SMTP: what is it?

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is a network protocol for sending emails. In this article, we explain what exactly is behind the term.

SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

• SMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, in German roughly "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol". It belongs to the group of network protocols.
• A network protocol is a set of rules for the transmission of data. It defines framework conditions under which data is exchanged between two or more servers.
• SMTP only regulates the sending and forwarding of emails from the sender to the recipient server.
• There are two other protocols for receiving mail: IMAP and POP.

This is how SMTP works

1. When you send an email, your computer is an SMTP client - a user of an SMTP server.
2. The SMTP server is the outgoing server of your mail provider. The mail is first loaded onto this server.
3. The server then contacts a DNS server, which mediates a target SMTP server.
4. The mail is then stored in the message store by the target SMTP server and can be downloaded by the recipient via IMAP or POP.