Skip to content
Email

Setting Up SMTP Providers

Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. ⚠️ Before…

4 min read810 words3 explained imagesUpdated Tue, 14 Apr at 12:27 AM
View as markdownOpen in ClaudeOpen in ChatGPT
Each image has a one line explanation. Switch to full detail for the step it belongs to, the fields and buttons involved, examples and the whole procedure.
On this page
  1. A List of SMTP and IMAP Servers
  2. Sender Email Address Configuration Limitation
  3. How to Test Your SMTP Integration
  4. Daily Sending Limits
  5. Workflow / Email Statistics
  6. Why SMTP Emails Are Stuck in "Sent" Status
  7. Common Issues When Setting Up SMTP Providers
  8. Help Docs for SMTP Providers
  9. Setting Up Amazon SES
  10. Setting Up Outlook / Microsoft Office 365
  11. Frequently Asked Questions
Email Services

SMTP Setup Guide

Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care.

⚠️
Before You Use SMTP — Read This We have direct integrations with both Google and Outlook. If you're sending through these providers, please use those integrations instead of SMTP.

If you choose to use SMTP, you do so at your own discretion. SMTP is an advanced use case and not how most users should send email through GHL Customer Care. Support is provided on a best-effort basis.

SMTP Setup Walkthrough Open in a new tab

A List of SMTP and IMAP Servers

Use the reference below to look up the SMTP and IMAP server settings for your email provider:

 ? SMTP & IMAP Server Reference List 

Sender Email Address Configuration Limitation

If you are using an SMTP provider, make sure the sender email you mask here matches the email you integrated with. Learn more on how to configure the sender's email address here.

?
If the sender's email does not match the SMTP integrated email, or if the sender's email is not verified with your SMTP provider, the email will fail to deliver.

How to Test Your SMTP Integration

When sending an email, update the sender's email address so it matches the integrated SMTP email.

In manual conversation, the sender email defaults to your login email. You'll need to change it to match the SMTP integrated email. By default it will show your login email:

How to Test Your SMTP Integration (image 1 of 3) What this shows Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. What this shows Illustrates the "How to Test Your SMTP Integration" section of "Setting Up SMTP Providers". This screenshot appears in the "How to Test Your SMTP Integration" section of "Setting Up SMTP Providers". For context, this section explains: Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. ⚠️ Before You Use SMTP — Read This We have direct integrations with both Google and Outlook. If you're sending through these providers, please use those…. Image 1 of 3
Buttons and menus referenced Before You Use SMTP — Read ThisGoogleOutlookmatches the email you integrated withwill fail to deliversentopenclickbouncedelivereddisabledSMTP Settings

Daily Sending Limits

Your SMTP provider may impose daily limits on email volume. Gmail, for example, limits approximately 100–150 emails per day when connected via a remote email client.

Why Can't I Use My Free Email Address As The SMTP? →

Workflow / Email Statistics

Via SMTP, we currently receive only sent, open, click, and bounce events. A delivered event is not available from the SMTP provider.

ℹ️
Because of this limitation, the system marks an email as delivered only after an open event is received.

We highly recommend setting up Mailgun or LC Email to get full sending statistics. Learn more about Troubleshooting Email Stats.

Why SMTP Emails Are Stuck in "Sent" Status

With SMTP, we only receive sent, open, click, and bounce events. A delivered event is not available from the SMTP provider.

Because of this limitation, the system marks an email as delivered only after an open event is received.

That's why the email initially shows as sent. Once the recipient opens the email, the status updates accordingly.

Common Issues When Setting Up SMTP Providers

Make sure 1Email Re-Billing is disabled while making changes to the default provider.
Try testing your SMTP credentials using the GMass SMTP Test tool: 2gmass.co/smtp-test

Help Docs for SMTP Providers

 ? Google / Gmail / GSuite – Using Google as Your SMTP Provider   ? Setting an Alias for Google SMTP 
? Yahoo – Temporarily disabled SMTP. No ETA on availability.
 ? SendGrid – Using SendGrid as the SMTP Provider   ? Zoho – Using Zoho as Your SMTP Provider 

Setting Up Amazon SES

Follow these steps when configuring Amazon SES as your SMTP provider:

1 Use the correct server name listed on the SMTP Settings page.
2 Use port 465.
3 Use the IAM Username & Password you created (save these — you cannot view them again).
4 Use the Amazon AWS Root User Email Address.

Amazon SES Resources

Setting Up Outlook / Microsoft Office 365

It is common to see an "Authentication unsuccessful" error even with two-step verification disabled. Microsoft changed its security requirements — third-party apps now require SMTP Authentication to be explicitly enabled.

 ? Microsoft Guide: Enable SMTP Authentication 

If the above guide does not resolve your issue, please reach out to Outlook support to get the account authenticated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q The "Add Service" button is missing in the Email Services > SMTP services tab. How do I fix this?

Switch to Agency View → Sub-accounts, click the three dots next to the account, then select Manage Client.

Frequently Asked Questions (image 2 of 3) What this shows Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. What this shows Illustrates the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of "Setting Up SMTP Providers". This screenshot appears in the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of "Setting Up SMTP Providers". For context, this section explains: Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. ⚠️ Before You Use SMTP — Read This We have direct integrations with both Google and Outlook. If you're sending through these providers, please use those…. Image 2 of 3
Buttons and menus referenced Before You Use SMTP — Read ThisGoogleOutlookmatches the email you integrated withwill fail to deliversentopenclickbouncedelivereddisabledSMTP Settings

Click on Advanced Settings and make sure "Disable the Add Email Service button in the sub-account Email Services Settings" is turned off.

Frequently Asked Questions (image 3 of 3) What this shows Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. What this shows Illustrates the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of "Setting Up SMTP Providers". This screenshot appears in the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of "Setting Up SMTP Providers". For context, this section explains: Email Services SMTP Setup Guide Everything you need to configure, test, and troubleshoot your SMTP provider integration with GHL Customer Care. ⚠️ Before You Use SMTP — Read This We have direct integrations with both Google and Outlook. If you're sending through these providers, please use those…. Image 3 of 3
Buttons and menus referenced Before You Use SMTP — Read ThisGoogleOutlookmatches the email you integrated withwill fail to deliversentopenclickbouncedelivereddisabledSMTP Settings
Q How many SMTP service providers can we have on a sub-account?
A sub-account can have multiple SMTP service providers. However, the same SMTP credentials cannot be added more than once — using the same email ID with different integrations is not allowed. Additionally, the same provider (e.g., Gmail) cannot be added twice.

Related Articles

 ? Hide The SMTP Setup Help Doc Link   ? Setting Alias for Google SMTP 

Was this guide helpful?

Related guides

Using SendGrid As The SMTP Provider3 min read · 11 imagesUsing Zoho as your SMTP Provider2 min readWhy Can't I use My Free Email Address As The SMTP?4 min readLimitation of using SMTP when emails are not sending3 min read · 2 images