How to Add Your Own Email Service (SMTP)

The platform allows you to connect your own third-party email sending service (SMTP) instead of using the default Adaptive AI Phone Email System. This is useful if you already have an established sending reputation, need higher volume limits, or prefer to manage your own email infrastructure.

This guide walks you through adding, configuring, and activating a custom SMTP service inside your sub-account.

Where to Find Email Services

Navigate to the Email Services settings using the steps below:

1. 1Log in to your sub-account
2. 2Click in the left sidebar
3. 3Select
4. 4Go to the tab (or depending on your interface version)

Your interface may show tabs labeled 'SMTP Service' or 'Advanced Settings' — both lead to the same SMTP configuration area.

Default vs. Custom Email Service

A side-by-side comparison to help you decide which option fits your business:

Adaptive AI Phone (Default) | Custom SMTP (Third-Party)

Managed by the platform | Managed by you / your provider

Full access to all built-in deliverability tools | Some built-in tools are unavailable (see limitations)

No extra setup required | Requires SMTP credentials from your provider

Recommended for most users | Best for users with existing sending infrastructure

Supported SMTP Providers

When you click + Add Service, you can choose from the following providers:

Step-by-Step: Adding a Custom SMTP Service

Go to Settings → Email Services → SMTP Service tab.

In the top-right corner of the page, click the + Add Service button. A popup will appear titled 'Add your own email service'.

From the SMTP Provider dropdown, select your provider:

• Gmail
• Yahoo Mail
• SendGrid
• Other (for Adaptive AI Email, Amazon SES, Postmark, etc.)

Fill in the required fields. These details come from your email provider's dashboard:

Field | Description

SMTP Host | The outgoing mail server address (e.g., smtp.sendgrid.net)

Port | Usually 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)

Username | Your SMTP login username or API key identifier

Password / API Key | Your SMTP password or API key from the provider

From Name | The display name that recipients will see

From Email | The email address emails will be sent from

Once saved, your new SMTP service will appear in the provider list. To start using it:

1. 1Find your newly added service in the list
2. 2Click
3. 3Confirm the selection

You can have multiple SMTP services saved and switch between them at any time. Only one can be active at a time.

Common SMTP Settings Reference

Quick reference for popular providers — verify values in your provider's dashboard before pasting.

Provider | SMTP Host | Port | Notes

Gmail | smtp.gmail.com | 587 / 465 | Requires App Password if 2FA is on

SendGrid | smtp.sendgrid.net | 587 | Use 'apikey' as username

Adaptive AI Email | smtp.Adaptive AI Email.org | 587 | Use your Adaptive AI Email SMTP credentials

Amazon SES | email-smtp.[region].amazonaws.com | 587 | Requires IAM SMTP credentials

Postmark | smtp.postmarkapp.com | 587 | Use server API token as credentials

Yahoo Mail | smtp.mail.yahoo.com | 587 | Requires app password

Zoho Mail | smtp.zoho.com | 587 | Use your Zoho account credentials

Important: Limitations of Third-Party SMTP

When you use a custom SMTP service instead of Adaptive AI Phone, some platform features become unavailable. Please review these limitations before switching:

• Create dedicated sending domain from the app
• Google Postmaster tools integration
• Microsoft Postmaster tools integration
• Risk Assessment
• Bounce Classification
• Inbox Placement Testing
• Spam Score Checker
• Blacklist Monitor
• Managed Domains & IPs

If these features are important to your email strategy, consider staying on the Adaptive AI Phone Email System, which gives you full access to all built-in deliverability tools.

Enable Reply for SMTP

When viewing your active SMTP service, you will see an Enable reply checkbox. Enabling this allows inbound replies to emails sent through your SMTP to be received and tracked inside platform conversations.

If you need two-way email communication with your contacts, make sure Enable reply is checked for your active SMTP service.

Switching Back to Adaptive AI Phone

You can switch back to the default Adaptive AI Phone Email System at any time:

1. 1Go to
2. 2Click on
3. 3Click (or select it as the default)

All your custom SMTP services will remain saved and can be reactivated later.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Verify that the SMTP host, port, username, and password are correct
• Make sure port 587 or 465 is not blocked by your email provider
• For Gmail, ensure you are using an (not your regular login password) if 2-Step Verification is enabled
• For SendGrid, ensure your sending domain is verified in your SendGrid account
• Check that your sending email address is authorized within your SMTP provider's account