How to Set Up Brevo Email in WordPress Step by Step Guide Updated

Last updated: 21 June 2026

Sending emails from your WordPress site often puts them in spam folders instead of the inbox. This is a common problem that can hurt your business communication. This tutorial walks you through setting up Brevo email in WordPress step by step. You’ll learn how to install the WP Mail SMTP plugin, register for a Brevo account, configure domain authentication, and set up DNS records. By the end, your emails will arrive in the inbox, not spam. This guide is for business owners who want to improve email deliverability without needing technical expertise.

Installing and Activating WP Mail SMTP Plugin

Let’s start with installing the WP Mail SMTP plugin. I’m already in the WordPress admin of my website, so I’ll go to Plugins and click on Add New. I search for “WP Mail SMTP” and install the plugin. It’s a free plugin, so I just click Install Now. Be careful about compatibility with your WordPress version. If it’s not compatible, you might need to upgrade your WordPress website first. I click Activate, and the plugin activates successfully. Now it will guide us through the setup process. I click on the plugin’s setup wizard and see a welcome screen. It asks which email delivery service I want to use. I choose Brevo, which is one of the most reliable providers for WordPress email deliverability. I click Save and Continue, and it takes me to the Brevo website to get the API key. This is the first step to getting your emails out of spam and into inboxes.

For example, when I search for ‘WP Mail SMTP’ in the plugin section, I see a list of results. I click Install Now and then Activate.

Setting Up Brevo Account and Domain Authentication

Proper domain authentication is crucial for email deliverability. When you authenticate your domain with Brevo, you’re essentially telling email providers that your website is legitimate and trustworthy. This process helps prevent your emails from being marked as spam or phishing attempts. The authentication process involves adding specific DNS records that verify your ownership of the domain.

Now I need to register for a Brevo account. I click on the link that brings me to the Brevo website. It asks for company details and the website URL. I paste the company name as the website name, which is CloudyWP.xyz. I continue and enter an address. I can put any address here. Then I need to verify my phone number. I enter the number and click Verify. After that, I’m on the plan selection screen. I choose the free plan, which gives me 300 emails per day. This is perfect for small businesses or testing. I click Go to Settings and need to add the sender domain. I go to the Sender and Domains section in Brevo settings. I add the domain name, which is CloudyWP.xyz. I also create a business email address, like [email protected]. This is the email address that will appear when sending emails from your website. I click Add Sender and then authenticate the domain. Brevo will check the domain and try to authenticate it automatically. If it works, it will communicate with Cloudflare to add the required DNS records. If not, I’ll have to add them manually.

Configuring DNS Records for Domain Verification

When I click the automatic authentication, Brevo provides me with the exact DNS records I need to add to Cloudflare. I’ll go to my Cloudflare dashboard and select my domain cloudywp.xyz. Then I’ll navigate to the DNS section and click on “Add Record”. I need to add a TXT record for domain authentication.

For example, I go to Cloudflare and select my domain. Then I click DNS and Add Record. I choose TXT as the type and enter the name and content exactly as Brevo provides.

# Example of DNS TXT record to add in Cloudflare
# Record 1:
Name: brv-verification
Type: TXT
Content: <provided by Brevo>

# Record 2:
Name: <provided by Brevo>
Type: TXT
Content: <provided by Brevo>

It’s important to double-check that I’ve entered the values correctly. Once I’ve added all the records, I’ll save them and wait for Cloudflare to propagate the changes. This usually takes a few minutes but can sometimes take up to an hour.

After I add the domain in Brevo settings, I get a message that authentication is in progress. It says it will automatically add DNS records if I’m using Cloudflare. I click Continue and see the DNS records that need to be added. I go to Cloudflare for my domain CloudyWP.xyz. I click on DNS in the left sidebar and then Add Record. I need to add TXT records. The first one has a name and content. I select TXT as the type, enter the name and content provided by Brevo. I repeat this for each TXT record. I make sure the name and content match exactly what Brevo provides. After I add all the records, I click Authorize. Brevo checks the DNS records and confirms the domain is authenticated. It might take up to one to two hours for the changes to fully process. I can see the domain in the list with a green checkmark once it’s authenticated. This step is crucial for email deliverability. Without proper domain authentication, your emails are more likely to be marked as spam.

Pro Tip: When I work with templates this size, I keep a find-and-replace window open. It saves me from missing class attributes.

Generating and Using Brevo API Key

After generating the API key in Brevo, I need to enter it into the WP Mail SMTP plugin. The plugin will ask for the API key and other configuration details.

// Example configuration in WP Mail SMTP plugin
$mailer = 'brevo';
$api_key = '<your-brevo-api-key>';
$from_email = '[email protected]';
$from_name = 'CloudyWP';

This configuration ensures that all emails sent from the WordPress site will use Brevo’s SMTP service for improved deliverability.

Now that I’ve authenticated the domain, I go back to the WordPress site and the WP Mail SMTP plugin. I need to get the API key from Brevo. I click on the link to generate a new API key. I give it a name like “CloudyWP.xyz” and set an expiration date. I choose 7 days for the expiration. I click Generate and get the API key. I immediately save it somewhere secure because I won’t be able to see it again. I copy it and paste it into the WP Mail SMTP plugin. I also need to set the sending domain. I go back to Brevo and find the domain I added. I use the domain name in the plugin settings. I set the email address that will appear when sending emails. I save the settings and continue. The plugin checks the configuration and shows improved deliverability with a green status. This means the plugin is correctly configured to use Brevo for sending emails.

Configuring Plugin and Testing Email Delivery

Testing email delivery is the final step to ensure your setup is working correctly. After configuring your plugin and entering the API key, always send a test email to verify that everything is functioning as expected. If the test email arrives in your inbox without any issues, you can be confident that your WordPress site is properly configured to send emails through Brevo. This verification step is essential before sending important emails to your customers or subscribers.

For example, I enter my email address in the test email section and click Send Test Email. I check my inbox and see the email arrive without any issues.

With the API key and domain settings entered, I save the configuration in the WP Mail SMTP plugin. I see the improved deliverability status is green, which means everything is set up correctly. I click on the Test Email section to verify the setup. I enter an email address where I want to receive the test email. I click Send Test Email and wait for the success message. I check my inbox and see the test email has arrived. It’s not in the spam folder, which is exactly what we want. I click on the email to confirm it was delivered successfully. This confirms that the Brevo email setup in WordPress is working correctly. Now all your emails from your WordPress site will go to the inbox, not spam.

Conclusion

Setting up Brevo email in WordPress is a straightforward process that can significantly improve your email deliverability. By following these steps, you ensure that your emails arrive in the inbox, not spam. This is crucial for business communication, customer engagement, and maintaining a professional online presence. The key steps involve installing the WP Mail SMTP plugin, registering for a Brevo account, authenticating your domain with DNS records, and configuring the API key in WordPress. Once completed, your emails will be more likely to reach your audience effectively. This setup is especially important for businesses that rely on email marketing, contact forms, or automated notifications.

For more information on WordPress email deliverability, check out WordPress SEO Tips for Non-Tech Business Owners or WordPress SEO Best Practices.

Finalizing Setup and Confirming Inbox Delivery

With the test email working, I can now finalize the setup. I go back to the plugin configuration and make sure that all the settings are saved correctly. I also verify that the domain authentication is showing as complete. It might take a few minutes for the system to fully recognize the domain, but as long as the plugin shows green, I’m good to go.

I also want to make sure that I can send emails from different parts of the site. For example, if I have a contact form or a newsletter signup, I want to make sure those emails also go to the inbox. I can do this by testing a few different email functions on the site. I make sure to check that the emails are not being marked as spam. I also double-check that the sender name and email address are correct in the settings.

If I’m using a plugin like Contact Form 7 or WPForms, I’ll make sure to set the email settings in those plugins to use the same sender address I configured in the SMTP plugin. That way, all emails will be sent with the correct configuration. It’s a small detail, but it helps with deliverability.

I also check the Brevo dashboard to make sure that the emails are being sent from the correct domain. I can see the email activity and confirm that the emails are being sent and received properly. I also make sure to check if there are any warnings or errors in the Brevo dashboard. If everything is clean, I know that the setup is complete.

Pro Tip: I always recommend setting up a dedicated email address for sending emails from your site. It helps with deliverability and makes it easier to manage your email traffic.

I’ve now completed the full setup for Brevo email in WordPress. I’ve installed the plugin, configured the domain authentication, generated the API key, and tested the email delivery. Everything is working correctly, and my emails are going to the inbox instead of spam. This setup will help ensure that my clients receive important emails from my website without any issues. If you’re having trouble with emails going to spam, this is a solid solution that I’ve used many times. It’s simple, reliable, and effective. You can also use this setup for other email providers like SendGrid or Mailgun, but Brevo is a great choice for small to medium-sized websites that need a free solution. I’ve found it to be very stable and easy to use, especially for beginners. If you follow these steps, you should have no trouble sending emails from your WordPress site without them ending up in spam.

Adding DNS Records in Cloudflare

When I click the automatic authentication, Brevo provides me with the exact DNS records I need to add to Cloudflare. I’ll go to my Cloudflare dashboard and select my domain cloudywp.xyz. Then I’ll navigate to the DNS section and click on “Add Record”. I need to add a TXT record for domain authentication. The record type is TXT, and I’ll use the name and content provided by Brevo. For the first record, I’ll set the name to brv-verification and the content to the value Brevo gives me. I’ll repeat this process for each record that Brevo provides. It’s important to double-check that I’ve entered the values correctly. Once I’ve added all the records, I’ll save them and wait for Cloudflare to propagate the changes. This usually takes a few minutes but can sometimes take up to an hour. I’ll monitor the authentication status in Brevo to confirm that everything is working correctly.