Direct Mail gives you flexibility in choosing how your email is sent. By default, your email is sent using our e3 Delivery Service, which is an online email delivery service that we operate. It is deeply integrated into Direct Mail and is the best choice for nearly all of our customers.
However, if you have special requirements, Direct Mail gives you the flexibility to deliver your email via other services, instead. This help article describes which services are supported, the main differences between our e3 Delivery Service and an alternate service, and instructions for linking to and sending via an alternate service.
Supported Email Services
You can send email via:
- Our e3 Delivery Service. This is the default option, is deeply integrated into Direct Mail, and is the best choice for most customers.
- Your Gmail or Google Workspace account
- Your Microsoft Outlook/Exchange account
- Your SMTP server
Compare E3 Delivery Service and Your Email Service
Here are some of the main differences between using our e3 Delivery Service and using an alternate email service.
e3 Delivery Service
- No configuration required, deeply integrated into Direct Mail
- Designed for high-volume sending
- Human deliverability team to help ensure your email reaches the inbox
- Automatic bounce and spam complaint handling
- Schedule and send campaigns without needing to keep your computer on and awake
- Supports advanced features like time-zone delivery and autoresponders
Alternate Email Service
- Requires linking your account to Direct Mail
- Your computer must be on and awake while the campaign is sent
- Some email services may impose rate-limits or volume limits
- No bounce or spam complaint handling
- In corporate settings, using your company email server to send email is often easier to get approved by IT (if required) than using e3 Delivery Service
Link Your Email Service to Direct Mail
Before you can send using your own email service, you'll need to link it to Direct Mail.
Gmail or Google Workspace
- Choose Direct Mail > Settings from the menu bar at the top of your screen
- Click the Accounts tab
- Click the + button in the bottom-left corner of the window
- Choose Google Account from the menu that appears
- Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize Direct Mail to access your Google account
Microsoft Outlook/Exchange
- Choose Direct Mail > Settings from the menu bar at the top of your screen
- Click the Accounts tab
- Click the + button in the bottom-left corner of the window
- Choose Microsoft Account from the menu that appears
- Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize Direct Mail to access your Microsoft account
SMTP Server
- Choose Direct Mail > Settings from the menu bar at the top of your screen
- Click the Accounts tab
- Click the + button in the bottom-left corner of the window
- Choose SMTP Account from the menu that appears
- Input the server details (like address, port number, username, etc.) as necessary
You can use the Test Connection button to check and see if the SMTP server details you entered are correct. The test does not send an email, but attempts to open a connection to your server and sign in using the credentials provided.
Some SMTP servers require you to manually throttle the volume of email that you send. If your server requires throttling, enable the Send no more than N messages at a time to this server option to limit the flow of email.
Send Using Your Email Service
If you haven't already, follow the instructions above to link your email server to Direct Mail.
- Click the Send Campaign button in the toolbar
- In the window that appears, click the Using: e3 Delivery Service pop-up menu
- Select your email service from the menu that appears
- Click Send
Monitor campaign delivery progress in the Reports tab, or by watching the Direct Mail icon in the Dock. A notification is posted to the Notification Center when delivery is finished.
If you send using your own email service, you will need to make sure that the Direct Mail app stays open until delivery of your campaign is complete. Direct Mail automatically prevents you from quitting the app and prevents system sleep (but allows display sleep) while delivery is in progress.
Troubleshoot Errors During Delivery
If an error occurs during delivery (e.g. you are disconnected from the internet, or your email server drops the connection), the Reports tab is updated with an error message that includes more details. A notification is also posted to the Notification Center. Once you have resolved the issue, use the Manage Delivery button to resume delivery of your campaign.
Rate Limiting
If you send via your own email service, then you may be subject to rate limits or sending quotas. Rate limits and sending quotas are imposed by your mail server, not by Direct Mail. These limits are usually enforced as an anti-spam measure, or because your mail server administrator does not want you sending large volumes of email. If you send your email campaigns using our e3 Delivery Service, you are not subject to rate limits or quotas.
Direct Mail has built-in throttling features that help keep you under the limit set by your mail server:
- If you are sending via your Gmail account or Microsoft account, Direct Mail will automatically slow down or pause when it detects you are being rate-limited
- If you are sending via SMTP server, you can adjust throttling settings in the Settings window. See the "SMTP Server" section above for more information.