SMTP, aka Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is a standard protocol used for sending email messages between servers, mostly used by email clients to send emails to a server. It is a communication protocol that defines and maintains the rules and procedures for sending email messages by transmitting them over the Internet.

SMTP is commonly used by email clients for sending messages to a mail server. After that, it routes the message to the recipient’s mail server. Right after that, the recipient’s email client retrieves the message from their mail server using a different protocol. The entire process is more like POP or Imap.

POP is an older protocol for downloading emails from a mail server to a local device, such as a computer or a mobile device, and then typically deletes the email from the server. It means that once the email is downloaded to a device by using POP, the message can be accessed from that device only not any other device. As a result, it becomes problematic for users who want to access their emails from various devices. However, IMAP on the other hand let users access their emails from any device. Also, the mail server is more of an advanced type. 

Apart from that, SMTP is also used by automated systems and applications for sending email notifications or reports. It can be from your online shopping platforms, monitoring systems, etc. 

SMTP helps users and clients by providing a reliable and standardized way for sending email messages over the Internet. It ensures that the emails are sent to their intended recipient’s address without being lost on their way to the intended recipients. 

SMTP breaks down the email message into pieces, such as the sender’s address, recipient’s address, message content, and other attachments. After that, it deploys a series of commands and responses to transfer these components between the servers, starting with the sender’s email client and ending at the recipient’s email client. 

Most companies and businesses use SMTP for sending emails to their clients without any errors. SMTP has mechanisms for verifying the sender’s identity, followed by ensuring that the message has been sent to the right client without being altered in transit. The entire process helps to eliminate spamming and phishing attacks.

So, if you want to know what SMTP is used for, we have the answers in a gist. 

1. SMTP ensures that email messages are reliably delivered to the recipients.
2. The protocol of SMTP is widely accepted. 
3. The mail transfer by SMTP is very secure.
4. The scalability of SMTP is very high to manage large volumes of email traffic without any issues. 
5. SMTP can be integrated with any other email protocol without any hassles. 
6. flexibility is another thing that makes SMTP popular among different organisation and email systems. 

Apart from that, the maintenance is very cheap and anyone can get the services for a very little amount. There are so many packages and plans that offer customised email services for both business and personal uses. Overall, SMTP is a critical component of the email infrastructure that allows individuals, businesses, and organizations to communicate effectively and efficiently.