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Email Settings
Overview
Email Settings configure how ZAL ULTRA sends emails to subscribers and administrators. This includes email notifications, invoices, password resets, verification emails, and system alerts. Proper email configuration ensures reliable communication with your subscribers.
📋 Table of Contents
Email Status
Email Status Toggle
What It Does: Enables or disables email sending functionality across the entire system.
When Enabled (On)
- ✅ All email notifications sent
- ✅ Password reset emails work
- ✅ Email verification works
- ✅ Invoice emails sent
- ✅ System alerts delivered
When Disabled (Off)
- ❌ No emails sent
- ❌ Email features disabled
- ✅ Useful for testing
- ✅ Saves email quota
Use Cases
Enable When:
- Production environment
- Email server is configured
- You want subscribers to receive notifications
Disable When:
- Testing environment
- Email server not ready
- Troubleshooting email issues
- Preventing accidental emails during setup
Elastic Email Status
What It Does: Enables integration with Elastic Email service (alternative to SMTP).
WHAT IS ELASTIC EMAIL?
Elastic Email is a cloud-based email delivery service that provides high deliverability rates, detailed analytics, and easy integration. It's an alternative to traditional SMTP servers.
When Enabled (On)
- ✅ Uses Elastic Email API
- ✅ Higher deliverability
- ✅ Better analytics
- ✅ Faster sending
- ✅ No SMTP configuration needed
When Disabled (Off)
- ❌ Uses standard SMTP
- ✅ Works with any email provider
- ✅ More control
Requirements
- Elastic Email account
- API key from Elastic Email
- Verified sender domain
SMTP Configuration
From Email Address
What It Does: Sets the sender email address that appears in all outgoing emails.
Configuration
- Format:
[email protected]or[email protected] - Must be valid: Real, working email address
- Must match domain: Should match your SMTP server domain
Best Practices
- ✅ Use professional email (e.g.,
[email protected]) - ✅ Use recognizable sender name
- ❌ Don't use personal email (e.g.,
[email protected]) - ❌ Don't use generic email (e.g.,
[email protected])
Examples
Good:
Bad:
[email protected]admin@localhost[email protected]
SMTP Username
What It Does: Username for authenticating with your SMTP email server.
What to Enter
- Your email account username
- Usually your full email address
- Sometimes just the part before @
Examples by Provider
Gmail/Google Workspace:
- Username:
[email protected]or[email protected]
Office 365/Outlook:
- Username:
[email protected]or[email protected]
cPanel/WHM:
- Username:
[email protected]
Custom SMTP:
- Username: As provided by your hosting provider
SMTP Password
What It Does: Password for authenticating with your SMTP email server.
Security Notes
- 🔒 Stored encrypted in database
- 🔒 Not visible after saving
- 🔒 Use strong password
- 🔒 Don't share with anyone
For Gmail Users
GMAIL APP PASSWORD REQUIRED
Gmail requires "App Password" instead of regular password:
- Enable 2-Factor Authentication on Gmail
- Go to Google Account → Security
- Click "App passwords"
- Generate password for "Mail"
- Use generated password here
For Office 365 Users
- Use your regular Office 365 password
- Or create app-specific password
- Enable "Less secure app access" if required
SMTP Host
What It Does: The email server address that sends your emails.
Common SMTP Hosts
Gmail/Google Workspace:
- Host:
smtp.gmail.com - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
Office 365/Outlook:
- Host:
smtp.office365.com - Port:
587(TLS)
Yahoo Mail:
- Host:
smtp.mail.yahoo.com - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
Zoho Mail:
- Host:
smtp.zoho.com - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
SendGrid:
- Host:
smtp.sendgrid.net - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
Mailgun:
- Host:
smtp.mailgun.org - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
Amazon SES:
- Host:
email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com(region-specific) - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
cPanel/WHM:
- Host:
mail.yourdomain.comoryourdomain.com - Port:
587(TLS) or465(SSL)
SMTP Host Port
What It Does: The port number used to connect to the SMTP server.
Common Ports
Port 587 (Recommended)
- Encryption: TLS/STARTTLS
- Most widely supported
- Best for modern email servers
- Required by most providers
Port 465
- Encryption: SSL
- Older standard
- Still widely used
- Good alternative to 587
Port 25
- No encryption (or optional)
- Often blocked by ISPs
- Not recommended for production
- May be blocked by firewalls
Which Port to Use?
| Provider | Recommended Port | Encryption |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 587 | TLS |
| Office 365 | 587 | TLS |
| Yahoo | 587 | TLS |
| Zoho | 587 | TLS |
| SendGrid | 587 | TLS |
| Mailgun | 587 | TLS |
| Amazon SES | 587 | TLS |
| cPanel | 587 | TLS |
Encryption
What It Does: Secures email transmission between ZAL ULTRA and SMTP server.
Options
TLS (Transport Layer Security)
- Modern encryption standard
- Used with port 587
- Most recommended
- Better security
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
- Older encryption standard
- Used with port 465
- Still widely supported
- Good security
None
- No encryption
- Not recommended
- Only for testing
- Security risk
Recommendation
- ✅ Always use TLS or SSL
- ✅ TLS is preferred (port 587)
- ❌ Never use "None" in production
Email Service Providers
Recommended Providers
1. Gmail / Google Workspace
Best For: Small to medium ISPs
Pros:
- ✅ Free (Gmail) or affordable (Workspace)
- ✅ Excellent deliverability
- ✅ 99.9% uptime
- ✅ Easy setup
- ✅ Reliable
Cons:
- ⚠️ Daily sending limit (500 emails for free Gmail)
- ⚠️ Requires app password
- ⚠️ May flag as spam if sending too many
Configuration:
- Host:
smtp.gmail.com - Port:
587 - Encryption: TLS
- Username: Your Gmail address
- Password: App password (not regular password)
2. Office 365 / Outlook
Best For: Corporate ISPs
Pros:
- ✅ Professional
- ✅ Good deliverability
- ✅ Integration with Microsoft services
- ✅ Reliable
Cons:
- ⚠️ Paid service
- ⚠️ Daily sending limit (10,000 emails)
Configuration:
- Host:
smtp.office365.com - Port:
587 - Encryption: TLS
- Username: Your Office 365 email
- Password: Your Office 365 password
3. SendGrid
Best For: High-volume ISPs
Pros:
- ✅ Free tier (100 emails/day)
- ✅ Excellent deliverability
- ✅ Detailed analytics
- ✅ API available
- ✅ Scalable
Cons:
- ⚠️ Requires account setup
- ⚠️ Paid for high volume
Configuration:
- Host:
smtp.sendgrid.net - Port:
587 - Encryption: TLS
- Username:
apikey - Password: Your SendGrid API key
4. Amazon SES
Best For: Enterprise ISPs
Pros:
- ✅ Very cheap ($0.10 per 1,000 emails)
- ✅ Highly scalable
- ✅ Excellent deliverability
- ✅ AWS integration
Cons:
- ⚠️ Complex setup
- ⚠️ Requires AWS account
- ⚠️ Requires domain verification
Configuration:
- Host:
email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com - Port:
587 - Encryption: TLS
- Username: Your SES SMTP username
- Password: Your SES SMTP password
5. Mailgun
Best For: Developer-friendly ISPs
Pros:
- ✅ Free tier (5,000 emails/month)
- ✅ Good deliverability
- ✅ Detailed logs
- ✅ API available
Cons:
- ⚠️ Requires domain verification
- ⚠️ Paid for high volume
Configuration:
- Host:
smtp.mailgun.org - Port:
587 - Encryption: TLS
- Username: Your Mailgun SMTP username
- Password: Your Mailgun SMTP password
6. cPanel Email
Best For: Self-hosted ISPs
Pros:
- ✅ Full control
- ✅ No external dependencies
- ✅ Unlimited emails
- ✅ No monthly fees
Cons:
- ⚠️ Requires email server setup
- ⚠️ May have deliverability issues
- ⚠️ Requires maintenance
Configuration:
- Host:
mail.yourdomain.com - Port:
587 - Encryption: TLS
- Username: Your email address
- Password: Your email password
Email Templates
Available Email Templates
ZAL ULTRA sends emails for these events:
Subscriber Emails:
- ✅ Welcome Email (new registration)
- ✅ Email Verification
- ✅ Password Reset
- ✅ Package Activation
- ✅ Package Expiration Warning
- ✅ Package Expired
- ✅ Package Renewal
- ✅ Payment Receipt
- ✅ Invoice
Admin Emails:
- ✅ New Subscriber Registration
- ✅ Payment Received
- ✅ System Alerts
- ✅ Low Balance Warnings
Customizing Templates
Email templates can be customized with:
- Company logo
- Company colors
- Custom text
- Custom footer
- Social media links
Testing Email
How to Test Email Configuration
Step 1: Configure SMTP Settings
- Enter all SMTP details
- Click Save
Step 2: Send Test Email
- Click Test Email button
- Enter your email address
- Click Send Test Email
- Check your inbox
Step 3: Verify Delivery
- ✅ Email received in inbox (not spam)
- ✅ Sender name correct
- ✅ Email formatting correct
- ✅ Links working
Test Email Checklist
- [ ] SMTP settings saved
- [ ] Test email sent
- [ ] Email received in inbox
- [ ] Not in spam folder
- [ ] Sender name correct
- [ ] From address correct
- [ ] Email formatting good
- [ ] Links clickable
Troubleshooting
Email Not Sending
Check These:
- ✅ Email Status is enabled
- ✅ SMTP credentials are correct
- ✅ SMTP host is correct
- ✅ SMTP port is correct
- ✅ Encryption type matches port
- ✅ From email address is valid
- ✅ Internet connection working
Gmail Authentication Failed
Solution:
- Enable 2-Factor Authentication on Gmail
- Generate App Password:
- Go to Google Account → Security
- Click "App passwords"
- Select "Mail" and your device
- Copy generated password
- Use App Password (not regular password)
- Use
smtp.gmail.comas host - Use port
587with TLS
Emails Going to Spam
Solutions:
Verify Sender Domain:
- Add SPF record to DNS
- Add DKIM record to DNS
- Add DMARC record to DNS
Use Professional Email:
- Don't use free email (Gmail, Yahoo)
- Use your domain email
Improve Email Content:
- Don't use spam words
- Include unsubscribe link
- Use plain text + HTML
Use Reputable SMTP:
- SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES
- Better deliverability
Office 365 Connection Timeout
Solutions:
- Use
smtp.office365.comas host - Use port
587with TLS - Enable "SMTP AUTH" in Office 365 admin
- Check firewall not blocking port 587
- Try port
25if 587 blocked
Port 587 Blocked
Solutions:
Try Port 465:
- Change port to 465
- Change encryption to SSL
Contact Hosting Provider:
- Ask to unblock port 587
- Or use their SMTP relay
Use Alternative Service:
- SendGrid, Mailgun
- They provide alternative ports
SSL Certificate Error
Solutions:
- Update SSL certificates on server
- Use TLS instead of SSL
- Contact hosting provider
- Try different SMTP provider
Best Practices
Security
- ✅ Always use TLS or SSL encryption
- ✅ Use strong SMTP password
- ✅ Enable 2FA on email account
- ✅ Don't share SMTP credentials
- ✅ Regularly change passwords
Deliverability
- ✅ Verify sender domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- ✅ Use professional email address
- ✅ Use reputable SMTP provider
- ✅ Monitor email bounce rates
- ✅ Keep email list clean
Performance
- ✅ Use dedicated SMTP service for high volume
- ✅ Monitor email sending limits
- ✅ Use email queue for bulk sending
- ✅ Test regularly
Configuration Examples
Example 1: Gmail Setup
Email Status: ON
From Email: [email protected]
SMTP Username: [email protected]
SMTP Password: [16-character app password]
SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port: 587
Encryption: TLSExample 2: Office 365 Setup
Email Status: ON
From Email: [email protected]
SMTP Username: [email protected]
SMTP Password: [Your Office 365 password]
SMTP Host: smtp.office365.com
SMTP Port: 587
Encryption: TLSExample 3: SendGrid Setup
Email Status: ON
From Email: [email protected]
SMTP Username: apikey
SMTP Password: [Your SendGrid API key]
SMTP Host: smtp.sendgrid.net
SMTP Port: 587
Encryption: TLSExample 4: cPanel Setup
Email Status: ON
From Email: [email protected]
SMTP Username: [email protected]
SMTP Password: [Your email password]
SMTP Host: mail.yourisp.com
SMTP Port: 587
Encryption: TLSSummary Table
| Provider | Free Tier | Monthly Cost | Deliverability | Setup Difficulty | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 500/day | Free | High | Easy | Small ISPs |
| Google Workspace | 2,000/day | $6/user | High | Easy | Small-Medium ISPs |
| Office 365 | 10,000/day | $5/user | High | Easy | Corporate ISPs |
| SendGrid | 100/day | $15/month | Very High | Medium | High-volume ISPs |
| Mailgun | 5,000/month | $35/month | Very High | Medium | Developer ISPs |
| Amazon SES | 62,000/month | $0.10/1,000 | Very High | Hard | Enterprise ISPs |
| cPanel | Unlimited | Hosting cost | Medium | Medium | Self-hosted ISPs |
Related Documentation
- General Settings - Company information
- Software Settings - System configuration
- SMS Settings - SMS gateway setup
- Subscriber Settings - Subscriber portal settings
- User Settings - User/reseller settings