How does an email travel from one server to another?
SMTP handles the transport process.
The sender's Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) queries DNS for the recipient's MX record, connects via TCP, and delivers the message using standardized commands.
Each step is logged, which is why delivery diagnostics exist.
The receiving server either accepts, defers, or rejects the message based on its own filters and security rules.
Once accepted, it stays on that server until retrieved by the user's client.
SMTP moves the message; IMAP and POP3 handle its retrieval, like supply ships ferrying cargo between ports before it's offloaded.
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