Connect Your Email: Options for Every Provider

Purpose: Sure Send works with virtually any email provider — not just Gmail. This article explains your connection options and walks you through setup so you can send emails directly from the CRM.

Before You Begin

• You'll need to know which email provider hosts your email (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, IONOS, GoDaddy, etc.)
• SMTP setup requires Admin or Owner access and is configured under the Team Providers tab
• Personal email connections (Google and Microsoft) can be set up by any user under Personal Settings
• If you're not sure who hosts your email, check with your IT team or the company that manages your domain

Your Email Connection Options

Sure Send offers three ways to connect your email, depending on your provider:

Option	Best For	Send Emails	Receive / Sync Emails	Email Tracking (Opens & Clicks)
Google Sync (Gmail / Google Workspace)	Gmail and Google Workspace users	✅	✅ Full two-way sync	✅
Microsoft Sync (Outlook / Office 365)	Outlook and Microsoft 365 users	✅	✅ Full two-way sync	✅
SMTP Connection	Any other provider (IONOS, GoDaddy, Zoho, Yahoo, custom domain, etc.)	✅	❌ Outbound only	❌

Bottom line: If you use Google or Microsoft, connect using the native sync — it gives you the most complete experience including two-way email sync and tracking. If you use any other provider, SMTP lets you send from Sure Send and use automations, but incoming emails won't appear in the CRM and open/click tracking isn't available. Support for incoming email from additional providers is on the roadmap.

Option 1: Connect Google or Microsoft (Recommended)

If your email is powered by Google (Gmail, Google Workspace) or Microsoft (Outlook, Office 365), use the built-in native sync. This gives you full two-way email — everything you send and receive shows up on your contact timelines automatically, and you get email open and click tracking.

1. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
2. Click Profile Settings
3. Under the Email section, click Connect Google or Connect Microsoft
4. Follow the prompts to authorize Sure Send to access your email

Once connected, you can select your default sending address under Personal Settings on the Email Settings page.

Tip: Your email doesn't have to end in @gmail.com to use Google sync. If your company email (like [email protected]) is hosted on Google Workspace, you can still use the Google connection. Same goes for Microsoft — if your custom domain email is hosted on Office 365, use the Microsoft connection.

Option 2: Connect Using SMTP (For All Other Providers)

If your email is hosted by a provider other than Google or Microsoft — like IONOS, GoDaddy, Zoho, Yahoo, or any provider that supports your custom domain — you can connect using SMTP.

What is SMTP? SMTP is the standard system that sends email across the internet. Every email provider supports it. Think of it as the delivery engine behind your email — Sure Send just needs the connection details so it can send emails on your behalf using your address.

What You'll Need

Before you start, gather these details from your email provider. This is usually found in your provider's help docs or account settings under "SMTP settings" or "Email client setup."

Setting	What It Is	Where to Find It
SMTP Server	Your provider's outgoing mail server address	Your email provider's help docs (search "[provider] SMTP settings")
SMTP Port	The connection port (usually 587)	Same as above — 587 is the most common
SMTP Username	Usually your full email address	Your email account credentials
SMTP Password	Your email password or an app-specific password	Your email account — some providers require an "app password"
Sending Domain	Your email domain (e.g., yourcompany.com)	The part after the @ in your email address

How to Find Your SMTP Settings

Every email provider publishes their SMTP connection details — you just need to know where to look:

1. Search your provider's help center. The fastest way is to search Google for "[your provider] SMTP settings" — for example, "IONOS SMTP settings" or "GoDaddy SMTP settings." Most providers have a dedicated help page that lists the exact server, port, and encryption details you need.
2. Check your email account settings. Many providers list SMTP details inside your account dashboard under names like "Email client setup," "Mail configuration," "IMAP/SMTP settings," or "External access." Look in your account's settings or security section.
3. Contact your provider's support. If you can't find the settings online, your email provider's support team can give you the SMTP server, port, and any special requirements (like app passwords) in a few minutes.

Note: Some providers require you to create an "app password" instead of using your regular login password. If your regular password doesn't work during setup, check your provider's security settings for an option to generate an app password. This is common with providers that use two-factor authentication.

How to Set Up SMTP in Sure Send

1. Click Email Settings in the left sidebar (under Team Settings)
2. Click the Team Providers tab
3. Click + Add SMTP Provider (at the top) or the Add SMTP Provider button (in the center)
4. In the Add Email Provider modal that appears, confirm Provider Type is set to SMTP
5. Fill in the following fields:
   • Sender Email — your full email address (e.g., [email protected])
   • Sender Name — the display name recipients will see (e.g., "Jane Smith") — optional
   • Sending Domain — your email domain (e.g., yourcompany.com)
6. Under SMTP Configuration, enter:
   • SMTP Server — your provider's outgoing mail server (e.g., smtp.ionos.com)
   • SMTP Port — usually 587
   • SMTP Username — typically your full email address
   • SMTP Password — your email password or app password
7. Leave Authentication set to Plain (this works for most providers)
8. Leave Enable STARTTLS checked (this is the standard security setting and is enabled by default)
9. At the bottom of the form, you'll see three checkboxes:
   • Active — leave checked to enable the provider immediately
   • Set as default provider — check this if you want Sure Send to use this provider by default when sending emails
   • Available team-wide — check this if you want all team members to be able to send through this provider
10. Click Create Provider

After Setup: Test Your Connection

Once your provider is created, you'll see it listed on the Team Providers page. To verify everything is working:

1. Find your provider in the list and click Actions (on the right side of the provider card)
2. Click Send Test Email — this will send a real test email to your own email address using the SMTP connection
3. Check your inbox. If the test email arrives, your connection is working correctly.

Tip: If the test email doesn't arrive, double-check your SMTP server, port, username, and password. The most common issue is a wrong password — especially if your provider requires an app-specific password rather than your regular login password.

What Works with Each Connection Type

Feature	Google / Microsoft (Native Sync)	SMTP
Send emails from Sure Send	✅	✅
Emails sent from your address	✅	✅
Email automations	✅	✅
Newsletter / bulk email campaigns	✅	✅
Use email templates	✅	✅
Incoming emails sync to contact timelines	✅	❌
Email open tracking	✅	❌
Email click tracking	✅	❌
Two-way conversation view	✅	❌ (outbound only)

Important: SMTP handles outbound email only. Emails you receive in your inbox will not appear on contact timelines in Sure Send. If you need two-way email visibility, Google or Microsoft native sync is the way to go. Support for pulling in incoming emails from other providers is on the roadmap for a future update.

Personal Settings vs. Team Providers

Sure Send has two tabs on the Email Settings page — here's the difference:

	Personal Settings	Team Providers
Who can access	All users	Admin / Owner only
What it's for	Connect your own Google or Microsoft email, choose your default sending address	Set up SMTP or API email providers that the whole team can use
Connection type	Google OAuth, Microsoft OAuth	SMTP, API (SendGrid)

If you're connecting your own Google or Outlook email, use Personal Settings. If you're setting up an SMTP connection for yourself or your team, an admin or owner will need to do it under Team Providers.

Tip: Once an admin sets up an SMTP provider as "Available team-wide," individual team members can configure their own sender name and email alias for that provider through their personal settings.

Which Option Should I Choose?

If your email is hosted by Google or Microsoft → Use the native sync under Personal Settings. You'll get the full experience with two-way email and tracking.

If your email is hosted by anyone else (IONOS, GoDaddy, Zoho, etc.) → Use SMTP under Team Providers. You'll be able to send emails and run automations from Sure Send. Incoming emails won't sync yet, but this is planned for a future update.

If you're not sure who hosts your email → A good clue: if you log into your email at mail.google.com or gmail.com, it's Google. If you log in at outlook.office.com, it's Microsoft. If you log in anywhere else, SMTP is likely your best option. When in doubt, check with your IT team or domain provider.

Troubleshooting

My SMTP test email didn't arrive

Double-check your SMTP server, port, username, and password against your email provider's documentation. The most common issues are wrong credentials (especially if your provider requires an app password) or an incorrect server address.

My provider requires an "app password"

Some providers (like Yahoo and iCloud) require you to generate a special app password instead of using your regular login password. Check your provider's security settings for this option. Search "[your provider] app password" for instructions.

I'm not sure which Authentication type to choose

Leave it set to Plain — this is the standard and works for most providers. If your provider specifically requires a different method, you can change the dropdown to Login or CRAM-MD5.

Emails are going to spam

If emails sent through SMTP are landing in recipients' spam folders, your domain may need SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records configured. These are DNS settings that verify you're authorized to send email from your domain. Contact your email provider or IT team to verify these are set up correctly.

I connected SMTP but I'm not seeing incoming emails

This is expected. SMTP handles outbound email only — it lets you send from Sure Send, but it can't pull in emails you receive. Incoming email sync is currently available only for Google and Microsoft native connections. Support for other providers is on the roadmap.