= Message Transfer Agent = A '''Message Transfer Agent''' ('''MTA''') is a service that receives email and forwards it towards the intended destination. <> ---- == Role == Per the [[Email/SMTP|Simple Mail Transfer Protocol]], an MTA receives mail from any of: * another MTA * a [[Email/MUA|message user agent]] (MUA) * a message submission agent (MSA) If the intended destination is not local to the MTA, it is forwarded to another MTA. Otherwise it is handed to the local [[Email/MDA|message delivery agent]]. ---- CategoryRicottone