Add your first connection

A connection is SMTPPai’s name for “how this site talks to one email provider.” You can create many connections. This guide covers the shared steps that apply no matter which provider you pick.

Open the connection wizard

1. Go to SMTPPai → Dashboard (or MailPai → SMTPPai if MailPai is active).
2. Click Add connection (or follow the empty-state button if you have none yet).
3. You will see Choose your email service with groups:
   • Recommended — Amazon SES
   • More providers — Mailgun, Postmark, Brevo, Resend, SendGrid (by Twilio), and others
   • Any Other SMTP — Other SMTP for Zoho, cPanel, or custom hosts
4. Click the provider you want. The connection form opens.

Fill the shared fields first

Connection name

This label is only for you inside WordPress. Recipients never see it. Name it by purpose, for example “WordPress mail” or “WooCommerce orders”. It helps later on the Specify Connections and Backup screens.

From name and From email

• From name — the display name people see (for example your site or company name).
• From email — the address the message appears to come from. It must be allowed by your provider (verified domain or verified sender). Using a random Gmail address on an SES connection will usually fail.

Force From Name / Force From Email

When enabled, SMTPPai overrides whatever From details another plugin tried to set, so mail consistently uses this connection’s From identity. Turn these on when plugins keep changing the From address and your provider rejects the mail.

Credential storage

Choose one:

• Store keys in database — paste keys into the form; SMTPPai stores secrets encrypted when OpenSSL is available.
• Keep in wp-config.php — define constants in wp-config.php instead of saving secrets in the database. The form shows which constants to add for that provider.

More detail: How connections work.

Fill provider-specific fields

Each provider asks for different values (API key, region, OAuth Client ID, SMTP host, and so on). Use the matching guide under Connections Setup, for example How to Configure Amazon SES. The right-hand Helpful Hints panel in SMTPPai mirrors the same ideas.

Save the connection

1. Double-check From email and credentials.
2. Click the save / create button on the form.
3. You return to the Dashboard with a new connection card.

If you chose Google or Microsoft

Saving the Client ID and Secret is not enough. You must click Connect to Google or Connect to Microsoft and finish authorization before tests will work. See the Google and Microsoft guides for redirect URI details (https://auth.mailpai.com/google and https://auth.mailpai.com/microsoft).

What to do next

1. Send a test email from the connection card.
2. Confirm the result under Email Log.
3. Decide routing on Specify Connections.

Tip: Start with one connection and One for Everything. Add a second connection later if you want WooCommerce on a different provider or a Backup failover path.