Is it recommended to use SMTP or a mailbox when incorporating email sending functionality into a PHP script?

When incorporating email sending functionality into a PHP script, it is recommended to use SMTP for sending emails rather than relying on a mailbox. Using SMTP allows for more control over the email sending process, better error handling, and increased deliverability rates. Additionally, SMTP authentication provides an extra layer of security when sending emails from your PHP script.

// Using PHPMailer library to send emails via SMTP
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

// Create a new PHPMailer instance
$mail = new PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer();

// Set SMTP settings
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.example.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'your_smtp_username';
$mail->Password = 'your_smtp_password';
$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
$mail->Port = 587;

// Set email content
$mail->setFrom('from@example.com', 'Your Name');
$mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');
$mail->Subject = 'Test Email';
$mail->Body = 'This is a test email sent via SMTP using PHP';

// Send the email
if ($mail->send()) {
    echo 'Email sent successfully';
} else {
    echo 'Email could not be sent. Mailer Error: ' . $mail->ErrorInfo;
}