How to Configure SMTP in Mautic 5 (Email DSN)

Mautic 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.
2. In Mautic, click the gear icon (top right), choose Configuration and open Email Settings.
3. Under the mail send settings, fill in Name to send mail as and Email address to send mail from. Use an address on your own domain.
4. In the DSN block set Scheme to smtp, Host to smtp.bulko.io and Port to 587. Leave Path and Options empty.
5. Enter your Bulko username in User and the password in Password. The form URL-encodes these values for you.
6. Click Save, then use the test email button on the Email Settings page. Mautic sends the test to the address of the logged-in user.
7. If you edit config/local.php directly instead of the UI, set mailer_dsn as in the example below and URL-encode any special characters in the password yourself. Clear the cache afterwards.

config/local.php (optional, manual edit)

<?php
// config/local.php (only if you edit the file instead of the UI)
// Special characters in the password must be URL-encoded, e.g. @ -> %40, / -> %2F
$parameters = array(
    // ...
    'mailer_dsn'        => 'smtp://smtp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:[email protected]:587',
    'mailer_from_email' => '[email protected]',
    'mailer_from_name'  => 'Your Company',
    // ...
);

Send a test email

After saving, send the test email from Configuration -> Email Settings. A success message and a message in your inbox mean the DSN works.

A passing UI test does not prove that segment emails and campaigns send, because those run from cron and the console. Send a segment email to a small test segment and run your broadcast cron command (for example php bin/console mautic:broadcasts:send) as the same user cron uses. Check var/logs if messages stay queued.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

What is the Mautic 5 SMTP DSN format?

smtp://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT, for example smtp://smtp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:[email protected]:587. Values must be URL-encoded; the configuration form does this for you.

Do I need smtps:// for port 465?

In most setups smtp:// with port 465 is enough, because the port decides the encryption. Port 587 or 2525 uses STARTTLS.

Where did the old SMTP host and encryption fields go?

Mautic 5 moved to Symfony Mailer and replaced the per-provider form with a single DSN made of Scheme, Host, Port, User, Password, Path and Options.

How much does Bulko SMTP cost for Mautic?

One-time packages: $5 for 5,000 emails, $15 for 20,000, $30 for 50,000 or $60 for 150,000. Unused emails do not expire. The default limit is 2,000 emails per day, raised on request via [email protected].

Can I send marketing emails from Mautic through Bulko?

Yes, to opt-in contacts, and B2B outreach with an honest sender and an opt-out link. Purchased lists are prohibited; see https://bulko.io/en/acceptable-use/.

Can Mautic read bounces from Bulko over IMAP?

No. Bulko SMTP is outgoing only and has no inbox. Use a separate mailbox for Mautic's monitored inbox if you need it.