How to Fix error 501 Error – ssmtp error 501: Could not decode user and password

The error '501: Could not decode user and password' occurs when the ssmtp configuration is unable to correctly parse and validate the username and password for authentication. This issue affects users who are trying to send emails using cron jobs with ssmtp, particularly those using Zoho's SMTP server.

This error can be frustrating because it prevents the email from being sent, and the user may not receive any indication of what went wrong. However, don't worry! In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to resolve this issue.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

• The primary reason for this error is that ssmtp requires the AuthMethod parameter to be set when using plain authentication with Zoho's SMTP server. Since Zoho supports only plain authentication, setting AuthMethod=PLAIN can help resolve the issue.
• An alternative cause could be an incorrect or missing AuthPass value in the ssmtp.conf file, which prevents ssmtp from correctly decoding the user and password.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

💡 Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the '501: Could not decode user and password' error when sending emails using cron jobs with ssmtp. Remember to always double-check your authentication settings and verify that the email can be sent successfully before moving on.