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How to Set Up, Configure, and Send Emails using AOL SMTP Server

In this tutorial, I’ll tell you all about AOL SMTP, show you how to set it up for different email clients and break down some common issues you might encounter.

What is AOL SMTP?

SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is a protocol responsible for delivering messages to the email server over the internet. 

Then we have AOL SMTP, which is the outgoing mail server used by AOL Mail (now part of Verizon) for sending emails from its web client. 

However, you can also use AOL SMTP to send emails from your AOL account via popular clients such as Gmail, Mozilla Thunderbird, or any application that supports SMTP sending.

Here are the AOL SMTP email settings you’ll need to configure the server:

SettingDetails
SMTP server namesmtp.aol.com
SMTP port465 (for SSL) or 587 (for TLS)
SMTP encryptionSSL/TLS
SMTP UsernameYour full AOL email address
SMTP PasswordYour AOL Mail password or the generated App Password

Note: I’ll show you how to get the App Password a bit later in the article.

Why should you use AOL as an SMTP server?

AOL as an SMTP server has a few benefits to its name, such as:

How to configure AOL SMTP server settings?

To configure AOL SMTP server settings, you will need to enable 2-Step Verification and App Password

Here’s the whole flow:

Once you’re done, you can use the App Password to log in to different email clients or apps with your AOL Mail account.

Important: You cannot view your AOL Mail app password again after you’ve created it. That’s why I always recommend keeping it safe somewhere. My vault of choice is 1Password, but feel free to use anything you wish.

Configuration example: Gmail

Here’s what you have to do to send emails via Gmail with your AOL email address:

After you click on Add Account, you should receive a verification code in your inbox. Follow the easy instructions, complete the verification process, and you’ll be able to send emails from your Gmail account using your AOL email address.

Configuration example: Thunderbird

The process is similar, although more seamless, with Thunderbird. Check it out:

And that’s pretty much it; your Thunderbird client will send emails from your AOL account via AOL SMTP!

How to configure AOL POP3 settings?

Now that we’ve set up AOL SMTP let’s configure a retrieval internet protocol that will fetch our incoming mail. One available option is POP3, or Post Office Protocol 3.

With POP, you can download emails from your AOL Mail account to your local computer over a TCP/IP connection. This can be useful if you don’t have a constant internet connection or if you’re looking for an easy local backup.

Here are the settings you need to insert into your email client to use AOL POP:

SettingDetails
POP server namepop.aol.com
POP port995
POP encryptionSSL
POP UsernameYour full AOL email address
POP PasswordYour AOL Mail password or the generated App Password

How to configure AOL IMAP settings?

If you’re looking for a more modern retrieval protocol, IMAP, or Internet Message Access Protocol, is the one you need. IMAP works similarly to cloud mail as it stores your messages on the mail server instead of locally, like POP.

And here’s a table with all the technical tidbits you need to set up AOL IMAP:

SettingDetails
IMAP server nameimap.aol.com
IMAP port993
IMAP encryptionSSL
IMAP UsernameYour full AOL email address
IMAP PasswordYour AOL Mail password or the generated App Password

Can’t seem to choose between POP3 or IMAP? Check out our video on the topic and the decision might turn out to be a bit easier.

Configuration example: Microsoft Outlook

And here’s how you can set up Outlook to receive messages from your AOL Mail account via IMAP:

Optional: If you click on ‘Show Advanced Settings,’ you’ll be able to insert your AOL SMTP settings as well, like so:

When you’re finished adding the credentials, just click on Add Account, and your Microsoft Outlook will be equipped with your IMAP and SMTP AOL servers!

Troubleshooting AOL SMTP server configuration

Here are some of the potential issues you might encounter with AOL SMTP:

AOL SMTP limitations: when not to use AOL as an SMTP server

Finally, we’ve come to the elephant in the room. 🐘

Namely, AOL Mail is not a dedicated email service provider, so naturally it has some sending limitations. Check them out:

LimitNumbers
The total # of messages you can send daily100 messages
The number of recipients you can message daily500 recipients
The maximum number of recipients per message100 recipients
The size of incoming and outgoing messages25 MB per message (including attachments)

Now, if you look closer, you’ll notice there’s a 100 SMTP connection per day limit. What this means is that if your email client opens a new connection for each email you send, you’ll be limited by the 100 connections per day restriction before reaching the 500 recipients per day cap. 😵‍💫

Moreover, if you plan on sending bulk mail with AOL SMTP, I have some bad news for you. AOL isn’t transparent about the number of recipients that can be sent at one time but will send you a notification if you meet the limit and lock you out for a set amount of time.

So, if you’re planning to send large amounts of emails, your best bet would be to consider a dedicated mass email service provider. What’s more, even AOL Mail recommends the same.

And one more thing: if you’re planning to stay within the AOL Mail sending limits, it’s worth mentioning that the service doesn’t provide any email analytics. This means that keeping an eye out on your email deliverability and the performance of your emails will be like stumbling in the dark.

What is a reliable alternative to AOL SMTP?

A reliable alternative to AOL SMTP is Email API/SMTP, a part of Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform that allows you to test, send, and control your email infrastructure in one place.

With Email API/SMTP, you can easily overcome the limitations of AOL Mail as you’ll be able to send emails at an astonishing throughput of 10,000 emails per second. Simply choose how much you send and scale your sending according to your business’ needs!

Additionally, thanks to the dedicated Bulk Stream, Mailtrap allows you to send marketing or promotional emails to a large number of recipients at once without compromising performance or encountering issues.

And unlike AOL SMTP, Mailtrap provides you with in-depth analytics and helicopter view dashboards. With these, you can easily check bounce rates, open rates, click-through rates, and other important stats to optimize your email infrastructure.

You can also use our drag-and-drop HTML email builder to create attention-grabbing emails and templates that will make your campaigns stand out.

There’s also Email Testing, another part of Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform, with which you can check your spam score, inspect your HTML/CSS and make sure your emails are flawless before they reach recipients’ inboxes.

Most importantly, Mailtrap is super seamless to integrate.

Check out how straightforward the setup flow is:

Don’t worry; this only takes about 5 minutes to complete, and we’ve even prepared a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process.

Oh, and I almost forgot, on top of a flexible pricing model, Mailtrap offers a free trial you can use to check it out for yourself—no credit card required. Hit the button below to start! ⬇️

Wrapping up

Want to send emails from different clients using your AOL Mail address? Be my guest and go for AOL SMTP.

However, if you’re looking to do some serious business and send more than 100 emails per day, you need to bring in the big guns. And when I say big guns, I, of course, mean Mailtrap. 

Regardless of your choice, happy sending! 

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