The SMTP server for your email depends entirely on your provider: each service imposes its own host and port, with its own encryption mode. No generic value works across the board. For Gmail, it’s smtp.gmail.com on port 587. For Orange, smtp.orange.fr on port 465. The table below gathers verified settings for 14 providers, with menu paths to find them in your email client and a command to test the connection before configuring anything. This setting is part of how the SMTP protocol works: it’s the address where your mail software drops each message before sending it.
SMTP settings for 14 mailbox providers, verified one by one
Every row in the table comes from the documentation or help center of the provider in question. Values shift over time: La Poste closed its unencrypted connections in July 2023 and IONOS no longer accepts a sender outside the mailbox’s domain as of January 29, 2024. A screenshot found on a 2019 forum thread is likely outdated.
| Provider | SMTP server | Port | Encryption | Authentication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail / Google Workspace | smtp.gmail.com | 587 (or 465) | STARTTLS (SSL/TLS on 465) | App password or OAuth 2.0 |
| Outlook, Hotmail, Microsoft 365 | smtp-mail.outlook.com | 587 | STARTTLS | OAuth 2.0 (basic password disabled on most accounts) |
| Yahoo Mail | smtp.mail.yahoo.com | 587 (or 465) | STARTTLS (SSL on 465) | App password required |
| AOL Mail | smtp.aol.com | 465 (or 587) | SSL (STARTTLS on 587) | App password required |
| iCloud Mail | smtp.mail.me.com | 587 | STARTTLS only | App password generated at appleid.apple.com |
| Proton Mail | 127.0.0.1 via Proton Mail Bridge (or smtp.protonmail.ch directly on paid plans with a custom domain) | Local port assigned by Bridge (or 587 direct) | STARTTLS | Dedicated SMTP token, separate from the account password |
| Orange | smtp.orange.fr | 465 (or 587) | SSL/TLS (STARTTLS on 587) | App key generated in the customer portal |
| Free | smtp.free.fr | 587 (or 465) | STARTTLS (SSL on 465) | Full address + account password |
| SFR | smtp.sfr.fr | 465 (or 587) | SSL/TLS (STARTTLS on 587) | Full address + account password |
| Bouygues Telecom (Bbox) | smtp.bbox.fr | 587 (or 465) | SSL/TLS | @bbox.fr address + customer portal password |
| La Poste (laposte.net) | smtp.laposte.net | 587 | SSL/TLS or STARTTLS | Full address + password |
| OVH (MX Plan offer) | smtp.mail.ovh.net (or ssl0.ovh.net) | 465 | SSL/TLS | Full address + password |
| IONOS | smtp.ionos.fr | 465 (or 587) | SSL/TLS (STARTTLS on 587) | Full address + password, sender limited to the mailbox domain |
| Gandi | mail.gandi.net | 587 (or 465) | STARTTLS (SSL on 465) | Full address + password |
Two special cases deserve a closer look. Proton Mail doesn’t work like the others: without going through Proton Mail Bridge, no third-party client can send through your mailbox, unless you have a paid plan with a custom domain and enable SMTP submission directly. The exact port to use depends on your provider and your client. The choice between 587 and 465 comes down to a case-by-case call based on what the provider actually accepts.
Finding these settings in Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, iOS, and Android
Every email client stores this information in the account setup screen, never in the general settings.
On desktop: Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail
- Open the accounts menu: “File > Account Settings” on Outlook for Windows, “Outlook > Preferences > Accounts” on Mac, “Account Settings” in Thunderbird’s Edit menu, “Mail > Settings > Accounts” on Apple Mail.
- Select the relevant account from the list.
- Find the “Outgoing Server” or “SMTP” block: the long field holds the hostname, and the short field next to it shows the port.
- Click “Advanced” or “More Settings” if the encryption type (SSL, STARTTLS) doesn’t show up directly.
On mobile, the logic is the same but the menus have different names. On iPhone: Settings > Mail > Accounts > your account > SMTP, under the outgoing server section. On Android: Email app settings > your address > Advanced settings > Outgoing server settings. That’s it.
The app password: the step that trips up half of all setups
Gmail has refused third-party SMTP connections using your regular password since 2022. To set up Gmail in Thunderbird, Outlook, or a business application, enable two-step verification on your Google account, then generate a 16-character app password: it’s this code, not your Google password, that goes in the client’s “password” field. iCloud enforces the same rule via appleid.apple.com. Outlook and Microsoft 365 have gone further: most accounts now require OAuth 2.0 authentication, which means authorizing the app through a Microsoft sign-in window rather than typing a password.
Proton draws an even sharper line between the two credentials. Its official documentation is clear on this point, translated here:
Your Proton Mail login or your mailbox password don’t work with SMTP: never use them with a third-party client.
An SMTP token is generated separately, under Settings > IMAP/SMTP. The same rigor applies elsewhere: as of February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require SPF, DKIM, and DMARC on the domain of any sender sending more than 5,000 messages a day, or face visible rejection in Google Postmaster Tools. For high-volume business sending, the question quickly goes beyond a simple host-port pair: it touches sender reputation and IP warming, two areas a dedicated SMTP relay handles better than a consumer mailbox.
Checking that the server responds before configuring anything
A single command is enough to know whether the SMTP server accepts connections, without touching your email client. From a terminal:
openssl s_client -starttls smtp -connect smtp.gmail.com:587
A response starting with code 220 confirms the server is responding and waiting for an EHLO command. A timeout or connection error points to a network block (firewall, closed port on your router or corporate network) or an incorrect server address. Nothing more is needed at this stage. On a Windows machine without OpenSSL installed, the command telnet smtp.yourdomain.com 587 gives a comparable result, less detailed on encryption but enough to confirm a connection goes through.
Still can’t find the server: the checklist before calling support
A misidentified SMTP server also explains some messages that end up in the spam folder with no tool telling you why: it’s worth checking this angle before blaming your content or your sending platform. Three leads, in order.
- A custom domain name (OVH, IONOS, Gandi, or another) points to the host’s customer portal: the SMTP settings live in the email section there, never in the generic web hosting documentation.
- A business address under Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace at a company goes through the IT department: these environments often block SMTP access by default for third-party apps, and a ticket is usually enough to unblock it.
- The provider’s webmail remains a functional fallback in the meantime: it doesn’t use the SMTP protocol directly and keeps sending messages while you sort out the client setup.
If none of the three leads pans out, contact support with the exact error message and the port you tested. You’ll get a faster answer with these two details than with a plain description of the problem.
