Custom Email Sender (SMTP)

Send email notifications and autoresponders from your own email address using custom SMTP configuration.

Overview

By default, Forminit sends all email notifications and autoresponders from notifications@forminit-mail.com. With Custom Email Sender, you can configure your own SMTP server to send emails from your own email address (e.g., hello@yourdomain.com).

Benefits:

Brand consistency — Emails appear from your domain, not Forminit’s
Better deliverability — Emails from your authenticated domain are less likely to hit spam
Professional appearance — Recipients see your company name and email address

How It Works

Add SMTP configuration at the workspace level (Account & Settings → SMTP Configs)
Select your custom sender in form settings for Email Notifications or Autoresponders
All forms in the workspace can use the configured SMTP sender

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Workspace                                                  │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  SMTP Configs                                         │  │
│  │  • smtp.gmail.com (hello@company.com)                 │  │
│  │  • smtp.mailgun.org (noreply@company.com)             │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                           ↓                                 │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐          │
│  │   Form A    │  │   Form B    │  │   Form C    │          │
│  │  (hello@)   │  │ (noreply@)  │  │  (default)  │          │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Setup Guide

Step 1: Add SMTP Configuration

Navigate to Account & Settings → SMTP Configs
Click Add SMTP
Fill in your SMTP server details:

Field	Description	Example
SMTP Host	Your SMTP server hostname	`smtp.gmail.com`
Port	SMTP port number	`587` (TLS) or `465` (SSL)
Encryption	Security protocol	`TLS`, `SSL`, or `None`
Username	SMTP authentication username	`hello@company.com`
Password	SMTP authentication password or app password	`••••••••`
From Name	Display name for outgoing emails	`Acme Support`
From Email	Email address shown as sender	`hello@company.com`

Click Test Connection to verify your settings
Click Save to add the configuration

Step 2: Use Custom Sender in Forms

Open your form and select Workflow in the form header
Select a Send email notification or Send autoresponder email step (or add one with +)
In the From dropdown, select your custom email address
Select Publish to make the change live

SMTP Configuration Details

Required Fields

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Add SMTP Configuration                                    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                            │
│  SMTP Host *                                               │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ smtp.gmail.com                                       │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                            │
│  Port *                         Encryption *               │
│  ┌────────────────────┐        ┌────────────────────┐      │
│  │ 587                │        │ TLS            ▼   │      │
│  └────────────────────┘        └────────────────────┘      │
│                                                            │
│  Username *                                                │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ hello@company.com                                    │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                            │
│  Password *                                                │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ ••••••••••••••••                                     │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                            │
│  From Name *                                               │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ Acme Support                                         │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                            │
│  From Email *                                              │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ hello@company.com                                    │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                            │
│  ┌─────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────────────────┐     │
│  │ Test Connection │  │           Save               │     │
│  └─────────────────┘  └──────────────────────────────┘     │
│                                                            │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Field Validation

Field	Validation	Error Message
SMTP Host	Required, valid hostname	“SMTP host is required”
Port	Required, number 1-65535	“Valid port number is required”
Encryption	Required, one of: TLS, SSL, None	“Select an encryption method”
Username	Required	“Username is required”
Password	Required	“Password is required”
From Name	Required, max 100 characters	“From name is required”
From Email	Required, valid email format	“Valid email address is required”

Common SMTP Settings

Gmail / Google Workspace

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`smtp.gmail.com`
Port	`587`
Encryption	`TLS`
Username	Your full email address
Password	App Password (not your regular password)

Note: Gmail requires an App Password when 2-factor authentication is enabled. Generate one at Google Account → Security → App Passwords.

Microsoft 365 / Outlook

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`smtp.office365.com`
Port	`587`
Encryption	`TLS`
Username	Your full email address
Password	Your account password or app password

Amazon SES

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`email-smtp.{region}.amazonaws.com`
Port	`587`
Encryption	`TLS`
Username	SMTP credentials (not IAM credentials)
Password	SMTP password from SES console

Mailgun

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`smtp.mailgun.org`
Port	`587`
Encryption	`TLS`
Username	`postmaster@your-domain.com`
Password	SMTP password from Mailgun dashboard

SendGrid

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`smtp.sendgrid.net`
Port	`587`
Encryption	`TLS`
Username	`apikey`
Password	Your SendGrid API key

Postmark

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`smtp.postmarkapp.com`
Port	`587`
Encryption	`TLS`
Username	Your Postmark Server API Token
Password	Your Postmark Server API Token

Workspace-Level Configuration

SMTP configurations are managed at the workspace level, meaning:

Personal workspace: SMTP configs are available to all your personal forms
Team workspace: SMTP configs are shared with all team members and forms in that workspace
Multiple configs: You can add multiple SMTP configurations per workspace
Per-form selection: Each form can use a different sender from the available configs

Managing Multiple Configurations

You might want different senders for different purposes:

From Email	Use Case
`support@company.com`	Customer support forms
`sales@company.com`	Lead generation forms
`noreply@company.com`	Transactional notifications
`careers@company.com`	Job application forms

Using Custom Sender

Email Notifications

Send submission notifications to your team from your custom email:

Open your form and select Workflow in the form header
Select an existing Send email notification step, or add one with +
Select your custom email from the From dropdown
Configure recipients and email content
Select Publish

Autoresponders

Send confirmation emails to form submitters from your brand:

Open your form and select Workflow in the form header
Select the Send autoresponder email step, or add one with +
Select your custom email from the From dropdown
Customize the email subject and body
Select Publish

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

Error	Cause	Solution
“Connection refused”	Wrong host or port	Verify SMTP host and port settings
“Authentication failed”	Invalid credentials	Check username and password; use app password if required
“Connection timed out”	Firewall blocking	Check if your network allows outbound SMTP connections
“Certificate error”	SSL/TLS mismatch	Try different encryption setting (TLS vs SSL)

Emails Not Sending

Check spam folder — First delivery from new sender may be flagged
Verify DNS records — Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured for your domain
Check sending limits — Some providers limit emails per day/hour
Review bounce logs — Check your SMTP provider’s dashboard for delivery issues

Gmail-Specific Issues

Issue	Solution
“Less secure app access” error	Use App Password instead of account password
“Sign-in attempt blocked”	Enable 2FA and generate App Password
Sending limits reached	Gmail limits to 500 emails/day for personal, 2000 for Workspace

Security Best Practices

Use App Passwords — Never use your primary account password
Enable 2FA — Protect your email account with two-factor authentication
Rotate credentials — Periodically update SMTP passwords
Use dedicated sending address — Consider using a dedicated email for form notifications
Monitor sending reputation — Check your domain’s email reputation regularly

FAQ

Q: Can I use different SMTP configs for different forms?

Yes. Each form can select a different sender from the workspace’s available SMTP configurations.

Q: Do I need to verify my domain?

Forminit doesn’t require domain verification, but your SMTP provider might. Additionally, setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records improves deliverability.

Q: Can team members see my SMTP password?

No. Passwords are encrypted and never displayed after saving. Team members can use the configuration but cannot view credentials.

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