Brevo (formerly SendinBlue) is one of the most popular email marketing solutions for businesses of all sizes. It’s affordable, reliable, and has solid deliverability when set up correctly.

One thing people miss: WordPress, by default, uses the PHP mail() function to send emails. Most hosting providers don’t configure this properly, which means your contact form confirmations, WooCommerce order emails, and password reset links often end up in spam or don’t get delivered at all.

The fix is connecting WordPress to a proper SMTP provider like Brevo using the WP Mail SMTP plugin. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the complete setup, step by step.

Quick note on the rebrand: SendinBlue officially rebranded to Brevo in May 2023. The product is the same, but the dashboard, API references, and WP Mail SMTP settings now use the Brevo name. If you set this up before 2023, your existing configuration still works, but the UI will look different.

What You Need Before Starting

• A Brevo account (free plan works for this setup)
• Access to your WordPress admin dashboard
• Access to your domain’s DNS settings (via your registrar or hosting cPanel)

Step 1: Install and Activate WP Mail SMTP

Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New Plugin. Search for WP Mail SMTP. Install and activate the plugin by WPForms.

The free version supports Brevo (Sendinblue) as a mailer, so you don’t need the Pro version to follow this guide.

Step 2: Run the WP Mail SMTP Setup Wizard

Once activated, WP Mail SMTP will launch a setup wizard automatically. If it doesn’t, go to WP Mail SMTP > Settings in your dashboard.

In the setup wizard:

1. Click Let’s Get Started.
2. On the mailer selection screen, scroll down and choose Brevo (you may see it listed as Sendinblue in older plugin versions).
3. Click Save and Continue.

You’ll now need a Brevo API key to connect the two. Let’s get that next.

Step 3: Get Your Brevo API Key

Log in to your Brevo account. Then:

1. Click your account name (top right) and go to SMTP & API.
2. Click the API Keys tab.
3. Click Generate a New API Key. Give it a recognizable name like “WordPress Site”.
4. Copy the API key immediately — Brevo only shows it once.

Now go back to your WordPress dashboard and paste the API key into the WP Mail SMTP Brevo field. Fill in your From Email (use the email address verified with your Brevo account) and your From Name.

Click Save Settings.

Step 4: Add DNS Records to Your Domain

This step is what most tutorials skip, and it’s why emails still land in spam even after SMTP setup. You need to authenticate your domain with Brevo by adding DNS records. This tells receiving mail servers that Brevo is authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.

In your Brevo dashboard:

1. Go to Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs > Domains.
2. Click Add a Domain and enter your domain name.
3. Brevo will generate your DNS records. You’ll typically get four records to add:

Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) and add each of these records exactly as Brevo provides them. DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate, though most propagate within 1 hour.

Once added, go back to Brevo and click Verify to confirm the records are live.

Step 5: Send a Test Email

With everything configured, let’s verify it’s working. In your WordPress dashboard, go to WP Mail SMTP > Tools > Email Test.

1. Enter an email address you can check (use Gmail or another provider, not the same domain you’re sending from).
2. Click Send Email.
3. Check your inbox. The test email should arrive within seconds.

If the email arrives in your inbox (not spam), the setup is complete. If it lands in spam, check that your DNS records have fully propagated and that your From Email matches a verified sender in Brevo.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Here are the issues I see most often and how to fix them:

• “Authentication failed” error: Your API key is likely copied incorrectly. Delete it and paste it fresh from Brevo. Make sure there are no trailing spaces.
• Test email goes to spam: DNS records haven’t propagated yet, or DKIM/SPF aren’t verified in Brevo. Wait an hour and re-verify in the Brevo domain settings.
• “From” email not working: The email address in WP Mail SMTP must be a verified sender in Brevo. Add it under Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs > Senders.
• Emails not sending at all: Check your Brevo account isn’t on a paused plan or sending limit. Free plans have a daily sending cap of 300 emails.
• WP Mail SMTP shows Sendinblue, not Brevo: Update WP Mail SMTP to the latest version. Newer versions use the Brevo branding in the UI.

Brevo Free vs. Paid: What You Actually Get

If you’re just using Brevo to send transactional emails from WordPress, the free plan is enough for most small sites. Here’s the quick breakdown:

For a WordPress site sending order confirmations, contact form emails, and password resets, the free plan handles it fine unless you have a high-volume WooCommerce store.

Tips for Better Email Deliverability

1. Always use a domain email as your From address. Sending from a Gmail or Yahoo address via Brevo will trigger spam filters. Use yourname@yourdomain.com.
2. Verify all three DNS records. SPF alone isn’t enough in 2026. You need SPF + DKIM + DMARC for full authentication.
3. Warm up your sending domain if it’s new. Don’t blast 300 emails on day one from a fresh domain. Start low and increase volume gradually over 2 to 4 weeks.
4. Monitor your Brevo logs. Check Transactional > Email Logs in Brevo regularly to catch any soft or hard bounces before they become a deliverability problem.
5. Keep your list clean. Hard bounces hurt your sender reputation. Remove invalid addresses promptly.

Final Thoughts

Setting up Brevo (Sendinblue) with WP Mail SMTP is one of those one-time configurations that pays off indefinitely. Once it’s done correctly, you stop worrying about WordPress emails disappearing into spam and start trusting that your transactional emails actually reach people.

The steps are: install WP Mail SMTP, connect your Brevo API key, add and verify your DNS records, and run a test. That’s the whole thing. Don’t skip the DNS step and you’ll be fine.

If you’re also looking to lock down your WordPress site while you’re at it, check out my guide on WordPress security best practices.