle massive SDK libraries for 10–15 different services (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo, Zoho, etc.).
<ul>
<li>The Result: You install megabytes of vendor code just to send a simple email.</li>
<li>Our Fix: Pinny’s uses standard SMTP. We don’t force you to host 14 unused API libraries on your server just to use the 15th. This keeps our codebase at ~4KB.</li>
</ul>
2. The Complexity Risk (Security) 
In security, Complexity is the Enemy. OAuth flows require redirects, token storage, refresh tokens, and constant API updates. Every external library added to a plugin increases the “Attack Surface”—more code means more places for bugs to hide.
<ul>
<li>The Reality: If a plugin’s bundled “Google API Client” has a vulnerability, your site is at risk—even if you are using Outlook.</li>
<li>Our Fix: We use native WordPress functions. No external dependencies. No third-party SDKs. No supply-chain vulnerabilities.</li>
</ul>
3. The Reality of “Shared OAuth Infrastructure” 
Many plugins advertise “one-click OAuth login” for Gmail or Microsoft 365. To provide this convenience without requiring users to create their own developer credentials, these plugins typically authenticate through a shared OAuth application (Client ID and Secret) owned by the plugin developer.
This creates several potential risks including:
<ul>
<li>Shared API rate limits OAuth quotas apply to the shared application, not your individual site.</li>
<li>Abuse impact If other sites using the same OAuth application send spam or violate provider policies, the provider may restrict or flag the application, potentially affecting all connected users.</li>
<li>Application suspension When the shared OAuth application is disabled or restricted by the provider, authentication will fail for every site using it.</li>
<li>Developer infrastructure dependency Some plugins route OAuth authentication through servers operated by the plugin developer. If that infrastructure experiences downtime, users may be unable to connect accounts or refresh authentication tokens.</li>
<li>Maintenance risk OAuth integrations require ongoing API updates. If a plugin is abandoned and the OAuth application is not maintained, authentication may eventually stop working.</li>
</ul>
Pinny’s Simple SMTP avoids these dependencies entirely by using direct SMTP authentication, allowing your site to communicate directly with your mail server without shared OAuth infrastructure.
4. App Passwords: The Superior Choice 
We use App Passwords (Standard SMTP Authentication). This is the secure, recommended method for server-side mailing (Gmail/Workspace & Microsoft 365).
<ul>
<li>Strictly Scoped: An App Password usually only has permission to send mail. Unlike an OAuth token (which can sometimes be scoped too broadly), an App Password cannot be used to change your account settings or read your Drive files.</li>
<li>Instantly Revocable: If you suspect a breach, you can revoke that specific App Password instantly from your Google/Microsoft dashboard without changing your main login credentials.</li>
<li>Zero Downtime: OAuth tokens expire or disconnect if the API changes. App Passwords work until you say stop.</li>
</ul>
Pinny’s Simple SMTP chooses stability over shiny buttons. Enter your Host, Port, and App Password → Save. Done.

Pinny’s Simple SMTP – Lightweight SMTP Mailer

Ultra lightweight SMTP plugin (~4KB). Encrypted passwords, zero bloat, and simple setup for Gmail, Outlook, and any mail server.

Cherkasov SMTP Mailer vs Pinny’s Simple SMTP – Lightweight SMTP Mailer