Is it recommended to use PHP's mail() function for sending emails, or are there better alternatives available?

Using PHP's mail() function for sending emails is a basic and straightforward method, but it has limitations in terms of deliverability and customization. It is recommended to use more advanced email libraries like PHPMailer or Swift Mailer for better control over the email sending process, including handling attachments, HTML content, and SMTP authentication. 

// Example using PHPMailer library for sending emails
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

$mail = new PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer();
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.example.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'your@example.com';
$mail->Password = 'your_password';
$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
$mail->Port = 587;

$mail->setFrom('from@example.com', 'Your Name');
$mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');
$mail->Subject = 'Subject of the email';
$mail->Body = 'This is the body of the email';

if(!$mail->send()) {
    echo 'Message could not be sent.';
    echo 'Mailer Error: ' . $mail->ErrorInfo;
} else {
    echo 'Message has been sent';
}

Keywords

PHP mail() function email alternatives libraries

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