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

# Email Providers

> Connect Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, or generic SMTP for outbound email

Softbooq sends invoices, purchase orders, payslips, password reset emails, customer portal invitations and other transactional messages on your behalf. To do this it needs to connect to a sending email provider. Six providers are supported, each with different setup paths.

## Supported providers

| Provider         | Auth                                  | Use cases                               |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Microsoft 365    | OAuth (admin consent)                 | Most teams already on M365              |
| Google Workspace | OAuth                                 | Most teams already on Google            |
| SendGrid         | API key                               | Higher-volume transactional sending     |
| Mailgun          | API key                               | Higher-volume transactional sending     |
| Postmark         | API key                               | Strong deliverability for transactional |
| Generic SMTP     | hostname + port + username + password | Fallback for any provider               |

<Note>
  Only one email provider is active at a time per tenant. Switching providers takes effect immediately for new emails; queued emails complete via the previous provider before the switch finishes.
</Note>

***

## Connect Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 uses an OAuth flow where a tenant administrator approves Softbooq once for the whole organisation, after which any user in the org can send via Softbooq without further consent.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Integrations → Email → Microsoft 365 → Connect" />

  <Step title="Sign in as a Microsoft 365 admin">
    The flow uses Microsoft's `adminconsent` endpoint. You must be a Global Administrator or an Application Administrator to approve it for the tenant.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve the requested scopes">
    Softbooq requests `Mail.Send` and `User.Read`. Approve the consent. You are returned to Softbooq.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the sender">
    Pick the mailbox to send from (must be a licensed M365 mailbox). Set the From name shown to recipients (e.g. "Acme Invoices").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send a test email">
    Send to your own address to confirm. Check spam if it does not arrive immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  The admin consent flow grants application permissions, not delegated permissions, which means Softbooq can send as configured mailboxes without each user having to grant consent individually. This is the supported configuration.
</Note>

***

## Connect Google Workspace

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Integrations → Email → Google Workspace → Connect" />

  <Step title="Sign in with the sending Google account">
    Use the actual mailbox you want to send from. Softbooq requests the `gmail.send` scope only; it does not request read access to your inbox.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve the consent" />

  <Step title="Send a test email" />
</Steps>

If your Google Workspace organisation requires admin pre-approval of third-party apps, your admin must approve Softbooq in the Google Admin console under Security → API Controls before users can complete the OAuth flow.

***

## Connect a key-based provider (SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Generate an API key in your provider account">
    SendGrid: Settings → API Keys → Create API Key with Mail Send permission only. Mailgun: Sending → Domains → API Keys. Postmark: Servers → API Tokens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Settings → Integrations → Email → SendGrid/Mailgun/Postmark → Connect" />

  <Step title="Paste the key and your sending domain">
    The sending domain must already be verified at the provider with proper SPF and DKIM records. Softbooq does not handle DNS configuration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send a test email" />
</Steps>

<Note>
  For best deliverability, configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domain at your DNS provider. Softbooq cannot fix deliverability problems caused by missing or misconfigured records.
</Note>

***

## Connect generic SMTP

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Integrations → Email → SMTP → Connect" />

  <Step title="Fill in the connection fields">
    Hostname, port (587 for STARTTLS, 465 for SSL/TLS, 25 if your server allows unauthenticated relay on the local network only), username, and password.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test the connection">
    Softbooq attempts a TLS handshake and a single test send. If TLS fails, double-check the port. If auth fails, verify the password (some providers use an app password rather than the account password).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Switch providers

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Integrations → Email" />

  <Step title="Disconnect the active provider">
    Existing queued emails finish sending via the disconnected provider before the disconnect completes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect the new provider">
    Follow the relevant setup flow above. The new provider becomes active immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Avoid switching providers during a high-volume sending period (e.g. end-of-month invoicing) to prevent partial-send confusion.

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Microsoft 365 admin consent flow says I lack permissions">
    Only Global Administrators and Application Administrators can complete adminconsent. Ask your IT team to do it on your behalf. Once it is done, every user in your tenant can send via Softbooq without further consent.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Test email is not arriving">
    Check spam. Verify SPF/DKIM are configured at your DNS provider for your sending domain. For SMTP, double-check the port (587 for STARTTLS, not 25). For Microsoft 365, confirm the chosen mailbox has a sending licence.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Emails are being marked as spam by recipients">
    Deliverability depends on your sending domain's reputation, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Softbooq cannot influence this. The most common cause is sending from a domain without DKIM signed by the provider you are using; configure DKIM at your DNS provider per the instructions on your provider's domain verification page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Google Workspace OAuth says the app is unverified">
    Softbooq's Google Workspace integration is verified by Google for production use. If you see an unverified warning, the consent flow was opened against a non-production OAuth client (e.g. a self-hosted dev build). Open the consent flow from app.softbooq.com only.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## See also

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Settings" icon="gear" href="/erp/settings">
    The full Settings menu where Email lives.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Finance" icon="chart-pie" href="/erp/finance">
    Invoices and credit notes are sent via the connected email provider.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Procurement" icon="cart-shopping" href="/erp/procurement">
    Purchase orders and supplier RFQs are sent via the connected email provider.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>