Introduction:
In this step-by-step article you’ll get instructions on how to send emails from your domain even if it used in some other software like GSuite.
Can I send email from a domain I am using with Gsuite?
Absolutely, you can. You can use any existing or new email address on any domain you own domain including the one you’re using with Gsuite. You can also create a new email address specifically for use in a LeadsHook Email Notifications node.
You can not use your existing Gmail or Gsuite accounts because of onerous security requirements imposed by Google by requiring apps like LeadsHook to pay $8000 to $75000 for verification…
“Depending on the size and complexity of your app, the cost for the third-party assessment might vary from $8,000 to $75,000”
We have going back and forth for months to get LeadsHook verified. We have decided to not support email notifications through Gmail or Gsuite because its not needed and there are plenty of other much easier and cheaper solutions.
In this guide you’ll see steps of how to create a new account at Amazon, use Simple Email Service (SES) for any domain you own.
PART 1: Create an Amazon Web Services Account (This is different to your Amazon shopping account).
If you already have an existing Amazon Web Services account then please skip ahead to part 2.
Go to https://aws.amazon.com/
Check your email for this message to confirm your account has been created…
PART 2: ADD Simple Email Service (SES)
Amazon Allows You To Create Services in Various Regions Around the World. For SES, it does not matter. Pricing is the same across all regions.
Feel free to confirm your pricing: https://aws.amazon.com/ses/pricing/
Enter an email from a domain you own. (Do not use gmail or another other free email service whose DNS you do not have access to)…
Amazon will send an email to the email address you used above. Click the verification link…
When you verify the email by clicking the link above, you’ll end up on this confirmation page…
Inside your Amazon account, you’ll see the “Verification Status” change to ‘Verified”…
PART 3: ADD ENTRIES TO DNS
Login into your DNS. Our example below is using GoDaddy..
Done DNS will work with complete name entries while others like GoDaddy want you to add the entries without the domain.
Examples
fn45ddsstasdfghjklzxcvbnmmoutre._domainkey.domain.com
should be entered as…
fn45ddsstu2ji2kpoprjzf5n635qnxfy._domainkey << domain is removed.
Some DNS don’t like a leading _ simply remove it…
_dkdkdkdkddkdkdkdkd.domain.com
should we entered as
dkdkdkdkddkdkdkdkd.domain.com
Confirm DKIM entries have been added in correctly…
Send Test Email from the same email you verified…
Confirm email was received…
PART 4: Get Approval to Send Emails (Sandbox to Production)
See this article for more details: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/request-production-access.html
A: “These marketing messages will only be sent to customers who have bought a product or requested more information on a form.”
B: “We will immediately remove these emails from our mailing list.”
For the description section, feel free to use this…
• How do you plan to build or acquire your mailing list?All email addresses are from form entries on our website – from organic traffic from search results or from paid marketing campaigns like such as ads using Google, Facebook and other platforms.
All emails go through a verification process to ensure it is not fake or false.
We do not BUY email lists.
• How do you plan to handle bounces and complaints?We will immediately remove a bounce or complaint email for our email database.
• How can recipients opt out of receiving email from you?Every email sent will have a link to opt-out or with explicit instructions to reply back to “REMOVE”.
• How did you choose the sending rate or sending quota that you specified in this request?We are only selecting this limit to get out of sandbox.
Here’s what the final request looks like…
You’ll receive an email from AWS to confirm transfer of your account from sandbox to production. You can now send emails to all of your leads and customers. [APPROVAL WAS RECEIVED WITHIN LESS THAN 24 HOURS]
PHASE 5: Create SMTP Credentials…
PART 6: ADD SMTP to LEADSHOOK
Transfer your details as shown below…
PART 7: ADDITIONAL SETUP FOR BETTER EMAIL DELIVERY
ADD a SPF RECORD TO YOUR DNS
Link to various DNS providers: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/send-email-authentication-spf.html
ADD a DMARC RECORD TO YOUR DNS
Link on how to set it up:
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/send-email-authentication-dmarc.html
Verify your setup. There are lots of website that offer tools. We picked this one because it contains DKIM, SPF and DMARC. DKIM is not required because Amazon has already verified this in a previous step…
PART 8: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES…
- Video Version of the Whole Setup:
2) GSUITE MX CHECKUP:
https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/checkmx/
3) SECURITY CLEANUP
You should go ahead and create an IAM user to access your AWS account vs. Root User. A Root user has unlimited access to everything and AWS has many products. You can create an IAM user for yourself with permissions to access SES and Billing only. Helping setup IAM access is beyond the scope of this article. There are plenty of videos on youtube and resources accessible via a search online
This completes the setup instructions…
