WordPress Post by Email lets you create a blog post by sending an email. On WordPress.com, you enable the feature in Settings → Writing, generate a private posting address, put the post title in the email subject, and write the article in the message body. The message is then published (or, for a Contributor, saved for review) without opening the WordPress editor.
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Self-hosted WordPress uses a different, mailbox-retrieval setup. This guide explains both systems, the exact controls available in an email, attachment handling, security recovery, permissions, troubleshooting, and why Post by Email is not the same thing as sending a newsletter to subscribers.
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What WordPress Post by Email does
Post by Email is an inbound publishing method. An email sent to a special WordPress address is converted into one blog post:
- The email subject becomes the post title.
- The message body becomes the post content.
- WordPress.com can preserve much of the formatting from a rich-text or HTML-capable email client, while stripping unnecessary HTML.
- Only one blog post can be published per email.
It is useful when a phone, tablet, or computer has email access but using the full WordPress editor is inconvenient. It is not an email campaign tool: the email you send is the source of a post, not a message automatically sent to your subscribers.
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Check which WordPress you are using
The setup depends on where your site is hosted. WordPress.com provides an automatically generated secret address. A self-hosted WordPress.org installation retrieves messages from a mailbox that you configure.
| Area | WordPress.com | Self-hosted WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Setup location | Dashboard Settings → Writing | Dashboard Settings → Writing |
| Authentication model | A generated, private posting address | Mail-server and mailbox credentials |
| Eligibility or dependency | The documented current flow is available to eligible Business and Commerce sites; free, Personal, and Premium sites need an upgrade for that flow | Depends on the WordPress installation, hosting environment, and mail account you configure |
| Address or account management | Regenerate the address if exposed, or disable Post by Email | Change or remove the mailbox settings and credentials |
| Submission status | Contributor-role submissions are saved as pending | Publication behavior depends on the configured installation and user permissions |
Do not follow the WordPress.com generated-address instructions on a self-hosted site, or enter mailbox credentials where WordPress.com asks for a secret address. They are materially different systems.
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1. Open the Writing settings
- Sign in to the site dashboard.
- Open Settings → Writing.
- Find the Post by Email section.
The button shown can vary with the site interface. On a site where the feature is available directly, choose Enable. In the documented Business and Commerce flow, choose Create Address.
If the control is not available, check the site plan. The current WordPress.com guide identifies Business and Commerce sites for this setup and says free, Personal, and Premium sites must upgrade to access it. Do not assume that installing an unrelated plugin will create the WordPress.com service.
2. Create and copy the address
Click Create Address (or Enable, when that is the button shown). WordPress.com generates an address associated with your user and site context. Copy it exactly and store it in a password manager or another secure location.
WordPress.com warns: “Keep this address secret—anyone who knows it can publish to your blog.” Treat the address like a publishing credential, not like a public contact address. Do not put it on a web page, in a public email signature, or in a shared team document.
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1. Start a new message
Open the email app you intend to use. Create a new message addressed to the private WordPress.com address. The sending account should be one you control and can access reliably.
2. Put the title in the subject
Type the desired headline in the subject field. WordPress.com states that “The email subject becomes your post’s title.” Keep the subject to the title itself; do not add instructions that you would not want displayed as the headline.
3. Write the post in the body
Write or paste the article into the message body. WordPress.com states that “The body becomes your post’s content.” If the email app supports rich text or HTML, WordPress.com preserves as much of that formatting as possible. It may strip unnecessary HTML, so preview the resulting post rather than relying on complex email markup.
4. Send and wait for the result
Send the message. WordPress.com says to expect a notification containing the published-post details a few minutes after sending. If your role is Contributor, the submission is saved as pending instead of being published immediately.
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Control the post with supported shortcodes
WordPress.com recognizes certain bracketed commands in the message. Put each command on its own line where appropriate, and check the resulting post because email clients can alter spacing or punctuation.
| Purpose | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Add tags | [tags announcement, WordPress] |
Assigns the listed tags to the post |
| Assign a category | [category WordPress] |
Places the post in the named category |
| Delay publication | [delay +2 days] |
Schedules publication two days after the email is processed |
| Stop a mobile or mail signature | [end] |
Removes text that follows the marker, such as an automatic phone signature |
Remove an unwanted phone signature
Many phones append a carrier or email-app signature. To prevent it from appearing in the post, insert [end] on a line by itself, with a blank line above it. Text after that marker is excluded from the published content.
Use tags, categories, and delayed publication
Shortcodes are useful when you need consistent organization or want to write now and publish later. For example, a message can include [tags announcement, WordPress] and [category WordPress] on separate lines. The documented delay format is [delay +2 days]; use the supported syntax rather than inventing a natural-language date.
Because the subject and body are converted directly, keep shortcode lines separate from prose and verify the post after WordPress processes it. Unrecognized bracketed text may simply appear as ordinary content.
Add images and other media
Attachments are handled separately from the post text. WordPress.com documents a media-address pattern using your secret address:
Replace YOUR_SECRET_EMAIL with the appropriate portion of the generated address. Send media to that documented destination rather than assuming an attachment in the normal posting message will be processed in the same way. Follow the WordPress.com instructions for the media workflow and check the resulting post or Media Library before sharing it.
Keep the generated address private even when using the media pattern. It contains the same publishing secret and should not be forwarded or posted publicly.
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Understand user roles and shared sites
On a multiuser WordPress.com blog, each user can create their own Post by Email address. That lets a site owner avoid distributing one shared credential and makes it possible to revoke or regenerate an individual user’s address without changing everyone else’s.
Contributor-role emails are saved as pending rather than published. This is useful when an editor must approve submissions, but it also explains why a correctly sent message may not appear publicly. Check the site’s pending queue when a Contributor reports that a post did not go live.
Use separate addresses for separate people, keep a record of who owns each one, and remove access when a contributor leaves. The generated address is an authentication token; possession of it is what permits the submission.
Secure, regenerate, or disable the WordPress.com address
If the address is exposed
Regenerate it immediately if it appears in a public post, shared screenshot, mailing list, or message sent to the wrong person. The old address should no longer be used after regeneration. Update only the trusted email clients, automation, or team members that legitimately need the new address.
If you no longer need the feature
Use the Post by Email controls in Settings → Writing to disable it. Disabling removes the inbound publishing route; it does not delete posts already created through it.
Practical handling rules
- Store the address in a password manager rather than a public notes app.
- Do not use it as a normal “contact us” address.
- Regenerate it after an accidental disclosure instead of relying on secrecy after the fact.
- Review pending posts if several people can submit content.
Self-hosted WordPress: configure mailbox retrieval
Self-hosted WordPress uses a different Settings → Writing workflow. Instead of generating a WordPress.com address, the site owner configures an email account that WordPress checks for messages.
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Enter the mail account details
- Sign in to the WordPress administrator dashboard.
- Open Settings → Writing.
- Locate the mail-retrieval or Post by Email fields.
- Enter the mailbox’s Mail Server.
- Enter the server Port.
- Enter the mailbox Login Name.
- Enter the mailbox Password.
- Choose the Default Mail Category.
- Save the settings.
The exact server name, port, login, and password come from the mail account or hosting provider. They are not interchangeable with the generated secret address used by WordPress.com. Protect these credentials as you would any other administrator-level integration.
How the self-hosted flow differs in practice
WordPress checks the configured account for messages and uses the saved default category when creating posts. Management is therefore centered on the mailbox: secure the account, rotate its password when necessary, and remove the settings if the account is retired. There is no WordPress.com address to regenerate.
Formatting and shortcode behavior can depend on the particular WordPress version and configuration. Test with a private or draft-oriented workflow before relying on the feature for production publishing, and confirm how your installation handles permissions, attachments, and scheduled content.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.WordPress.com versus self-hosted: which setup applies?
| Question | WordPress.com answer | Self-hosted answer |
|---|---|---|
| Where do I begin? | Dashboard Settings → Writing → Post by Email | Dashboard Settings → Writing, then the mail-retrieval fields |
| What authenticates a message? | A unique generated address kept secret | Credentials for a mailbox WordPress retrieves |
| What if access leaks? | Regenerate the address or disable the feature | Change mailbox credentials or remove the mail settings |
| What controls are documented? | Tags, categories, delayed publication, signature removal, and a separate media pattern | Default mail category is documented; other behavior depends on the installation |
| How are Contributors handled? | Their submissions are saved as pending | Depends on the site’s configured roles and workflow |
Post by Email is not a newsletter
These features move in opposite directions:
- Post by Email: inbound. You send an email to WordPress, and the message becomes a post.
- WordPress.com Newsletter: outbound. Publishing a post can notify subscribers by email.
Newsletter defaults, content, and subscriber settings are managed under Jetpack → Newsletter. Changing newsletter settings does not create a Post by Email address, and creating a Post by Email address does not subscribe readers to anything.
Troubleshoot a missing or incorrect post
No post appears after sending
- Return to Settings → Writing and verify that Post by Email is enabled and that you copied the current generated address correctly.
- Check the site plan if the enable or create control is missing; the documented WordPress.com flow requires an eligible plan.
- Allow the few minutes WordPress.com says it may take to send the publication notification.
- If the sender is a Contributor, look for a pending post rather than a published one.
- If the address may have been exposed or regenerated, update the email client with the new address.
The title or body is wrong
- Remember that the subject, not the first line of the body, supplies the title.
- Remove extra subject text that should not appear in the headline.
- Check the sent message for an empty or accidentally replaced body.
- Use a simpler rich-text message if complex HTML is being stripped.
An automatic signature appears
Place [end] on its own line, with a blank line before it, then send a new message. Text after the marker is intended to be excluded.
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Tags, categories, or scheduling do not work
Use the documented syntax exactly: [tags announcement, WordPress], [category WordPress], or [delay +2 days]. Keep each command clearly separated from the article text and inspect the processed post.
Self-hosted retrieval fails
Recheck the Mail Server, Port, Login Name, Password, and Default Mail Category fields. A self-hosted site cannot use the WordPress.com generated-address method as a substitute for a correctly configured mailbox.
When Post by Email is a good fit
- You need to publish short updates from a phone or another device where the dashboard is difficult to use.
- Your editorial workflow is intentionally email-based.
- You want Contributors to submit drafts for approval.
- You can protect a private publishing address or mailbox account.
Use the regular WordPress editor instead when you need detailed block layouts, extensive media management, revisions, or precise visual control. Email formatting is convenient, but WordPress may strip unnecessary HTML and an email client is not a full layout editor.
The Bottom Line
For WordPress.com, open Settings → Writing, enable Post by Email or choose Create Address on an eligible Business or Commerce site, keep the generated address secret, and send the title in the subject and content in the body. Self-hosted WordPress requires a separately configured mailbox with server and login details, while newsletters are managed independently through Jetpack.
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