Send form submissions from WordPress 365 SMTP

Question

Hello. I'm having difficulty convincing my email host provider that we need to register our site (obtain license and secret keys) to send form content via his 365 mail services. Am I wrong? We cannot use a Microsoft form as (from what I understand) it does not support attachments (we will have many). Thank you.

Answer 1

To send form submissions from WordPress using Microsoft 365 SMTP, you typically need to authenticate using a licensed Microsoft 365 mailbox. This involves using the correct SMTP settings, including the server address (smtp.office365.com), TCP port (587 or 25), and ensuring that TLS is enabled.

If your email host provider is using Microsoft 365 services, you may need to register your site and obtain the necessary credentials (license and secret keys) to authenticate properly. This is a standard requirement for sending emails through Microsoft 365 to ensure secure and authorized access.

Regarding Microsoft Forms, it is true that it does not support attachments, which could be a limitation for your needs if you require file uploads along with form submissions. Therefore, using a custom solution that supports attachments and integrates with Microsoft 365 SMTP would be necessary in your case.

If you are facing challenges with your email host provider, it may be helpful to refer them to the documentation regarding SMTP submission and the requirements for sending emails through Microsoft 365.

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References:

• How to set up a multifunction device or application to send email using Microsoft 365 or Office 365

Answer 2

Hi @Mathew Sandford

Thank you for posting your question in the Q&A Forum. 

I understand the challenges you are facing and would like to provide some guidance to help you move forward smoothly. 

Since Microsoft Forms does not support file attachments, using a WordPress form plugin integrated with your Microsoft 365 mailbox is the best approach. This setup allows submissions to include attachments while ensuring that emails are delivered reliably. 

To send emails from WordPress via Microsoft 365, you can generally use one of the following approaches: 

OAuth 2.0:

This modern method avoids storing mailbox passwords in WordPress and uses secure token-based authentication. It requires registering your WordPress site as an Azure AD application to obtain a Client ID and Client Secret.

This step authorizes your site to send emails safely, supports multi-factor authentication, and helps maintain better deliverability, as Microsoft recognizes token-authenticated connections as more trustworthy. 

SMTP AUTH: 

A simpler, legacy method using standard SMTP authentication with username and password.

While easier to set up, SMTP AUTH does not support modern security features such as MFA and may be blocked if strict security policies are enforced. If used, SMTP AUTH must be explicitly enabled for your sending mailbox. 

DNS and Deliverability: 

Ensure your domain DNS records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) are correctly configured. Proper configuration helps emails reach recipients reliably and reduces the chance of being flagged as spam. 

To move forward, it would be helpful to: 

• Confirm with your Microsoft 365 administrator or email host whether OAuth 2.0 can be used and if creating an Azure AD App for your WordPress site is allowed. 
• If OAuth 2.0 is not available, confirm that SMTP AUTH is enabled for your sending mailbox. 
• Once these points are confirmed, your WordPress form plugin can be configured to send submissions with attachments safely and reliably. 

Thank you for your patience. Please feel free to reach out if any additional guidance is needed, we are happy to help. 

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