I’m building a website and need to send transactional and notification emails such as account verification, password resets, and order updates. To handle this, I’m planning to use an external SMTP Service Provider instead of relying on my hosting server’s default mail function.
From a technical and practical perspective, what factors should be considered when choosing an SMTP service for long-term reliability and good inbox placement?
In particular, I’d like to understand:
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How SMTP infrastructure affects email deliverability
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The role of authentication methods like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
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Whether shared or dedicated IPs make a significant difference
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What kind of monitoring or reporting features are useful for detecting delivery issues
I’m looking for general guidance and best practices rather than promotions, especially from people who have experience managing email delivery for live websites.