Connect SMTP (Gmail, cPanel, SES, SendGrid)

Where to add an SMTP account

Sign in, then open Dashboard → SMTP → Add SMTP. Pick a profile name (e.g. "Marketing — Gmail"), choose a provider preset to auto-fill host and port, then enter credentials. RAPID SMTP performs a live login + send test before saving.

Gmail / Google Workspace

Host: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 587 (STARTTLS)
Username: your full Gmail address
Password: a 16-character App password (not your regular password). Generate one at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords. 2-step verification must be on.
Daily limit: ~500 messages (Gmail), ~2,000 (Workspace).

cPanel / WHM hosting

Host: usually mail.yourdomain.com — confirm in cPanel → Email Accounts → "Connect Devices"
Port: 587 with STARTTLS, or 465 with SSL/TLS
Username: the full mailbox address (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com)
Password: the mailbox password

Full walkthrough: cPanel SMTP guide.

Amazon SES

Host: email-smtp.{region}.amazonaws.com (e.g. email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com)
Port: 587
Username + Password: generate SMTP credentials in the SES console (these are NOT your AWS access keys)
Make sure your account is out of the SES sandbox before sending to unverified recipients.

SendGrid

Host: smtp.sendgrid.net · Port: 587
Username: the literal string apikey
Password: your SendGrid API key (starts with SG.)

Mailgun

Host: smtp.mailgun.org (or smtp.eu.mailgun.org for EU)
Port: 587
Username + Password: SMTP credentials shown on each domain's settings page

Custom / self-hosted SMTP

Use whatever your provider documents. Common settings:

STARTTLS on port 587 (recommended)
Implicit TLS on port 465
Plain on 25 only for server-to-server; most ISPs block outbound 25

Test, then set as default

After saving, click Test on the SMTP row. A green check means RAPID SMTP can authenticate and hand off a message. Flip the Default toggle on the account you want to use for new campaigns.

Credentials are encrypted at rest

Passwords and API keys are encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a server-only key before being written to the database. They're decrypted only inside the sending worker.

Connect SMTP