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Why Are My WP Mail SMTP Settings Not Saving or Updating?

50 threads Sep 7, 2025 Plugin → Wp mail smtp by wpforms

Content

If you've ever tried to update your WP Mail SMTP configuration only to find that your new settings won't stick, or that old settings mysteriously reappear, you're not alone. This is a common but frustrating issue that can prevent your site from sending emails correctly. Let's break down why this happens and the most effective ways to resolve it.

What Does the 'Settings Not Saving' Problem Look Like?

Users typically experience this issue in a few ways:

  • Clicking the 'Save Settings' button does nothing; the page doesn't refresh or confirm the save.
  • After saving, the settings revert to their previous values.
  • Even after uninstalling and reinstalling the plugin, old configuration data repopulates the settings fields.
  • The plugin appears to be using credentials from a different mailer or an old server.

Why Do WP Mail SMTP Settings Fail to Save?

Based on community reports and troubleshooting, the root cause is usually one of the following:

1. Plugin or Theme Conflict

This is the most frequent culprit. Another plugin, often a security or optimization tool, can interfere with the AJAX requests WP Mail SMTP uses to communicate with your database and save settings. A theme's functions can sometimes cause similar conflicts.

2. Database Corruption or Permission Issues

In some cases, the database table where WP Mail SMTP stores its settings (wp_options) can become corrupted. Alternatively, your WordPress site's database user might not have the correct write permissions, preventing it from updating the wp_wpmailsmtp_options record.

3. Configuration Override by Constants

WP Mail SMTP allows settings to be hardcoded and locked using constants in the wp-config.php file. If these are defined, they will always override any settings you try to change in the plugin's admin panel, making it seem like your changes aren't saving.

4. Object Caching

On servers with persistent object caching (e.g., Redis, Memcached), outdated configuration data can be served from the cache instead of the current values from the database.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix the Issue

Follow these steps to identify and resolve the problem.

Step 1: Perform a Conflict Test

The first and most important step is to rule out conflicts with other code on your site.

  1. Switch to a Default Theme: Temporarily switch your theme to a WordPress default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  2. Deactivate All Plugins: Deactivate every plugin except WP Mail SMTP.
  3. Test Saving Settings: Try to change and save a setting in WP Mail SMTP. If it works now, you know a conflict is to blame.
  4. Find the Culprit: Reactivate your plugins one by one, testing the settings save functionality after each one. When the problem returns, the last plugin you activated is the source of the conflict.

Step 2: Check for Hardcoded Constants

Access your site's files via FTP or your hosting provider's file manager. Open the wp-config.php file in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Look for any lines that start with define( 'WPMS_, such as:

define( 'WPMS_ON', true );
define( 'WPMS_SMTP_HOST', 'old.example.com' );

If these exist, they are overriding your dashboard settings. You must either edit these constants directly in the file or remove them to manage settings from the WordPress admin area.

Step 3: Clear Object Caching

If your site uses an object cache, clear it entirely. The method to do this depends on your caching solution and hosting provider. You may need to use a plugin-specific button or contact your host for assistance.

Step 4: A Clean Reinstall

If the above steps fail, a complete clean reinstall can often wipe out any corrupted data.

  1. Go to WP Mail SMTP → Settings → Misc.
  2. Check the box for "Uninstall WP Mail SMTP" to "Remove all plugin data on uninstall."
  3. Save the settings.
  4. Deactivate and delete the WP Mail SMTP plugin.
  5. Reinstall a fresh copy of the plugin from the WordPress plugin repository.
  6. Reconfigure your mailer settings from scratch.

Step 5: Check Database Permissions (Advanced)

If you are comfortable with phpMyAdmin or command-line database tools, you can verify that your database user has the SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE privileges on your WordPress database. Your hosting provider's support team can also assist with this check.

Summary

The inability to save settings in WP Mail SMTP is almost always solvable. The process typically involves systematically eliminating conflicts, checking for hardcoded overrides, and ensuring your database is functioning correctly. By following the troubleshooting steps above, you should be able to regain control of your email configuration and get your site's notifications sending smoothly again.

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