Understanding the Cause
When you see an "on behalf of" message next to the sender's name in an e-mail, it's because the e-mail was sent from a different server than the one listed in the "From" address. This commonly happens when a website or application uses the web server's local mail function to send e-mails (e.g., for contact forms or notifications).
The e-mail's technical 'return-path' (the actual sender address) is set to an address on the web server, such as [email protected]. Because this doesn't match the "From" address you've set (e.g., [email protected]), the recipient's e-mail client displays the "on behalf of" notice to indicate the discrepancy.
The Recommended Solution: Sending via SMTP
While it is not possible to override this behavior on the web server's local mail function, there is a much better way to send e-mails: using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
SMTP sends messages through a dedicated, authenticated e-mail account (e.g., one of the mailboxes you've created in your hosting package). This method has several key advantages:
- Removes "On Behalf Of": E-mails are sent from a legitimate, authenticated mailbox, so the sender appears correctly.
- Improves Deliverability: Messages sent via SMTP are far less likely to be marked as spam and have a much higher chance of reaching the recipient's inbox.
- Increases Professionalism: Your e-mails appear more trustworthy to recipients.
How to Configure SMTP
Most modern content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and others, as well as many web applications, have built-in settings or plugins that allow you to configure e-mail to be sent via SMTP. You will typically only need the username and password for the relevant mailbox to complete the setup.
