> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/pterodactyl/panel/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Email Configuration

> Configure SMTP, Mailgun, Postmark, and other mail providers for Pterodactyl Panel

Pterodactyl Panel uses email for user notifications, password resets, and administrative alerts. Configure your preferred mail provider in the `.env` file.

## Supported Mail Drivers

The Panel supports multiple mail drivers:

* **SMTP** - Standard SMTP server (recommended for most users)
* **Mailgun** - Mailgun API
* **Postmark** - Postmark API
* **SES** - Amazon Simple Email Service
* **Sendmail** - Local sendmail binary
* **Log** - Write emails to log files (development only)

## Basic Configuration

### Mail Driver Selection

```bash .env theme={null}
MAIL_MAILER=smtp
```

<ParamField path="MAIL_MAILER" type="string" default="smtp">
  Mail driver to use. Options: `smtp`, `mailgun`, `postmark`, `ses`, `sendmail`, `log`
</ParamField>

### From Address

```bash .env theme={null}
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@example.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
```

<ParamField path="MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS" type="string" required>
  Email address that appears as the sender.

  <Warning>
    Use a valid email address from your domain to prevent emails from being marked as spam.
  </Warning>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="MAIL_FROM_NAME" type="string" default="Pterodactyl Panel">
  Name that appears as the sender in email clients.
</ParamField>

## SMTP Configuration

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Gmail theme={null}
  MAIL_MAILER=smtp
  MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
  MAIL_PORT=587
  MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
  MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password
  MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
  MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=your-email@gmail.com
  MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
  ```

  ```bash Generic SMTP theme={null}
  MAIL_MAILER=smtp
  MAIL_HOST=smtp.example.com
  MAIL_PORT=587
  MAIL_USERNAME=username
  MAIL_PASSWORD=password
  MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
  MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@example.com
  MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
  ```

  ```bash Office 365 theme={null}
  MAIL_MAILER=smtp
  MAIL_HOST=smtp.office365.com
  MAIL_PORT=587
  MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@outlook.com
  MAIL_PASSWORD=your-password
  MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
  MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=your-email@outlook.com
  MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### SMTP Parameters

<ParamField path="MAIL_HOST" type="string" required>
  SMTP server hostname.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="MAIL_PORT" type="integer" default="25">
  SMTP server port. Common values:

  * `25` - Standard SMTP (often blocked)
  * `587` - SMTP with STARTTLS (recommended)
  * `465` - SMTP over SSL
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="MAIL_USERNAME" type="string">
  SMTP authentication username.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="MAIL_PASSWORD" type="string">
  SMTP authentication password.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="MAIL_ENCRYPTION" type="string" default="tls">
  Encryption method. Options: `tls`, `ssl`, or leave empty for none.
</ParamField>

### EHLO Domain

```bash .env theme={null}
MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN=panel.example.com
```

<ParamField path="MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN" type="string">
  Domain used in the SMTP EHLO/HELO command. Set this to your panel's domain to prevent mail servers like Gmail from rejecting your emails.

  <Info>
    If not set, defaults to the server's hostname which may be 'localhost'.
  </Info>
</ParamField>

## Mailgun Configuration

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash .env theme={null}
  MAIL_MAILER=mailgun
  MAILGUN_DOMAIN=mg.example.com
  MAILGUN_SECRET=key-your-api-key
  MAILGUN_ENDPOINT=api.mailgun.net
  MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@mg.example.com
  MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
  ```

  ```bash EU Region theme={null}
  MAIL_MAILER=mailgun
  MAILGUN_DOMAIN=mg.example.com
  MAILGUN_SECRET=key-your-api-key
  MAILGUN_ENDPOINT=api.eu.mailgun.net
  MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@mg.example.com
  MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  You'll need to install the Mailgun PHP SDK:

  ```bash theme={null}
  composer require mailgun/mailgun-php symfony/http-client nyholm/psr7
  ```
</Note>

## Postmark Configuration

```bash .env theme={null}
MAIL_MAILER=postmark
POSTMARK_TOKEN=your-server-token
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@example.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
```

<Note>
  You'll need to install the Postmark PHP SDK:

  ```bash theme={null}
  composer require wildbit/swiftmailer-postmark
  ```
</Note>

## Amazon SES Configuration

```bash .env theme={null}
MAIL_MAILER=ses
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-access-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret-key
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@example.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
```

<Note>
  You'll need to install the AWS SDK:

  ```bash theme={null}
  composer require aws/aws-sdk-php
  ```
</Note>

## Sendmail Configuration

```bash .env theme={null}
MAIL_MAILER=sendmail
MAIL_SENDMAIL_PATH="/usr/sbin/sendmail -bs -i"
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=no-reply@example.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
```

<ParamField path="MAIL_SENDMAIL_PATH" type="string" default="/usr/sbin/sendmail -bs -i">
  Path to the sendmail binary with arguments.
</ParamField>

## Testing Email Configuration

After configuring email settings, test the connection:

```bash theme={null}
php artisan p:environment:mail
```

This interactive command will:

1. Prompt you for mail settings
2. Send a test email
3. Verify the configuration works

### Manual Test

You can also send a test email using Tinker:

```bash theme={null}
php artisan tinker
```

```php theme={null}
Mail::raw('Test email from Pterodactyl Panel', function($message) {
    $message->to('your-email@example.com')
            ->subject('Test Email');
});
```

## Troubleshooting

### Emails Not Sending

1. Check your mail logs:
   ```bash theme={null}
   tail -f storage/logs/laravel-*.log
   ```

2. Verify queue workers are running (if using queues):
   ```bash theme={null}
   php artisan queue:work --tries=3
   ```

3. Test SMTP connectivity:
   ```bash theme={null}
   telnet smtp.example.com 587
   ```

### Common Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Connection Refused">
    * Verify the SMTP host and port are correct
    * Check if your firewall allows outbound connections on the SMTP port
    * Ensure the SMTP service is running on the remote server
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Authentication Failed">
    * Double-check username and password
    * For Gmail, use an [App Password](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833) instead of your regular password
    * Verify two-factor authentication settings
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Emails Go to Spam">
    * Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain
    * Use `MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN` matching your panel's domain
    * Ensure `MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS` uses your domain
    * Consider using a dedicated email service (Mailgun, Postmark, SES)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="SSL Certificate Verification Failed">
    * Ensure your server has up-to-date CA certificates
    * Update ca-certificates package: `apt-get update && apt-get install ca-certificates`
    * For self-signed certificates, consider using `tls` instead of `ssl`
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Security Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use TLS Encryption" icon="lock">
    Always use `MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls` or `ssl` in production to encrypt email traffic.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dedicated Email Service" icon="envelope">
    Consider using dedicated services like Mailgun or Postmark for better deliverability.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Valid From Address" icon="at">
    Use a real email address from your domain to improve deliverability and avoid spam filters.
  </Card>

  <Card title="DNS Records" icon="globe">
    Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>