How to Configure Mail in Laravel: Setup and Example

To configure mail in Laravel, set your mail driver and credentials in the .env file using keys like MAIL_MAILER, MAIL_HOST, and MAIL_USERNAME. Then, use Laravel's Mail facade to send emails based on this configuration.

Syntax

Laravel uses environment variables in the .env file to configure mail settings. The main keys are:

• MAIL_MAILER: The mail driver (e.g., smtp, sendmail, log).
• MAIL_HOST: The SMTP server address.
• MAIL_PORT: The SMTP port number.
• MAIL_USERNAME and MAIL_PASSWORD: Credentials for authentication.
• MAIL_ENCRYPTION: Encryption method (tls or ssl).
• MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS and MAIL_FROM_NAME: Default sender email and name.

Laravel reads these settings automatically to send emails.

env

MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io
MAIL_PORT=2525
MAIL_USERNAME=null
MAIL_PASSWORD=null
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[e-mail]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Example App"

Example

This example shows how to send a simple email using Laravel's Mail facade with the configured SMTP settings.

php

<?php
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;

Route::get('/send-mail', function () {
    $details = [
        'title' => 'Test Email from Laravel',
        'body' => 'This is a test email sent using Laravel mail configuration.'
    ];

    Mail::raw($details['body'], function ($message) use ($details) {
        $message->to('[e-mail]')
                ->subject($details['title']);
    });

    return 'Email sent successfully!';
});

Output

Email sent successfully!

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when configuring mail in Laravel include:

• Not setting correct SMTP credentials in .env, causing authentication failures.
• Forgetting to clear config cache after changing .env with php artisan config:clear.
• Using wrong mail driver or port for your mail service.
• Not setting MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS and MAIL_FROM_NAME, which can cause emails to be rejected.

Always verify your SMTP details and clear config cache after changes.

php

/* Wrong way: Not clearing config cache after .env change */
// Changed MAIL_USERNAME in .env but did not run:
// php artisan config:cache

/* Right way: */
// After editing .env, run:
// php artisan config:cache
// to reload mail settings

Quick Reference

Setting	Description	Example Value
MAIL_MAILER	Mail driver to use	smtp
MAIL_HOST	SMTP server address	smtp.mailtrap.io
MAIL_PORT	SMTP server port	2525
MAIL_USERNAME	SMTP username	your_username
MAIL_PASSWORD	SMTP password	your_password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION	Encryption method	tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS	Default sender email	[e-mail]
MAIL_FROM_NAME	Default sender name	"Example App"

Key Takeaways

Set mail configuration in the .env file using correct SMTP details.

Always clear Laravel config cache after changing mail settings with php artisan config:clear.

Use Laravel's Mail facade to send emails based on your configuration.

Ensure MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS and MAIL_FROM_NAME are set to avoid email rejection.

Test mail sending with a simple route or command to verify configuration.