Outlook 2013 stores the SMTP server and port in an email account’s outgoing-server settings. You should change the port only to the value specified by your email provider or administrator; guessing ports can prevent mail from sending or weaken connection security.
Find the outgoing SMTP settings
- Open Outlook 2013.
- Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Select the email account and choose Change.
- Open More Settings.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Review the Outgoing server (SMTP) port and encryption setting.
- Enter the values supplied by the mail provider, then save and test the account.
Port and encryption must match
SMTP submission commonly uses port 587 with STARTTLS, while some providers use port 465 with implicit TLS. The correct combination is provider-specific. Do not disable encryption merely because a connection fails; verify the current documented settings first.
Authentication can also stop outgoing mail
In More Settings, the Outgoing Server tab contains SMTP authentication controls. Many providers require authentication, but modern services can also require OAuth or application-specific credentials that Outlook 2013 does not support well.
Outlook 2013 is no longer supported
Office 2013 reached end of support in April 2023. That matters especially for email because providers continue to retire older authentication and TLS methods. If a provider’s current settings are correct but Outlook 2013 cannot connect, moving to a supported Outlook/Microsoft 365 client may be necessary rather than repeatedly changing ports.
Never post your email password while troubleshooting SMTP settings. Server names and port numbers are generally not secret, but account credentials are.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.