You can use the PHP mail() function to send an email with PHP and the simplest way to do this is to send a text email when a visitor to your website fills out a form.
NOTE: Mail() is not available on shared hosting.
(Since you’re interested in sending email via PHP, we’re assuming you have a live website. Is that not the case? Let’s start by getting you hooked up with the perfect web hosting package.)
Basic PHP email() function code
Below is the code for the basic email function. We can take the script and use a form on our website to set the variables in the script above to send an email.
<?php
// if "email" variable is filled out, send email
if (isset($_REQUEST['email'])) {
//Email information
$to = "[email protected]";
$email = $_REQUEST['email'];
$subject = $_REQUEST['subject'];
$message = $_REQUEST['message'];
//Send email
mail($to, $subject, $message, "From:" . $email);
//Email response
echo "Thank you for contacting us!"; }
//if "email" variable is not filled out, display the form
else { ?>
<form method="post">
Email: <input name="email" type="text" />
Subject: <input name="subject" type="text" />
Message: <textarea name="message" rows="15" cols="40"></textarea>
<input type="submit" value="Submit" />
</form>
<?php } ?>
If you want to include multiple recipients on the email, you can update this line as follows:
$to = "[email protected], [email protected]";
How PHP mail() works
The first part of the form checks to make sure the email input field is filled out. If it isn’t, displays the HTML form on the page. If the email is set (after the visitor fills out the form), it is ready to send.
When the submit button is pressed after the form is filled out, the page reloads, reads that the email input is set and it sends the email.
Leveraging PHPMailer for Advanced Email Functionality
In addition to utilizing the native PHP mail() function for sending emails from your web forms, you have the option to explore more advanced email capabilities through a third-party library known as PHPMailer.
While this article has primarily focused on demonstrating the usage of the mail() function, it’s worth noting that PHPMailer offers an array of features that can greatly enhance your email sending process. If you find yourself in need of secure SMTP authentication, streamlined attachment handling, or comprehensive error reporting, considering PHPMailer as an alternative solution could provide you with the tools to address these requirements seamlessly.
Conclusion
Keep in mind, this is a basic tutorial explaining how to use the mail() function in PHP but it can be insecure and you should generally avoid using it. The purpose of this article is to provide you the basics of how to use phpmail() but if you want to do more with it, you may want to look into securing your code to possible hacks.
To learn more about the PHP email function, please see the article on How to create a custom PHP contact form with more information on validation and error checking. If you need further assistance, feel free to ask a question on our support center.
