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Pterodactyl Panel uses email for user notifications, password resets, and administrative alerts. Configure your preferred mail provider in the .env file.

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Supported Mail Drivers

The Panel supports multiple mail drivers:
  • SMTP - Standard SMTP server (recommended for most users)
  • Mailgun - Mailgun API
  • Postmark - Postmark API
  • SES - Amazon Simple Email Service
  • Sendmail - Local sendmail binary
  • Log - Write emails to log files (development only)

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Basic Configuration

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Mail Driver Selection

.env
MAIL_MAILER=smtp
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MAIL_MAILER
string
default:"smtp"
Mail driver to use. Options: smtp, mailgun, postmark, ses, sendmail, log

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From Address

.env
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
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MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS
string
required
Email address that appears as the sender.
Use a valid email address from your domain to prevent emails from being marked as spam.
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MAIL_FROM_NAME
string
default:"Pterodactyl Panel"
Name that appears as the sender in email clients.

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SMTP Configuration

MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=[email protected]
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"

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SMTP Parameters

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MAIL_HOST
string
required
SMTP server hostname.
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MAIL_PORT
integer
default:"25"
SMTP server port. Common values:
  • 25 - Standard SMTP (often blocked)
  • 587 - SMTP with STARTTLS (recommended)
  • 465 - SMTP over SSL
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MAIL_USERNAME
string
SMTP authentication username.
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MAIL_PASSWORD
string
SMTP authentication password.
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MAIL_ENCRYPTION
string
default:"tls"
Encryption method. Options: tls, ssl, or leave empty for none.

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EHLO Domain

.env
MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN=panel.example.com
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MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN
string
Domain used in the SMTP EHLO/HELO command. Set this to your panel’s domain to prevent mail servers like Gmail from rejecting your emails.
If not set, defaults to the server’s hostname which may be ‘localhost’.

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Mailgun Configuration

MAIL_MAILER=mailgun
MAILGUN_DOMAIN=mg.example.com
MAILGUN_SECRET=key-your-api-key
MAILGUN_ENDPOINT=api.mailgun.net
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
You’ll need to install the Mailgun PHP SDK:
composer require mailgun/mailgun-php symfony/http-client nyholm/psr7

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Postmark Configuration

.env
MAIL_MAILER=postmark
POSTMARK_TOKEN=your-server-token
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
You’ll need to install the Postmark PHP SDK:
composer require wildbit/swiftmailer-postmark

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Amazon SES Configuration

.env
MAIL_MAILER=ses
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-access-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret-key
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
You’ll need to install the AWS SDK:
composer require aws/aws-sdk-php

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Sendmail Configuration

.env
MAIL_MAILER=sendmail
MAIL_SENDMAIL_PATH="/usr/sbin/sendmail -bs -i"
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="Pterodactyl Panel"
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MAIL_SENDMAIL_PATH
string
default:"/usr/sbin/sendmail -bs -i"
Path to the sendmail binary with arguments.

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Testing Email Configuration

After configuring email settings, test the connection: 
php artisan p:environment:mail
This interactive command will:
  1. Prompt you for mail settings
  2. Send a test email
  3. Verify the configuration works

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Manual Test

You can also send a test email using Tinker: 
php artisan tinker

Mail::raw('Test email from Pterodactyl Panel', function($message) {
    $message->to('[email protected]')
            ->subject('Test Email');
});

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Troubleshooting

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Emails Not Sending

  1. Check your mail logs: 
    tail -f storage/logs/laravel-*.log
  2. Verify queue workers are running (if using queues): 
    php artisan queue:work --tries=3
  3. Test SMTP connectivity: 
    telnet smtp.example.com 587

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Common Issues

  • Verify the SMTP host and port are correct
  • Check if your firewall allows outbound connections on the SMTP port
  • Ensure the SMTP service is running on the remote server
  • Double-check username and password
  • For Gmail, use an App Password instead of your regular password
  • Verify two-factor authentication settings
  • Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain
  • Use MAIL_EHLO_DOMAIN matching your panel’s domain
  • Ensure MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS uses your domain
  • Consider using a dedicated email service (Mailgun, Postmark, SES)
  • Ensure your server has up-to-date CA certificates
  • Update ca-certificates package: apt-get update && apt-get install ca-certificates
  • For self-signed certificates, consider using tls instead of ssl

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Security Best Practices

Use TLS Encryption

Always use MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls or ssl in production to encrypt email traffic.

Dedicated Email Service

Consider using dedicated services like Mailgun or Postmark for better deliverability.

Valid From Address

Use a real email address from your domain to improve deliverability and avoid spam filters.

DNS Records

Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails.

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