SMTP (“Simple Mail Transfer Protocol”) is the method of communication for emails, which allows you to use the email service within HighLevel. Setting up your SMTP will allow you to send out campaigns and more. We recommend using MailGun, but you may want to use another provider such a Gmail, Outlook, or other. Follow these steps to get your SMTP setup in HighLevel:
Part 1: Add an email provider to your account and set it as the default provider.
Step 1: Under Settings, navigate to SMTP and MailGun Service.
Step 2: Click “Add Service”
Step 3: Fill out the pop-up “Add Provider” window with the requested information, and click Save.
NOTE: You may receive an error message when setting up Gmail, due to a “Less Secure App”. If so, you’ll receive an email in your Gmail account which will walk you through specific troubleshooting steps to address this security measure.
Step 4: On the SMTP and MailGun Service page, you’ll see a list of the emails you have added/ Check the “Default Provider” for the option you wish to use.
Part 2: Testing your SMTP set up.
Step 1: Navigate to Contacts and click into your own contact/test contact record.
Step 2: Add yourself to a campaign that sends an email.
Step 3: Go to your email provider inbox, and check the new email to confirm the sender email address is the “default provider” you set up in your SMTP settings in part 1.
Troubleshooting Tips and Recommended Best Practices:
If you’re using Gmail, Yahoo, our Outlook as your SMTP provider, please be advised that you may experience some emails being flagged as spam or not being sent out at all.
- If your SMTP provider is set to “TestEmail@Gmail.com” and in your campaign configuration, you try to use a different gmail account like “[email protected]”, Gmail will often flag it as spam.
- If your SMTP provider is set to “TestEmail@Outlook.com” or “TestEmail@Yahoo.com” and in your campaign configuration, and you try to use a Gmail account, Yahoo and Outlook will often prevent the email from even sending.
Best practice: If you are going to use Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo as your SMTP provider, use the same email address for your campaigns so you don’t experience issues.
NOTE: Some providers have daily limits on the number of emails that can be sent. For example, current Gmail limitations allow for about 150 maximum emails daily.
NOTE: Only Mailgun reports stats back to HighLevel. Other SMTP providers currently do not report some or all stats back into HighLevel.
