Email channel
Updated August 24, 2026
An email channel connects one of your own mailboxes to Pluspoint over SMTP. Survey invitations, campaigns and individual emails then go out from your address rather than a Pluspoint one. Switch on IMAP as well and the same mailbox becomes two-way: customer replies arrive in the Inbox, and agents answer them there.
Before you start
- You need to be the account Owner, or belong to a team with full settings access.
- At least one Team with messaging access must exist — see Teams.
- You need a mailbox with SMTP access, plus its host, port, username and password. If the provider enforces two-factor authentication, generate an app password instead of using the account password.
- For inbound mail you also need the mailbox’s IMAP host and port.
Where to find it
Settings (left sidebar, footer area) → Channels tab, or go to https://app.pluspoint.io/account-settings/channels.
Create an email channel
- Select Add new channel.
- Choose Email and select Continue.
- Enter a Channel name.
- Choose the Team that owns the channel. Only teams with messaging access are listed.
- Fill in the SMTP fields below.
- Optionally switch on Receive emails in inbox (IMAP) and complete the IMAP fields.
- Optionally switch on Link this channel to a location or brand and pick one.
- Select Done.
Outbound settings
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Yes | Fixed to SMTP. |
| SMTP Host | Yes | Your provider’s outgoing mail server. |
| SMTP Port | Yes | Numbers only. Use the port your provider documents for the encryption method you choose. |
| Username | Yes | Usually the full mailbox address, but some providers use a fixed value. |
| Encryption | Yes | SSL (default) or TLS. SSL tells Pluspoint to encrypt the connection to your SMTP server; TLS turns encryption off. Leave it on SSL unless your provider genuinely accepts an unencrypted session. |
| Yes | The address messages are sent from. Must be a valid address. | |
| Password | Yes | Stored masked. Use an app password where the provider requires one. |
Receive replies in the inbox
Switch on Receive emails in inbox (IMAP) to receive and reply to customer emails directly from the Inbox.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IMAP Host | Yes | Your provider’s incoming mail server. |
| IMAP Port | Yes | Numbers only. Port 993 uses SSL automatically. |
| IMAP Username | No | Leave empty to use the SMTP username. |
| IMAP Password | No | Leave empty to use the SMTP password. |
| Email Signature | No | Signature text for emails sent from this channel. |
How inbound mail behaves:
- New mail reaches the Inbox within a couple of minutes.
- When first connected, only the last 24 hours of mail is collected, so older messages stay untouched.
- Changing any IMAP credential resets the sync position.
- If IMAP or SMTP authentication fails, Pluspoint sets the channel to Disconnected and emails the account. Its unfinished campaigns are marked failed, and automations that use it stop working.
Provider settings
SendGrid
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| SMTP Host | smtp.sendgrid.net |
| SMTP Port | 587 |
| Username | apikey — the literal word |
| Encryption | SSL |
| Your verified sender address | |
| Password | A SendGrid API key with Mail Send permission |
Gmail and Google Workspace
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| SMTP Host | smtp.gmail.com |
| SMTP Port | 587 |
| Encryption | SSL |
| Username and Email | Your Gmail or Workspace address |
| Password | An app password. Two-step verification must be switched on to create one. |
| IMAP Host | imap.gmail.com |
| IMAP Port | 993 |
For other providers, take the host and port values from their own SMTP and IMAP documentation, and leave Encryption on SSL.
Sender address and deliverability
- The Email field is the From address on everything this channel sends. There is no separate reply-to or from-name setting.
- Publish SPF and DKIM records for that address with your email provider. Pluspoint sends through your mailbox, so inbox providers judge that mailbox’s reputation.
- Campaign emails automatically carry an unsubscribe link, and contacts who unsubscribe are never emailed again.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Card shows Disconnected shortly after saving | SMTP or IMAP authentication failed. | Re-enter the credentials — an app password where the provider requires one — and select Save changes. Saving returns the channel to working order and reschedules campaigns that had failed. |
| Mail sends but nothing arrives in the Inbox | Receive emails in inbox (IMAP) is off, or the IMAP details point at a different mailbox. | Switch it on and check the IMAP host, port and credentials. |
| Only recent emails appeared after connecting | The first sync deliberately collects just the last 24 hours. | Handle older mail in your mail client; everything from now on arrives in the Inbox. |
| Replies land in your mail client but not in Pluspoint | The customer replied to a different address, or the channel is disconnected. | Send from the same Email address you connected, and check the card’s status. |
| Emails go to spam | SPF or DKIM is missing for the sending address. | Add the records at your email provider for the domain of the Email address. |
| Provider blocks the login | The account password is being used where an app password is required. | Generate an app password and paste it into Password. |
| ”Couldn’t delete” when removing the channel | A live-chat channel uses this one as its Email notifications channel. | Point that live-chat channel at another channel or at Pluspoint Email, then delete. |
| ”Cannot proceed: N active campaign(s) in progress” when removing the channel | Running or scheduled campaigns, or automation steps, still use the channel. | Finish or cancel those campaigns and remove the channel from every automation step. |