What is the mail server and how to send and receive E-Mail notifications?
To activate notifications and alerts to users and admins via E-Mails, you need to have a mail server, you can explore some of the free options that you can depend on as a mail server for your store:
Zoho
sendinblue
Gmail
ExpandCart Mail Server
Nevertheless, the linkage process is almost the same, in this article we will explain how to add a mail server to your store in a few simple steps:
You can reach the mail server or the E-Mail notifications settings through the store settings as follows:
ExpandCart provides two methods for the Mail Server:
ExpandCart Mail Server
SMTP
1- ExpandCart Mail Server:
This is the traditional way, where E-Mail notifications are sent to admins and customers when a customer creates an account or places an order through the ExpandCart server's email with the store's name.
Mail Protocol: In this method, we will select ExpandCart Mail Server
Additional Aler E-Mails: In case you want to add more E-Mail addresses to receive the notifications with the primary email address
New Order Alert Mail/New Account Alert Mail: To receive E-Mail notifications you and the admins added in the previous field whenever a customer places an order or creates an account
Note: Customers will receive only E-Mail notifications when they place an order or create an account when using this method, you won't be able to send them marketing E-Mails notifications or sale alerts and so on, this method is limited compared to the other method.
2- SMTP:
The simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) depends on sending the E-Mails through your own E-Mail address using the E-Mail address's data, you can activate it with mail servers that have a free plan such as Gmail and Zoho and more of the mail-server providers like:
https://gsuite.google.com
https://sendgrid.com
https://sendpulse.com
https://serversmtp.com/
https://www.mailjet.com/
After completing the subscribing process by choosing a free plan or paying for a paid one, you will have access to the SMTP information of the E-Mail you've just created, you need to get it from your account and add it to the E-Mail Notifications settings in ExpandCart as follows:
Mail Protocol: In this method, we will select SMTP
Additional Aler E-Mails: In case you want to add more E-Mail addresses to receive the notifications with the primary email address
Mail Parameters: The E-Mail address the emails will be sent from, you can leave this field empty
SMTP Host: The E-Mail or the username of the E-mail address you just created depends on which one you use to login into the E-Mail address, most probably, it will be written within the SMTP information you accessed through your account.
SMTP Password: The password of the E-Mail address or the one written with the SMTP information if it's different.
SMTP Port: The mail server provider's port that will be used to send the E-Mails through it, in most cases, it will be 587 or 465, and you can find it in the SMTP information of your account with the mail server provide.
New Order Alert Mail/New Account Alert Mail: To receive E-Mail notifications you and the admins added in the previous field whenever a customer places an order or creates an account
You can test if the linkage was done successfully by sending an E-Mail through "Marketing">>"Campaigns", then check the E-Mail address's inbox you sent the E-Mail to:
Zoho
sendinblue
Gmail
ExpandCart Mail Server
Nevertheless, the linkage process is almost the same, in this article we will explain how to add a mail server to your store in a few simple steps:
You can reach the mail server or the E-Mail notifications settings through the store settings as follows:
ExpandCart provides two methods for the Mail Server:
ExpandCart Mail Server
SMTP
1- ExpandCart Mail Server:
This is the traditional way, where E-Mail notifications are sent to admins and customers when a customer creates an account or places an order through the ExpandCart server's email with the store's name.
Mail Protocol: In this method, we will select ExpandCart Mail Server
Additional Aler E-Mails: In case you want to add more E-Mail addresses to receive the notifications with the primary email address
New Order Alert Mail/New Account Alert Mail: To receive E-Mail notifications you and the admins added in the previous field whenever a customer places an order or creates an account
Note: Customers will receive only E-Mail notifications when they place an order or create an account when using this method, you won't be able to send them marketing E-Mails notifications or sale alerts and so on, this method is limited compared to the other method.
2- SMTP:
The simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) depends on sending the E-Mails through your own E-Mail address using the E-Mail address's data, you can activate it with mail servers that have a free plan such as Gmail and Zoho and more of the mail-server providers like:
https://gsuite.google.com
https://sendgrid.com
https://sendpulse.com
https://serversmtp.com/
https://www.mailjet.com/
After completing the subscribing process by choosing a free plan or paying for a paid one, you will have access to the SMTP information of the E-Mail you've just created, you need to get it from your account and add it to the E-Mail Notifications settings in ExpandCart as follows:
Mail Protocol: In this method, we will select SMTP
Additional Aler E-Mails: In case you want to add more E-Mail addresses to receive the notifications with the primary email address
Mail Parameters: The E-Mail address the emails will be sent from, you can leave this field empty
SMTP Host: The E-Mail or the username of the E-mail address you just created depends on which one you use to login into the E-Mail address, most probably, it will be written within the SMTP information you accessed through your account.
SMTP Password: The password of the E-Mail address or the one written with the SMTP information if it's different.
SMTP Port: The mail server provider's port that will be used to send the E-Mails through it, in most cases, it will be 587 or 465, and you can find it in the SMTP information of your account with the mail server provide.
New Order Alert Mail/New Account Alert Mail: To receive E-Mail notifications you and the admins added in the previous field whenever a customer places an order or creates an account
You can test if the linkage was done successfully by sending an E-Mail through "Marketing">>"Campaigns", then check the E-Mail address's inbox you sent the E-Mail to:
Updated on: 23/01/2023
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