In case you have a shared hosting package and you set up an email address, you might consider the option to send and receive messages for granted, however, that isn't always true. Sending e-mail messages isn't necessarily included in the web hosting plans that companies feature and an SMTP service is needed to be capable to do that. The abbreviation represents Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and this is the piece of software that permits you to send out e-mails. If you work with an email application, it creates a connection to the SMTP server. The latter then queries the DNS data of the domain, that is a part of the receiving address to find out which email server handles its e-mails. After system data is interchanged, your SMTP server provides the message to the remote IMAP or POP server and then the email is finally delivered in the matching mailbox. An SMTP server is necessary if you use some kind of contact form as well, so in case you work with a cost-free hosting plan, as an example, it's probable that you won't have the ability to make use of such a form since many no charge hosting companies don't allow outgoing emails.