# PHP Mail

> What BooleanSMTP's PHP Mail connection does, why it is not recommended for real sites, and when it is still useful.

**PHP Mail** leaves WordPress's own mail delivery in place — the same `mail()` function it would use
without BooleanSMTP installed — and only applies the connection's From address and From name. It
needs no host, API key, or password, so there's nothing to gather before you add it.

<Aside type="caution">
PHP Mail is often filtered as spam, because it sends directly from your web server instead of
through an authenticated provider. Use it for local testing or as a last-resort fallback, not as
your primary connection.
</Aside>

## Add the connection

<Steps>

1. In your WordPress admin sidebar, go to **BooleanSMTP → Mailers**.
2. Click **Add Connection** and choose **PHP Mail**.
3. Under **Sender Settings**, fill in **From Email** (on your site's own domain) and **From Name**.
4. Click **Register Connection**.

</Steps>

![The PHP Mail connection form, with only Connection Name and Sender Settings fields — no credentials needed.](../../../assets/screenshots/php-mail.webp)

## Send a test email

Use **Test Email** in the sidebar to confirm the connection works — see
[Send a test email](/getting-started/send-a-test-email/) for the steps. A successful test only
confirms your server handed the message off, not that it reached the inbox.

## Common errors

If the test fails, your host has likely disabled the server's local mail function — there's no
setting on this connection to fix that. Use a real provider connection instead.

## Next steps

- [Which mailer should I use?](/learn/choose-a-mailer/)
- [Amazon SES](/mailers/ses/)
- [Custom SMTP](/mailers/smtp/)
- [Nothing arrived?](/learn/nothing-arrived/)