How to Configure SMTP in Laravel

Laravel SMTP settings

Step-by-step setup

1. Buy an SMTP package on the Bulko SMTP Relay page and copy the username and password from Dashboard -> SMTP Access (they are also emailed to you after payment).
2. Open the .env file in your project root and set MAIL_MAILER=smtp, MAIL_HOST=smtp.bulko.io and MAIL_PORT=587.
3. Set MAIL_USERNAME and MAIL_PASSWORD. Put the password in single quotes if it contains #, spaces or $: unquoted values are cut at #, and double-quoted values expand ${...}.
4. Leave MAIL_SCHEME=null for port 587 or 2525. Symfony Mailer, which Laravel uses under the hood, connects in plain SMTP and upgrades to TLS with STARTTLS automatically. Only for port 465 set MAIL_SCHEME=smtps (Laravel also picks smtps on its own when the port is 465 and the scheme is empty).
5. Set MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS to an address on your own domain. For aligned SPF, DKIM and DMARC, verify the domain under Sending Domains in the Bulko dashboard (DKIM selector bk1 plus a bnc.yourdomain.com CNAME).
6. Check config/mail.php: the default smtp mailer in Laravel 11, 12 and 13 already reads MAIL_SCHEME, MAIL_HOST, MAIL_PORT, MAIL_USERNAME and MAIL_PASSWORD, so usually nothing needs editing.
7. Run php artisan config:clear so cached config does not override your new .env values, and restart queue workers (php artisan queue:restart) if you send mail from queued jobs.

MAIL_SCHEME vs MAIL_ENCRYPTION

Projects created before the Laravel 11 skeleton change often still have MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls and an encryption key in config/mail.php. Current Laravel versions build the transport from scheme and port only, so MAIL_ENCRYPTION has no effect there. The only valid values for MAIL_SCHEME are smtp and smtps; values like tls or ssl make Symfony throw an unsupported scheme error. See the SMTP ports guide for the difference between 587, 465 and 2525.

.env and config/mail.php

# .env (Laravel 11, 12 and 13)
MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_SCHEME=null
MAIL_HOST=smtp.bulko.io
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=smtp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MAIL_PASSWORD='your-smtp-password'
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS="[email protected]"
MAIL_FROM_NAME="${APP_NAME}"

# Port 465 (implicit TLS) instead of 587:
# MAIL_PORT=465
# MAIL_SCHEME=smtps

# Hosting blocks 587 and 465? Use 2525 (STARTTLS):
# MAIL_PORT=2525

# config/mail.php (default skeleton, no changes needed):
# 'smtp' => [
#     'transport' => 'smtp',
#     'scheme' => env('MAIL_SCHEME'),
#     'url' => env('MAIL_URL'),
#     'host' => env('MAIL_HOST', '127.0.0.1'),
#     'port' => env('MAIL_PORT', 2525),
#     'username' => env('MAIL_USERNAME'),
#     'password' => env('MAIL_PASSWORD'),
#     'timeout' => null,
#     'local_domain' => env('MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN', parse_url((string) env('APP_URL', 'http://localhost'), PHP_URL_HOST)),
# ],

# Test from the terminal:
# php artisan config:clear
# php artisan tinker
# > Mail::raw('Bulko SMTP test from Laravel', fn ($m) => $m->to('[email protected]')->subject('Laravel SMTP test'));

Send a test email

Open php artisan tinker and run Mail::raw('Bulko SMTP test from Laravel', fn ($m) => $m->to('[email protected]')->subject('Laravel SMTP test')); with a real inbox you can check. If tinker returns a SentMessage object without an exception, the relay accepted the message; it should arrive within a minute or two.

If Laravel throws a TransportException, the message text contains the SMTP reply code (for example 535 or 554 5.7.1), which tells you which row of the troubleshooting table below applies. Also check storage/logs/laravel.log if you send from a controller or a queued job instead of tinker.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Should I use port 587 or 465 in Laravel?

Use 587 with MAIL_SCHEME empty, which gives STARTTLS. Use 465 only with MAIL_SCHEME=smtps. Port 2525 works like 587 and helps when your host blocks the standard ports.

Do I still need MAIL_ENCRYPTION in Laravel 11 or 12?

No. The current config/mail.php uses MAIL_SCHEME, and the framework ignores MAIL_ENCRYPTION when it builds the SMTP transport. You can delete it from .env.

Can Laravel read incoming mail through this relay?

No. Bulko SMTP is outgoing only and has no IMAP or inbox. Replies go to the From or Reply-To mailbox you set in Laravel.

How many emails can my Laravel app send per day?

The default limit is 2,000 emails per day per SMTP account. Write to [email protected] to raise it.

How much does it cost?

Packages are one-time payments: $5 for 5,000 emails, $15 for 20,000, $30 for 50,000 or $60 for 150,000. Unused emails never expire; there is no free SMTP trial.

Does it work with queued mail and notifications?

Yes. Queued mailables and mail notifications use the same smtp mailer, so they go through the relay once the .env is set. Restart your queue workers after changing it.