How to connect an outgoing mail server for sending follow up and notification mails (SMTP)?

Why should I connect my (outgoing) email server?

Some features of snapAddy VisitReport require you to define an outgoing email server for sending emails. This includes the automatic sending of so-called "notification emails" when exporting reports from the VisitReport app as well as sending follow-up emails to the captured leads.

Which mail servers are supported by snapAddy?

In principle, all mail servers that support the SMTP protocol can be used. We recommend the use of an SMTP relay server. These are offered by various external providers (e.g. SendGrid, Brevo, Mailchimp, etc.) for a small fee, are specialized for the use case at hand and support protocols such as SPF and DKIM. Often, such relay servers are already used in companies for sending newsletters or similar and can simply be re-used.

Where can I enter the login data for sending emails?

1. Open the organization settings at https://app.snapaddy.com/settings/email

2. Enter the SMTP credentials for your outgoing mail server:
   
   

3. Please note the following remark regarding the sender address: Not every email address can be used as a sender address; this depends on the specific settings of the mail server. Please check with your administrator whether the user account you specified is allowed to send follow-up mails on behalf of the specified sender address.
   
   
4. Click Save configuration to complete the configuration. You can now send follow up and notification e-mails.

Why is connecting a Microsoft 365 Exchange server not recommended?

Connecting a Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) server directly as the outgoing mail server is not recommended, because Microsoft limits application based email sending through Exchange Online in several ways. A dedicated SMTP relay server is the more reliable option for sending notification and follow-up emails.

• SMTP AUTH (Basic Authentication): In Exchange Online, SMTP AUTH client submission is disabled by default and Microsoft is retiring Basic Authentication. Credential based sending through Microsoft 365 can therefore stop working or require special exceptions.
• Sending limits and throttling: Exchange Online applies sending limits and throttling to client submission (for example a limited number of messages per minute) that are not designed for the automated sending of notification and follow-up emails.
• Port 25 on Microsoft Azure: If a mail server is hosted on Microsoft Azure, Azure blocks outbound connections on port 25 by default for most subscription types in order to prevent spam. Microsoft does not remove this restriction for standard subscriptions and instead recommends using an authenticated SMTP relay service. A self hosted mail server on Microsoft Azure can therefore not send directly over port 25.

For sending notification and follow-up emails from snapAddy VisitReport, a dedicated SMTP relay server (for example SendGrid, Brevo or Mailchimp) is the recommended and most robust option. A dedicated SMTP relay server is purpose built for this use case and supports SPF and DKIM.

If email must be sent through Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's recommended approach is an authenticated SMTP relay rather than direct Exchange Online submission or a self hosted server on port 25. Azure Communication Services provides an Email service that can send email over SMTP with authentication via Microsoft Entra ID, which works with the connection method described in this article. The connection details of such a relay are entered in the snapAddy organization settings in the same way as any other SMTP relay server.

Is the connection via SMTP secure?

The connection from snapAddy to your email server via SMTP is secured by modern encryption methods: snapAddy supports all industry standards for encrypted SMTP connections (SSL/TLS and STARTTLS) and the SMTP credentials you provide are in addition stored encrypted. Establishing a connection via SMTP is standard for all modern SMTP relay servers.

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