Email (SMTP) Setup — Send Mail Through Your Own Server | FieldCamp

The Email (SMTP) integration lets you send invoice, estimate, and workflow emails through your own SMTP server — Hostinger, cPanel, Zoho, Mailgun, Office 365 with an app password, or any standard provider — without using the Gmail or Outlook OAuth flow. This guide walks through the fields on the SMTP settings page, what the Test connection button actually does, and how SMTP interacts with a Gmail or Outlook account that is connected on the same workspace.

When to Use SMTP Instead of OAuth

Most teams use the Gmail or Outlook OAuth integration because it sets up in a couple of clicks and brings replies into the Inbox automatically. Choose Email (SMTP) when one of these applies:

• You want outbound mail to come from a mailbox that does not support OAuth (for example a dispatch@ alias on Hostinger or cPanel).
• Your provider only exposes standard SMTP credentials (Mailgun, Zoho, Hostinger, cPanel-style hosting).
• Your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 admin blocks third-party OAuth apps but allows SMTP with an app password.
• You want a simple way to swap providers without going through an OAuth consent screen each time.

Before You Begin

Gather the credentials your mail server administrator gives you. You will need:

• SMTP host — for example, smtp.hostinger.com, smtp.office365.com, or smtp.yourdomain.com.
• Port — 465 (SSL), 587 (TLS), or 25 (plain). FieldCamp offers these three as presets on the settings page.
• SMTP username — usually the same as your From address.
• Mailbox password — for hosted providers this is the mailbox password; for transactional providers it is an API key or generated SMTP token.
• From address — the mailbox you want clients to see (info@yourdomain.com). This must be a mailbox the SMTP server is allowed to send for.
• Optional From name — the friendly display name shown next to the From address (typically your business name).

How to Configure Email (SMTP)

What the Test Connection Button Does

The Test connection button validates that FieldCamp can reach your SMTP host and authenticate. It opens a TCP connection on the configured port, completes the TLS or SSL handshake, sends the SMTP AUTH command, and reports whether the server accepted the username and password. No test message is delivered — this is a credential and connectivity check, not a send.

Common failure messages you may see come straight from your SMTP provider. Examples include authentication errors (wrong username or password, or app-password required), connection timeouts (firewall blocking the egress, wrong host, or wrong port), and sender-rejection errors (the From address is not authorized on this server). Read the message verbatim — it is the provider's own response.

The same check runs again when you click Connect / Update, so a save will not succeed if the credentials cannot authenticate.

Common Provider Settings

These are the typical values for popular providers. Always confirm with your provider's current documentation.

• Hostinger — Host smtp.hostinger.com, port 465 (SSL), username and password = your mailbox credentials.
• Zoho Mail — Host smtp.zoho.com, port 465 (SSL), username = your mailbox address, password = an app-specific password.
• Mailgun — Host smtp.mailgun.org, port 587 (TLS), username and password = the SMTP credentials shown in your domain settings.
• Microsoft 365 / Office 365 — Host smtp.office365.com, port 587 (TLS), username = a licensed mailbox, password = an app password. SMTP AUTH must be enabled on the mailbox by your tenant admin.
• Generic cPanel host — Host smtp.yourdomain.com (or whatever your control panel shows), port 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS), username = the full mailbox address, password = the mailbox password.

What Sends Through the SMTP Integration

Once Email (SMTP) is the active outbound provider, FieldCamp routes invoice, estimate, and workflow emails through your SMTP server using the From address and From name you configured. Each outbound message is also BCC'd to a per-user FieldCamp inbound address so replies can still be threaded back without an IMAP poller.

The selection of which provider is used for sending happens automatically per user — see the next section.

Email (SMTP) and Connected Gmail / Outlook Accounts

It is possible to have both an OAuth mailbox (Gmail or Outlook) and an Email (SMTP) integration connected on the same user. FieldCamp picks one provider per send based on which integrations are connected.

How the provider is chosen

When a user connects more than one email integration, FieldCamp prefers the OAuth provider (Gmail or Outlook) over SMTP for sending. Connecting Email (SMTP) does not override or disable a connected Gmail or Outlook account — if both are present, the OAuth account is the one that sends.

To use Email (SMTP) for outbound mail, make sure no Gmail or Outlook account is connected on the same user. You can disconnect a Gmail or Outlook integration from the Apps & Integrations page.

Disconnecting SMTP

On the SMTP settings page, when an integration is connected, a Disconnect link appears next to the connected mailbox. Disconnecting stops outbound mail from flowing through SMTP — if no other email provider is connected after that, system-generated emails will not have a way to send until you reconnect one.

Security and Credential Storage

• The mailbox password is encrypted at rest (AES-256). Plaintext only exists in memory long enough to verify the connection and to build each outbound message at send time.
• The password is never sent back to the browser. When you reopen the settings page after saving, the password field is blank — you only need to re-enter it to change it.
• Use app-specific passwords or API keys whenever your provider supports them (Zoho, Office 365, Mailgun, transactional providers) so you can rotate them independently from your main mailbox login.

Troubleshooting

• Test connection fails with an authentication error — verify the username and password by signing into your provider's web console with the same credentials. Many providers require an app password or API key, not your regular login. Trailing spaces in the password field are a common culprit.
• Microsoft 365 rejects authentication — SMTP AUTH is likely disabled at the tenant level. Your Microsoft 365 admin must enable Authenticated SMTP on the mailbox in the Exchange admin center, and you must use an app password for the user.
• Connection times out — host or port may be wrong, or your provider blocks outbound connections from cloud egress IPs. Confirm the values with your provider and check for any allowlist requirements.
• From address is rejected by the server — the SMTP server only allows sending from mailboxes it owns. Either change the From address to a mailbox the server can send for, or grant send-as permission in the provider's admin console.
• SMTP is saved but emails still go through Gmail or Outlook — that is expected when a Gmail or Outlook account is also connected on the same user. OAuth providers take priority. Disconnect the OAuth integration if you want SMTP to send.

For broader help, see Troubleshooting — Common Issues & Fixes.

FAQs

Can I have Email (SMTP) and Gmail or Outlook connected at the same time?

Yes — both can be connected. But for sending, FieldCamp prefers the Gmail or Outlook OAuth account when both are present on the same user. If you want SMTP to handle outbound, disconnect the OAuth integration.

Does FieldCamp store my SMTP password?

Yes, encrypted at rest with AES-256, because the password is needed to authenticate every outbound send. The password is not returned to the browser — re-enter the new value to update it. Rotate the credential from your provider's dashboard whenever someone with access leaves.

Does the Test connection button send a real email?

No. It opens a connection to your SMTP server and authenticates with your credentials, but it does not deliver any message. It only confirms that the host, port, and login details work.

Will the SMTP integration pull replies into the FieldCamp Inbox?

No. Email (SMTP) is outbound only. To get replies in the Inbox, keep a Gmail or Outlook OAuth integration connected for inbound, or forward your sending mailbox to your FieldCamp inbound address.

Which port should I pick?

Use 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS) based on what your provider documents. Both are listed in the port dropdown and the SSL/TLS setting is applied automatically based on which port you choose. 25 (plain) is also available but is usually blocked on the public internet and should only be used for an internal relay.

Related Articles

• Connect Gmail & Outlook (OAuth Setup) — the OAuth path that also brings replies into the Inbox.
• Apps & Integrations Overview — every connection FieldCamp supports.
• Efficient Email Management — how email shows up in the Inbox.
• Client Communication Records — how messages attach to jobs and clients.
• Settings Overview — find every workspace setting.
• Troubleshooting Common Issues — first stop when something breaks.
• Creating and Managing Invoices — invoices route through your active email provider.
• Creating and Managing Estimates — estimates use the same outbound transport.