Which protocol is commonly used for email communication?

The protocol commonly used for email communication is SMTP, which stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. SMTP is essential for sending emails from one server to another and is a fundamental component of the email sending process. When you send an email, your email client uses SMTP to communicate with your email server. The server then routes the email to the recipient’s email server, where it can be retrieved by the recipient using other protocols.

While other protocols mentioned, like IMAP, play a crucial role in how emails are retrieved and managed, they do not serve the same purpose as SMTP. IMAP, for example, is used for reading and managing emails from a server, allowing users to access messages from various devices while keeping them synchronized. HTTP is primarily used for web communication, specifically the transfer of web pages, and FTP is used for transferring files between systems. However, none of these protocols are involved in the actual sending of emails in the way that SMTP is.