How to Change the Sender Name and Email in Outgoing WordPress Emails

When WordPress sends emails—like user notifications, password resets, or contact form responses—it uses a default sender name and email address like “WordPress@yourdomain.com.” That doesn’t look professional, especially if you’re running a brand, blog, or business site.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to change the default sender name and email address in WordPress the right way—no coding required. By the end, your WordPress emails will look more credible and trustworthy in your users’ inboxes.

Why Change the Default WordPress Sender Name and Email?

By default, WordPress uses:

• Sender Name: WordPress
• Sender Email: wordpress@yourdomain.com

This can cause several issues:

• Your emails may look unprofessional.
• Users may not recognize the sender and might ignore or delete your emails.
• Some mail servers treat these default emails as spam or phishing attempts.

Changing the sender name and email helps you:

• Build trust with your users.
• Improve email deliverability.
• Maintain a professional brand identity.

Method 1: Use WP Mail SMTP Plugin (Recommended)

The easiest and most reliable way to change your sender name and email is by using the WP Mail SMTP plugin.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add Plugin.
2. Search for WP Mail SMTP.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.

✅ WP Mail SMTP has over 3 million active installations and is maintained by a reputable team. It fixes email deliverability and helps you connect to SMTP services like Gmail, SendLayer, Sendinblue, and more.

Step 2: Configure Sender Name and Email Address

1. Go to WP Mail SMTP → Settings.
2. Under the General tab, you’ll find fields for:
   • From Email – Set this to your professional email (e.g., hello@yourdomain.com).
   • From Name – Enter your brand or personal name (e.g., WP Passion).
3. Check the box that says Force From Email and Force From Name so the plugin overrides other plugin defaults.
4. Scroll down and configure your Mailer (e.g., Gmail, SMTP.com, SendLayer) if you want.
5. Save your settings.

That’s it! Your WordPress emails will now use your custom sender name and address.

You can test to see if it works or not. Go to the WP Mail SMTP » Tools page.

Provide an email address that you can access, and then click on the ‘Send Email’ button. Now, check your inbox.

Method 2: Use a Simple Plugin for Just Changing Sender Name & Email

If you’re not ready to configure SMTP but still want to change the sender info, use the WP Change Email Sender plugin.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

1. Go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for WP Change Email Sender.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.

Step 2: Enter Your Sender Info

1. Go to Settings → Change Mail From.
2. Enter your desired:
   • From Email
   • From Name
3. Save changes.

⚠️ This plugin only changes the “From” details. It doesn’t improve deliverability. For better reliability, consider using SMTP as shown in Method 1.

Optional: Use Code (For Developers Only)

If you prefer a code-based approach (or don’t want to use a plugin), you can add the following snippets to your theme’s functions.php file or a custom site plugin.

// Change sender email address
add_filter( 'wp_mail_from', function ( $original_email_address ) {
    return 'hello@yourdomain.com';
} ); 
// Change the From name.
add_filter( 'wp_mail_from_name', function ( $original_email_from ) {
    return 'WP Passion';
} );

⚠️ Only use this if you’re comfortable editing code. A small mistake in functions.php can break your site.

Final Thoughts

Using the default “WordPress” sender email doesn’t reflect well on your brand and may even send your emails straight to the spam folder. Fortunately, it’s easy to fix.

• For beginners: WP Mail SMTP is the safest and most powerful way to change the sender details and improve email delivery.
• For simple needs: A lightweight plugin like WP Change Email Sender works fine.
• For developers: A few lines of code can do the trick.

Whichever method you choose, your emails will now look cleaner, more trustworthy, and far more professional.