Getting Started with SMTP2GO
Whether you are migrating from another SMTP provider or simply looking for a reliable and highly-rated SMTP service, this guide will take you through the basic steps and requirements to create an account, get set up, begin sending and introduce the main features we offer so you can make the most of your SMTP2GO account.
SMTP2GO has been operating at the forefront of the email industry since 2006 and handles email delivery for over 35,000 customers. We have data centers located in the US, EU and Australia with servers in multiple other locations giving you access to the fastest data networks in the world, and our industry-leading 100% SLA gives you peace of mind.
Sign up and begin sending within minutes via SMTP or API
1. Sign up for an account
Creating an account is simple and quick. You can sign up via the Pricing page with the option of the free plan (which allows 1,000 emails per month) or directly onto a paid plan with a monthly email volume of your choice - subscriptions can be paid monthly or annually.
If you have specific questions or requirements, such as sending over 3M emails per month, then please reach out to our support team who will assist further.
Note: You will need to use a work email address or an address at a domain of your own (you cannot use addresses at shared domains such as Gmail.com, Outlook.com, Yahoo.com etc.). If you do not have a domain, you will need to purchase one to use with SMTP2GO - there are a number of domain name registrars to choose from with popular choices being Cloudflare and GoDaddy.
2. Account Setup
Once you've completed the signup process and logged in to the App, you'll be greeted by the initial setup steps to complete before sending which include:
Add your Verified Senders
Verifying your senders is mandatory and the way to authorize sending via the account. There are two options to choose from for verification which include verifying your domain(s) as Sender domains (recommended to get the best deliverability rates as it ensures SPF and DKIM alignment for the domain) or verifying individual addresses as Single sender emails on the 'Sending > Verified Senders' page. For further details, please view our 'Verified Senders: Sender Domain vs Single Sender Emails' guide.
Create an SMTP User, add an Authenticated IP or create an API Key
SMTP
The most commonly used form of authentication is using a standard username and password. You can create SMTP Users (username and password combinations) on the 'Sending > SMTP Users' section.
Authenticated IP (available to accounts on paid plans)
Alternative authentication options we offer include IP Authentication ('Sending > IP Authentication') and Address Authentication (available on request for accounts on paid plans).
API Key
If you plan on using the API for sending, you can create and manage API Keys on the 'Sending > API Keys' page.
3. Start sending - SMTP or API
SMTP
The most common form of sending is using SMTP in your existing application. This involves you setting our outgoing SMTP server settings in your software/application of choice. We have a range of common setup guides or if you require specific assistance then reach out to our friendly support team.
SMTP Server: mail.smtp2go.com
SMTP Port: 2525
Alternative ports: 8025, 587, 80 or 25. TLS is available on the same ports.
SSL is available on ports 465, 8465 and 443.
API
If you wish to send via our API please see our full API documentation for information, examples and testing console.
Our Location Specific Services article covers details if you would prefer to connect directly to a location specific SMTP server or use a location specific base URL for the API.
Reporting and Analytics
Once you begin sending, you can make use of real-time reporting to see full insights into your sending. View the graph of sending over the past 30 days on the main dashboard page and then under the Reports navigation menu you have the following:
The Activity page displays all emails sent like a log along with the delivery events so you can see what and when events occurred for each email such as when it was delivered, if it was bounced, opened, clicked, rejected, unsubscribed or marked as spam. You can also view statistics on the Summary page, visuals on the Charts page and take care of suppression management on the Suppressions page. If you make use of Archiving then all archived emails will be displayed on the Archives page. You can also export data from most reporting pages which will be visible from the Data Exports page.
Support
If you have questions or need assistance we provide friendly, localized, award-winning support around the clock via live chat, email ticket or phone. We also have a dedicated review team who monitor our IPs ensuring they have the highest reputation for optimal delivery as well as making sure all customers comply with our Terms of Service. Accounts on the free plan are limited to 14 days of phone and chat support, and then ticket support only.
Additional Features
Dedicated IPs
A Dedicated IP is included on all Professional level plans (100,000 emails per month and above). You can create IP pools for specific sending and additional IPs can be added via the "Settings > Dedicated IPs" page ($19 per IP per month). Check out our IP blog post for more information.
Subaccounts
Subaccounts are primarily designed for agencies/MSPs and resellers with different customers of their own, who wish to keep their customers' data completely separate from each other. This feature is available on all paid-level plans and allows you to create subaccounts for each customer where you allocate some of your master account's monthly email quota to the subaccounts.
Email to SMS
SMS messaging is available on all paid-level plans and gives you the ability to send SMS messages via plain text email or our API. You can also receive replies from the recipient and view these in our app or have them forwarded to an email address. This service is ideal for customers who wish to include an SMS communications method and would like to manage this through our dashboard.
Archiving
Email Archiving is an optional paid feature that allows you to store the full content of emails, along with delivery records, headers and attachments for 3 months up to 5 years. Email content is fully searchable, and emails can be viewed and downloaded from within the SMTP2GO App on the 'Reports > Archives' page (for customers with archiving enabled). Archiving is a useful tool for being able to visualize exactly how outgoing emails appear and is valuable for compliance needs.
Templates
API users can easily manage their email templates by creating, editing, testing, and previewing them directly from the 'Settings > Templates' section of the user dashboard.
Email Testing tool
The Email Testing tool is available for Professional level plans (100,000 emails per month and above). The tool gives you the ability to test emails to see how they will preview in your inbox, display screenshots of how they'll look in 50+ email clients or do spam filter tests. This will help you make changes if needed to get delivered to the recipient's inbox and ensure your emails appear correctly.
Team management
If you have multiple team members needing account access you can invite and manage them via the 'Account > Edit Team' page. Team members can have the following permissions:
Owner: Full dashboard access
Admin: Full dashboard access (but no access to billing or plan management)
Reports: Reports access only
Scheduled Reporting
Scheduled Reporting is available on all paid-level plans and allows you to create custom reports for data from your Activity, Summary and Suppressions pages. The automated reports will be emailed to the designated addresses at the chosen frequency (daily, weekly or monthly).
IP Allowlisting
The IP Allowlisting feature improves account security by allowing you to restrict sending to be from allowed IP addresses only. If you choose to enable the IP Allowlist, any IPs that are not listed will be blocked from sending through the SMTP2GO account.
Activity Storage Duration
The Activity Storage Duration feature allows accounts on paid plans to extend the duration their activity data is stored and accessible for (30 days by default) on the "Reports > Activity" page or API, for an additional fee based on their email plan. The extended timeframes include 60 days, 120 days, 1 year and 2 years.
Integrations
SMTP2GO WordPress plugin
SMTP2GO cPanel / WHM Automation Plugin
SMTP2GO Slack App
Webhooks
OSS Integrations / Libraries
If you have questions regarding setting up an account, additional features or any part of our service then please reach out to our award-winning support team via email ticket (submit from the Support Desk via your account), live chat (within the account dashboard or main website), or give us a call.