Setting up your SMTP account

Sending email from Outbound requires that you set up your SMTP account, and ideally, that you authenticate the domain you will be sending from.

Authentication helps prevent phishing, spoofing, and ensures your emails reach the sender, and don't land in the junk folder or get reported as spam.

Why DNS Records are Important for Sending Emails

Are there any security risks involved?

There are three options when setting up your SMTP account:

1. Use Outbound's SendGrid account
2. Use your own SendGrid account
3. Use your own custom SMTP account

Why DNS Records are Important for Sending Emails

When sending emails on behalf of someone else (e.g., through a third-party service like SendGrid), DNS records ensure that the email is authenticated, reducing the likelihood of it being marked as spam or rejected by the recipient's email server.

By properly setting up and managing DNS records, you can ensure secure and authenticated email communication, protecting both the domain’s reputation and the recipients from phishing and spoofing attacks. Misconfiguration or neglect, on the other hand, can lead to significant security vulnerabilities.

Are there any security risks involved?

If DNS records are misconfigured or not set up properly, several security risks arise, such as email spoofing and phishing, domain reputation damage, data leakage, and the rejection of legitimate emails.

In addition to the risks arising from improperly configured DNS records, the management and security of DNS settings themselves are critically important. Customers must take steps to secure access to their DNS records, protect the integrity of DNS traffic, and avoid inadvertently exposing sensitive information through DNS. By following best practices, including strong access controls, regular audits, and the use of DNSSEC and encrypted DNS, customers can mitigate these risks and ensure the security of their domain and associated services.

I am using Outbound's SendGrid account

1. Outbound support or your Customer Success manager will either provide you with the API key, or enter it in your settings here
2. Share which domain you will be sending email from with support.campaigns@enreach.com. Outbound support will enter the domain into our SendGrid account, and you will be sent an email titled 'Can you help me with sender authentication?'

3. Click 'View DNS Records & Instructions'. Follow the instructions and add the records to your DNS host

This is something that must be completed by someone in your organisation, and can not be done by Outbound staff.

Once added, press 'I'm Done'. This is an important step to verify that the sender authentication is set up correctly.

I am using my own SendGrid account

1. Select SendGrid from the Provider, and enter your API Key

2. Register your domain in your SendGrid account
3. Enter the DNS records in your DNS host

This is something that must be completed by someone in your organisation, and can not be done by Outbound staff.

I am using my own SMTP server

Using your own SMTP server can mean you have full control over your email configurations, security settings, and server performance, allowing for tailored setups to meet specific needs.

It also means that you must carry out all troubleshooting, as we will have no access to any data.

1. Select custom from the Provider and enter your details

This is something that must be completed by someone in your organisation, and can not be done by Outbound staff.

2. If you are using Gmail, please check this guide: SMTP configuration when using Gmail.