What are some best practices for implementing a mail queue system in PHP for sending bulk emails?

When sending bulk emails in PHP, it is best practice to implement a mail queue system to prevent overwhelming the server and ensure reliable delivery. This can be achieved by storing the email messages in a database table and then processing them in batches using a cron job or a scheduled task. 

```php
// Connect to the database
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=your_database', 'username', 'password');

// Retrieve unsent emails from the database
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM email_queue WHERE sent = 0 LIMIT 100");
$stmt->execute();
$emails = $stmt->fetchAll();

// Loop through the emails and send them
foreach ($emails as $email) {
    // Code to send email using PHP's mail function or a library like PHPMailer
    // Update the database to mark the email as sent
    $updateStmt = $pdo->prepare("UPDATE email_queue SET sent = 1 WHERE id = :id");
    $updateStmt->bindParam(':id', $email['id']);
    $updateStmt->execute();
}
```

This code snippet demonstrates how to retrieve unsent emails from a database table, send them in batches, and update the database to mark them as sent. This approach helps in efficiently managing bulk email sending in PHP.

Keywords

mail queue system bulk emails PHP implementation best practices

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