> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rootly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SMTP

> Route Rootly workflow emails through your own SMTP server to send from your company domain with full control over delivery, authentication, and headers.

## Overview

By default, Rootly sends workflow emails from `workflows@rootly.com`. Connecting an SMTP server lets you route those emails through your own mail infrastructure — so emails arrive from your company domain and you retain full control over delivery, authentication, and TLS configuration.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Custom Sender Domain" icon="at">
    Send workflow emails from your own domain instead of Rootly's default address.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full Delivery Control" icon="sliders">
    Configure TLS, authentication type, port, and SSL verification to match your mail server's requirements.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Works with Send Email Action" icon="paper-plane">
    All **Send an Email** workflow actions automatically route through SMTP once connected — no changes to existing workflows needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Highest Priority" icon="arrow-up">
    SMTP takes precedence over SendGrid. If both are connected, SMTP is always used.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Before You Begin

* You must be a Rootly admin to set up the integration
* You need SMTP credentials for your mail server (address, port, username, password)

## Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the SMTP integration in Rootly">
    Go to **Configuration → Integrations**, find **SMTP**, and click **Setup**.

    <Frame>
      <img alt="SMTP integration in the integrations list" src="https://mintcdn.com/rootly/kMnLuRjX9XFq2H7j/images/integrations/smtp/images-1.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=kMnLuRjX9XFq2H7j&q=85&s=65288105f12c0dd0ed6a26c5da8ab709" width="864" height="444" data-path="images/integrations/smtp/images-1.webp" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your SMTP server settings">
    Fill in your server configuration and click **Connect**.

    <Frame>
      <img alt="SMTP configuration form" src="https://mintcdn.com/rootly/kMnLuRjX9XFq2H7j/images/integrations/smtp/images-2.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=kMnLuRjX9XFq2H7j&q=85&s=456b39e729e5a1c98baac10f9f09f18b" width="874" height="993" data-path="images/integrations/smtp/images-2.webp" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Configuration

<ParamField body="Address" type="string" required>
  The hostname of your SMTP server — for example, `smtp.gmail.com` or `smtp.sendgrid.net`. Must be a valid domain name. Stored encrypted at rest.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Port" type="integer" required>
  The port your SMTP server listens on. Defaults to `587` (STARTTLS). Common values: `25`, `465` (SMTPS), `587`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Domain" type="string">
  The HELO/EHLO domain sent to the mail server during the SMTP handshake — for example, `yourcompany.com`. Optional; leave blank to use the default.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Username" type="string">
  The username for SMTP authentication. Required if your server requires authentication. Stored encrypted at rest.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Password" type="string">
  The password for SMTP authentication. Required if your server requires authentication. Stored encrypted at rest.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Authentication" type="enum">
  The authentication mechanism your server requires:

  * `plain` — Sends credentials in plain text (use with TLS)
  * `login` — Base64-encoded credentials (use with TLS)
  * `cram_md5` — Challenge-response authentication (does not require TLS)

  Defaults to `plain`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Enable StartTLS" type="boolean">
  Force STARTTLS when connecting. If enabled and the server does not support STARTTLS, the connection will fail. Defaults to `false`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="Enable StartTLS Auto" type="boolean">
  Automatically detect and use STARTTLS if the server supports it, but do not fail if it doesn't. Defaults to `true`. Disable if you are using direct TLS via SSL mode.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="SSL" type="boolean">
  Use SMTPS — SMTP over a direct TLS connection on port 465. Defaults to `true`. Disable if your server uses STARTTLS instead.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="SSL Verify Mode" type="enum">
  How OpenSSL validates the server certificate:

  * `None` — No certificate verification (useful for self-signed certs)
  * `Peer` — Verify the server's certificate against trusted CAs

  Defaults to `None`.
</ParamField>

<Note>
  Once SMTP is connected, all **Send an Email** workflow actions are automatically routed through it. The **From** field in each workflow action controls the sender address — just ensure the address is authorized on your SMTP server.
</Note>

## Uninstall

To remove the SMTP integration:

1. Go to **Configuration → Integrations** and find **SMTP**
2. Click **Connected** to reveal the disconnect option
3. Click **Disconnect**

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/rootly/QMD-dNqeYW4BA9dg/images/integrations/common/uninstall-connected.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=QMD-dNqeYW4BA9dg&q=85&s=dbb790e2576c8969bba96bc26c95265f" alt="Click Connected to reveal the Disconnect option" width="319" height="188" data-path="images/integrations/common/uninstall-connected.png" />
</Frame>

After disconnecting, workflow emails will fall back to SendGrid (if connected) or Rootly's default delivery.

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need to change existing workflows after connecting SMTP?" icon="rotate">
    No. All **Send an Email** workflow actions automatically route through SMTP once connected. No changes to existing workflows are required.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between SSL and StartTLS?" icon="lock">
    **SSL** (SMTPS) opens a TLS connection immediately on port 465. **StartTLS** begins as a plain connection on port 587, then upgrades to TLS. Most modern mail servers use port 587 with StartTLS — enable **StartTLS Auto** and disable **SSL** for this setup.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What takes priority — SMTP or SendGrid?" icon="shuffle">
    SMTP always takes priority. If both are connected, Rootly uses SMTP. To switch to SendGrid, disconnect the SMTP integration first.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use a self-signed certificate?" icon="certificate">
    Yes. Set **SSL Verify Mode** to `None` to skip certificate validation. This is useful for internal mail servers with self-signed certificates.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I send from any address?" icon="at">
    The **From** address must be authorized on your SMTP server. Rootly will not allow workflow emails to spoof Rootly-owned domains regardless of the From field value.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
