Supporting outbound SMTP extensions


Outbound SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) extensions are optional features that can be used to improve the functionality of email messages. These extensions are negotiated between the sending and receiving mail servers during the SMTP conversation, which occurs when an email is sent from one server to another.

Outbound SMTP extensions that have been defined, including

  • 8BITMIME − Allows 8-bit data to be transmitted over SMTP, allowing for the use of non-ASCII characters in email messages.

  • BINARYMIME − Allows binary data to be transmitted as part of an email message.

  • CHUNKING − Allows large messages to be sent in smaller chunks, which can improve the efficiency of the transmission and reduce the risk of timeouts or failures.

  • DSN (Delivery Status Notification) − Allows the sender to request a notification when an email is delivered or if there is a delivery failure.

  • PIPELINING − Allows multiple commands to be sent to the server at once, improving the efficiency of the transmission.

  • SMTPUTF8 − Allows UTF-8 characters to be used in email headers and allows internationalized domain names to be used.

Support for these extensions can be implemented in an SMTP server by adding support for the relevant commands and features to the server software. It is important to carefully test any changes to an SMTP server to ensure that they do not cause any issues with email delivery or other functionality.

Why we use outbound SMTP extensions

Outbound SMTP extensions are used to improve the functionality of email messages and make it easier to send and receive emails. Some of the benefits of using outbound SMTP extensions include −

  • Improved reliability − DSN (Delivery Status Notification) allows the sender to request a notification when an email is delivered, which can help to identify any issues with email delivery.

  • Enhanced security − SMTPUTF8 allows UTF-8 characters to be used in email headers, which can help to prevent spoofing attacks.

  • Improved efficiency − PIPELINING allows multiple commands to be sent to the server at once, which can improve the efficiency of the transmission. CHUNKING allows large messages to be sent in smaller chunks, which can also improve the efficiency of the transmission and reduce the risk of timeouts or failures.

  • Internationalization − SMTPUTF8 allows internationalized domain names to be used, which can make it easier to send and receive emails in non-Latin scripts.

Using outbound SMTP extensions can help to improve the overall experience of sending and receiving emails, and can make it easier to communicate with people around the world.

Benefits of outbound SMTP extensions

There are several benefits to using outbound SMTP extensions −

  • Improved reliability − DSN (Delivery Status Notification) allows the sender to request a notification when an email is delivered, which can help to identify any issues with email delivery.

  • Enhanced security − SMTPUTF8 allows UTF-8 characters to be used in email headers, which can help to prevent spoofing attacks.

  • Improved efficiency − PIPELINING allows multiple commands to be sent to the server at once, which can improve the efficiency of the transmission. CHUNKING allows large messages to be sent in smaller chunks, which can also improve the efficiency of the transmission and reduce the risk of timeouts or failures.

  • Internationalization − SMTPUTF8 allows internationalized domain names to be used, which can make it easier to send and receive emails in non-Latin scripts.

  • Compatibility − Using outbound SMTP extensions can make it easier to send emails to recipients using different email clients or servers, as the extensions can help to ensure that the email is delivered correctly.

Overall, using outbound SMTP extensions can help to improve the reliability, security, and efficiency of email communications, and can make it easier to send and receive emails internationally.

Updated on: 06-Feb-2023

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