Joomla! Documentation™

Joomla! 

≥ 5.3

Introduction

Starting with Joomla 5.3, the Send Test Mail button in the global configuration now sends the message to the currently logged-in user, rather than to the address defined in the "From Email" field.

Behavior

In previous Joomla versions, the test email was sent to the address configured as the sender. This could cause confusion, especially if that address was invalid or not monitored. As of Joomla 5.3:

• The test mail is sent directly to the email address of the logged-in administrator
• This allows instant confirmation of deliverability
• The process is now more intuitive and reliable

Additional details:

• The sender address remains the one configured in the From Email field
• Subject line: `Testmail from [Site Name]`
• The message body confirms that the test was sent to the connected user's email and name

How to Access

1. Go to System → Global Configuration
2. Open the Server tab
3. Scroll down to Mail Settings
4. Click the Send Test Mail button

Use Case Example

When setting up SMTP or another custom mail service (like Gmail or Mailjet), this feature helps you validate email delivery directly in your own inbox, without needing to change sender addresses.

Tips for Email Configuration Validation

• Check your spam/junk folder if the test email doesn’t arrive.
• Try switching between different mailers (PHP Mail, SMTP, etc.) if sending fails.
• This test only confirms the sending functionality—it does not guarantee that emails will be received by end users.

Privacy and Clarity

The test email clearly states which user triggered the test and where it was sent. This improves transparency and avoids sending messages to unintended addresses.

Developer Note

The test email is triggered using Joomla’s internal Mail::SendMailTest() method from the backend interface. If third-party extensions override the mail system, this test respects those settings.

Feature Origin

This improvement was introduced in Joomla 5.3 via PR #44896 on GitHub.