Set up custom SMTP sending

Custom SMTP Server Configuration

Tallyfy allows you to configure your own SMTP server to handle all outbound email communications. This guide explains how to set up and test a custom SMTP server for your Tallyfy organization.

Requirements

Before configuring custom SMTP in Tallyfy, ensure you have:

• Administrator access to your Tallyfy organization
• SMTP server details from your IT department or email service provider
• Authentication credentials for your SMTP server
• Verified that your email server allows third-party application connections
• Confirmed your organization’s email security policies permit this integration

Benefits of Custom SMTP

Using your own SMTP server with Tallyfy provides several advantages:

• Improved deliverability - Emails sent from your domain are less likely to be flagged as spam or phishing attempts
• Enhanced tracking - Access server logs for all outbound emails sent through Tallyfy
• Consistent branding - Maintain your company’s email reputation and formatting
• Security compliance - Keep sensitive email traffic within your existing security framework
• Existing configurations - Leverage your existing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records
• White-labeled communications - Ensure all workflow emails appear from your domain

Email Reply Limitation

When using custom SMTP, emails will not be “replyable” for comments. This means that the custom “From” addresses that normally allow users to reply to an email and have that reply automatically inserted as a comment in the task will not function. Any replies to emails sent via custom SMTP will not be captured in Tallyfy.

Single Account Limitation

Tallyfy currently requires using a single central email account (e.g., “tallyfy@company.com”) for all outgoing emails. Individual user email accounts are not supported at this time.

Required SMTP Information

Gather these details before proceeding with configuration:

Parameter	Description	Example
SMTP Server Host	Your mail server address	smtp.company.com
SMTP Port	Port for mail submission	587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
Username	Account for authentication	tallyfy@company.com
Password	Authentication credential	Your secure password
From Email	Sender’s email address	workflows@company.com
From Name	Display name for sender	Company Workflows
Encryption Method	Security protocol	TLS or SSL

Configuration Steps

To set up custom SMTP in Tallyfy:

1. Sign in to Tallyfy with administrator credentials
2. Navigate to Settings > Organization Settings
3. Select the Email Configuration tab
4. Click the Custom SMTP option
5. Enter your SMTP server details:
   • SMTP Server Host field: Input your mail server address
   • SMTP Port field: Enter the appropriate port number
   • Username field: Provide the authentication username
   • Password field: Enter the account password
   • From Email field: Specify the sender email address
   • From Name field: Set the display name for outgoing emails
6. Select the appropriate Encryption Method from the dropdown (TLS or SSL)
7. Click the Test Connection button to verify settings
8. After successful testing, click Save Changes to implement

Testing SMTP Configuration

Before implementing custom SMTP in Tallyfy, verify your settings using these external testing tools:

Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer

This official Microsoft tool helps verify SMTP connectivity:

1. Visit the Outbound SMTP Email test ↗
2. Enter your SMTP server details and credentials
3. Run the test to verify connectivity and authentication
4. Review detailed results for any connectivity issues

Wormly SMTP Tester

Wormly provides a simple SMTP server testing tool:

1. Navigate to Wormly’s SMTP server test ↗
2. Enter your server hostname and port
3. Complete the test to verify basic connectivity
4. Check for open ports and server responsiveness

MXToolbox Diagnostic Tools

MXToolbox offers comprehensive email server diagnostics:

1. Visit MXToolbox SuperTool ↗ or MXToolbox Diagnostics ↗
2. Enter your domain or server information
3. Run various tests to check SMTP configuration, DNS records, and blacklist status
4. Review detailed reports on email infrastructure health

GMass SMTP Tester

GMass provides credential verification:

1. Access the GMass SMTP test tool ↗
2. Enter your complete SMTP configuration including credentials
3. Test the connection to verify authentication works correctly
4. Confirm that message sending completes successfully

External Tools

These testing tools are third-party services not affiliated with Tallyfy. Use caution when entering sensitive credentials in external tools. Consider creating temporary test credentials when possible.

Verifying Successful Configuration

After setting up custom SMTP, confirm it’s working correctly:

1. Navigate to a process template in Tallyfy
2. Launch a test process with yourself as an assignee
3. Check that you receive the task notification email
4. Verify the email appears from your configured address
5. Examine email headers to confirm it was sent via your SMTP server

Troubleshooting SMTP Issues

Common Problems and Solutions

Issue	Possible Causes	Solutions
Connection timeout	Firewall blocking traffic	Open outbound ports for SMTP traffic
Authentication failure	Incorrect credentials	Verify username and password format
SSL/TLS errors	Wrong encryption setting	Try alternative encryption method
Rate limiting	Too many connections	Increase server limits or optimize email volume
DNS resolution failure	Incorrect server hostname	Verify the SMTP host address
Rejected messages	Malformed headers	Check “From” address matches authorized sender

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

If you encounter problems with your SMTP configuration:

1. Network Connectivity

   • Verify that your firewall allows outbound connections from Tallyfy to your SMTP server
   • Confirm that the SMTP port (587 or 465) is open for outbound traffic
   • Test basic connectivity using telnet or similar tools

2. Authentication Issues

   • Ensure the SMTP account has sufficient permissions to send email
   • Verify that your mail server allows the authentication method being used
   • Check if multi-factor authentication is interfering with connection

3. Rate Limits and Volume

   • Check that any rate limits on your SMTP server accommodate your Tallyfy email volume
   • Consider implementing sending queues if you have high email volume

4. DNS and Email Security

   • Confirm that your SPF record includes your SMTP server’s IP address
   • Verify DKIM and DMARC configurations if applicable
   • Ensure the “From” address domain matches the authenticated domain

Best Practice

After configuration, send test emails to addresses at different mail providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to verify delivery across various platforms.

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