problem with php mail 'From' header

user_2119053 0
Viewed 127385

I'm building a website that sends and email to a user when he registers.

My code (the gist of it):

<?php
$to = "helloworld@gmail.com";
$subject = "Test mail";
$message = "Hello! \nThis is a simple email message.";

$headers = "From: munged@gmail.com";
$headers .= "\r\nReply-To: munged@gmail.com";
$headers .= "\r\nX-Mailer: PHP/".phpversion();

mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers);

echo "Mail Sent.";
?>

the problem is that when the mail is delivered, the from header remains munged@box123.bluehost.com, while reply-to gets changed to the specified value.

box123.bluehost.com is the hostname of the server on which the website is hosted.

So what am I doing wrong? What can I do to get the "From" address the same as the reply-to address?

Is it something I'm doing wrong, or is the web host playing foul?

smtp email php
8 Answers

Edit: I just noted that you are trying to use a gmail address as the from value. This is not going to work, and the ISP is right in overwriting it. If you want to redirect the replies to your outgoing messages, use reply-to.

A workaround for valid addresses that works with many ISPs:

try adding a fifth parameter to your mail() command: 

mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers,"-f your@email.here");
user_1876060

In order to prevent phishing, some mail servers prevent the From from being rewritten.

user_2411610

I realize this is an old thread, but i had the same problem since i moved to bluehost yesterday. It may not have been the selected answer but i support the bluehost article 206 reply.

I created a valid email in control panel and used it as my From address and it worked.

user_13281460

The web host is not really playing foul. It's not strictly according to the rules - but compared with some some of the amazing inventions intended to prevent spam, its not a particularly bad one.

If you really do want to send mail from '@gmail.com' why not just use the gmail SMTP service? If you can't reconfigure the server where PHP is running, then there are lots of email wrapper tools out there which allow you to specify a custom SMTP relay phpmailer springs to mind.

C.

user_2239920
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