Did you know you can use your Gmail as na SMTP server? Well, now you know. One of the little-known freebies Gmail offers is a portable SMTP server that allows users to send mail to any email address from any network. You can use Google's SMTP server to send mail if you have a free Gmail account.
There are several ways how to set it up. For example, in your email client software, under outgoing mail, set the SMTP server to smtp.gmail.com> set your username and ensure to verify your username and password>check off “TSL” under “use a secure connection.”
This report will outline how to use your Gmail as an SMTP server advantages and limitations of using Gmail as an SMTP server.
If you have an email account with Google Gmail, you have an SMTP server. As long you abide by Gmail's terms and conditions, you'll be able to send emails through their SMTP server using your Gmail address as your from address.
Here are steps on how you can set it up.
Log into your gmail.com account. If you don't have a Gmail account, you can create one.
Click “Settings.”
Go to options “Accounts and Imports.”
Select “Add another email address you own.”
Enter the email address and select the option “Next Step.”
Click “send verification” to complete the process.
Go to the email account to set up an SMTP server.
Go to the setting section and use the following details to setup the SMTP server:
Note: Google has an email sending limit if you're using this portable SMTP server. You can't send messages for up to 24 hours once you reach the limit.
There are several SMTP server service providers, but the following are advantages of Gmail SMTP that give a little edge over the others. Let's look at them.
Large Storage Space. Google gives you up to 15 GB of storage space each time you create a free Gmail account. That's quite a large amount of storage space for your emails. However, you should not forget that this storage space is being shared with other google apps like Google drive, Google docs, and Google photos.
Easy to Manage Emails From Other Platforms. A Gmail account allows you to send messages or emails through other platforms or web apps like mac mail or outlook.
High Google Security. Google is a tech giant with a committed team of the best minds worldwide that works tirelessly to improve its sophisticated security system. This means that the services offered by Google are also safe and protected, even for their Free email services(Gmail).
Many internet users, in some way or another, share their data with Google products. Google updates its system from time to time with the most recent security measures to protect its users from intrusions.
Less Manpower and Cheaper to Maintain. Gmail is inexpensive, requires no maintenance, and stores data” in the cloud,” making your events, documents, and emails always accessible whenever you have internet access with a web browser.
You can create accounts and grant users access to services without the help of an IT administrator by using the Googles application's dashboard. You don't have to worry about data backup( everything is stored on a Google server), reaching email account storage limits, or fiddling with VPNs, firewalls, or specific software.
You can switch to another provider at any time and keep your domain name, meaning you don't have to change your email address if you decide Google Applications is not working for you.
Online Anywhere Access. One thing immediately comes to your mind is its accessibility from any place with internet connectivity. You may find that it becomes challenging to access email on an email client software that is server-based.
Some people find that when they access an online version of their messages, they cannot work with them as they would if they had accessed them from their regular computer.
Gmail's SMTP is an excellent alternative as it's free to use and easy to get started with. However, if you send emails frequently, you need to understand the Gmail SMTP limitations and how they can affect the delivery of your mass marketing emails. Below are some limitations, and we are talking about more than just sending limits.
Let's begin with the daily send limits.
Gmail's SMTP Sending Limit
When you hit your daily send limit, Google may temporarily disable your Gmail account without warnings, and you'll have to wait for 24 hrs before you can reaccess your mailbox. So, if you're planning to send over 15,000 per month, Gmail is not an ideal option.
Lacks Reporting and Basic Analytics
Many senders typically want to know the answers to the following questions:
One major Gmail SMTP limitation is the lack of even the most basic reporting and analytics, making it hard to answer these questions. This makes it nearly impossible to identify problems and make modifications to ensure your email's good deliverability.
Gmail's API Limitations
Email sending limit and lack of analytics clearly indicate that Gmail is not suited for mass marketing email. Moreover, Gmail's SMTP server has a significant limitation for app developers.
Gmail's API does not provide complicated bulk sending, mail merge, etc. Also, it doesn't offer programmatic access to APIs for tracking, reporting, and parsing email messages. Although SMTP is the email standard and is used globally across the web, using an API for sending makes more sense, particularly if you're a developer enabling emails sent from your application.
Email APIs are more flexible, efficient, and faster than SMTP. Using a Gmail SMTP server to send bulk or transactional emails from your application is employing a constrained SMTP server, which will experience issues as your application scales.
Bounce Processing Limitations
High bounce rates will negatively affect deliverability. As a result, you should always remove bounced addresses from your mailing list, specifically those that bounce with a permanent delivery failure message.
Gmail's SMTP server lacks a bounce processing system that automatically deletes bounces and complaints from your list.
Authentication
You're responsible for adjusting and configuring your DKIM, SPF, and DMARC authentication methods when sending email messages through Gmail's SMTP server. Although setting up an SMTP server is relatively easy, configuring authentication can be challenging.
One small mistake can cause all your mail to go to the junk folder. Apart from documentation, Gmail offers little support and guidance for enhanced authentication.
So far, Google's SMTP server is the most convenient and reliable alternative. Although it imposes some limitations, it's an ideal tool for individuals or organizations looking for an SMTP server for low email volumes. If you need further assistance on how to use Gmail as an SMTP server, feel free to contact our support department for Email setup services.
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