Send via your own SMTP server
Route every reply through your company's own mail server for compliance and archiving.
Route every reply through your company's own mail server for compliance and archiving.
This is one of four ways Lunadesk can send your email replies. To compare them side by side, see Choosing how Lunadesk sends your email replies.
Throughout this guide we'll use an example store, Acme Outdoor, whose support address is support@acmeoutdoor.com, and a customer named Sarah asking where her order is.
What it is
SMTP is the system mail servers use to send email. With this option, Lunadesk doesn't send your replies itself. Instead, it hands each reply to your company's own mail server, which sends it on to the customer. It's the same as if you'd written the reply in your regular mailbox.
Your customer sees your own address, just like when you send from your own domain (DKIM). The difference is behind the scenes: every reply you send travels through your own mail system. That means your existing archiving, journaling, and compliance tools see and store every message, exactly as they do for the rest of your company's email.
What your customer sees
Dana, Acme Outdoor Support
- From:
Acme Outdoor Support <support@acmeoutdoor.com> - Sent through: your own mail server (for example Google Workspace or Microsoft 365)
- When Sarah hits Reply: her answer goes to support@acmeoutdoor.com, your connected inbox, and appears in the same Lunadesk ticket.
Setting it up
Select Send via your own SMTP server and enter your mail server's details:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| SMTP host | Your mail server's address, for example smtp.gmail.com or smtp.office365.com |
| Port | Usually 587. Some servers use 465. |
| Username | Usually the full email address you're sending from, like support@acmeoutdoor.com |
| Password | The password for that mailbox, or an app password if your provider requires one |
Common providers:
- GGoogle Workspace: host smtp.gmail.com, port 587. Google requires an app password rather than your normal password, and app passwords are only available once 2-Step Verification is turned on for the account.
- MMicrosoft 365: host smtp.office365.com, port 587. Your Microsoft 365 admin may need to turn on Authenticated SMTP for the mailbox. Microsoft is phasing out password sign-in for this kind of connection and plans to switch it off by default at the end of 2026, so check with your admin before choosing this option. If that's a blocker, sending from your own domain (DKIM) gives you the same branded address without it.
- ?Anything else: ask your email provider or IT team for your SMTP settings.
A good fit if
- ✓Your business has compliance or record-keeping rules that require all outgoing email to pass through your own systems.
- ✓Your IT team requires that no outside service sends email on your domain's behalf.
- ✓You already run your own mail server and prefer to keep sending in-house.
Keep in mind
- !Your provider's sending limits apply. For example, Google Workspace allows roughly 2,000 messages per user per day. Busy support teams can hit these limits.
- !If the password changes, sending stops. If someone changes or resets the mailbox password, update it in Lunadesk Settings so replies keep going out.
- !Deliverability depends on your server. Your mail server is responsible for getting replies into inboxes, so its reputation and settings matter.
- !If you don't have a specific compliance reason, sending from your own domain (DKIM) is usually easier to run day to day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a developer to set this up?
Which option gives the best deliverability?
Can I switch to a different option later?
Other ways to send your replies
Contact our support team and we'll help you pick the right option.