The Yahoo Mail SMTP settings are: server smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465 with SSL or port 587 with STARTTLS. Your username is your full Yahoo email address. For the password, you need a Yahoo app password, which you create in your Yahoo Account Security page.
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SMTP server | smtp.mail.yahoo.com | Outgoing mail |
| Port and security | 465 with SSL, or 587 with STARTTLS | Yahoo lists both |
| Username | Your full email address | For example name@yahoo.com |
| Password | App password | Made in Account Security |
| IMAP (incoming) | imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, SSL | Keeps mail in sync |
| POP (incoming) | pop.mail.yahoo.com, port 995, SSL | Downloads mail |
Want to check the server first? Test these Yahoo Mail SMTP settings in the free SMTP Tester. The host and port are already filled in. The first check needs no password and shows whether the connection and its certificate are fine. With your app password, it can also send one test message.
What do SMTP, IMAP, POP and SSL mean?
SMTP is the system that sends email. Your site or app passes the message to Yahoo's SMTP server, and Yahoo delivers it. IMAP and POP bring mail into your app. IMAP keeps the same inbox on every device. POP downloads a copy to one device.
A port is a door number on the server. SSL and TLS put a lock on the connection so others cannot read your login. Port 465 uses SSL from the very start. Port 587 starts open and then turns the lock on with a command called STARTTLS.
What do you need before you start?
Yahoo does not want your main password in other apps. Instead, you make an app password. This is a random code that lets one app use your mailbox. Yahoo says you enter it only once, and it keeps working even if you change your main password. To stop an app, you delete its code.
Yahoo's help page lists these steps:
- Sign in to your Yahoo Account Security page.
- Under "External connections", click Create app password.
- Type a name for the app, such as "My website".
- Click Generate password.
- Copy the code into your app or plugin, then click Done.
Yahoo adds one tip. Create the password in a browser you have used to sign in to Yahoo for several days in a row, and do not use a private (incognito) window. If it still fails, Yahoo says its support team cannot override that check.
How do you use Yahoo Mail SMTP settings in WordPress?
WordPress normally sends mail through your web host, and some of it never arrives. An SMTP plugin sends through your Yahoo mailbox instead. In WP Mail SMTP, pick "Other SMTP" and fill in:
- SMTP Host:
smtp.mail.yahoo.com - Encryption: SSL
- SMTP Port: 465 (or 587 with TLS)
- Authentication: on
- SMTP Username: your full Yahoo address
- SMTP Password: the app password
- From Email: the same Yahoo address
Save and send a test email from the plugin. FluentSMTP and Post SMTP ask for the same values. Keep the From address equal to your Yahoo address so the sender matches the login. The setup feels much like the Gmail SMTP settings, since both use app passwords.
How do you add Yahoo Mail to an email app or phone?
Many apps set up Yahoo on their own when you pick "Yahoo" from the list. If an app asks for servers, choose IMAP. Use imap.mail.yahoo.com on port 993 with SSL, the SMTP values above, your full address and the app password. Pick POP only if you want mail on one device.
Which Yahoo port should a website use?
Both ports work, so the choice depends on your web host. The tester link above uses 465. Some hosts block one of the two ports to stop spam. If the tester connects on 465 but your plugin times out, the block sits on your host's server. In that case, switch the plugin to port 587 with TLS and test again.
What do common Yahoo SMTP errors mean?
- 535 authentication failed: Yahoo did not accept the login. Check that you typed the app password, not your normal one, and the full address.
- 530 must issue a STARTTLS command first: you chose port 587 with no encryption. Set it to TLS, or switch to port 465 with SSL.
- Wrong version number or SSL error: the port and the security type do not match. Use 465 with SSL or 587 with TLS.
- Connection timed out: your web host blocks the port. Try the other port, or ask your host to open it.
- 550 or 553 sender not allowed: the From address is not your Yahoo address. Change it to match your login.
Why do emails sent this way land in spam?
Receiving servers check whether the sender may use the From address. If you send as your Yahoo address through Yahoo, that check usually passes. If your site sends as an address on your own domain, the domain needs SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. These are short DNS notes that list who may send for you.
Learn what an SPF record is first. Then run your domain through the free DNS & Email Checker to see what is set and what is missing.
Once your app password is ready, the Yahoo Mail SMTP settings take only a minute to enter. Check the connection in the SMTP Tester, then send a real test. To compare Yahoo with other services, see the list of SMTP settings for other email providers.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use port 465 or 587 for Yahoo Mail?
Yahoo lists both. Port 465 uses SSL and port 587 uses STARTTLS. Pick one and set the matching security type. If your host blocks one, try the other.
Why can't I create a Yahoo app password?
Yahoo checks the browser you use. Sign in from a browser you have used with Yahoo for several days in a row, and avoid private windows. If it still fails, Yahoo suggests using its webmail or app instead.
Do I need a new app password if I change my Yahoo password?
No. Yahoo says app passwords stay active when you change your main password. To block an app, delete its app password in Account Security.
