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Setting Up SMTP2GO with SureMail for Reliable Email Deliverability

Doug

Tech Stack Integrator

If you need a simple and effective way to send emails from your WordPress website, SMTP2GO combined with SureMail offers an easy-to-implement solution. Whether you’ve been denied by Amazon SES, find it too complex, or simply want an alternative, this guide will walk you through setting up SMTP2GO with SureMail to ensure smooth email deliverability.

This setup is perfect for transactional emails, including password resets, WooCommerce receipts, and login credentials, as well as for sites using FluentCRM or other email marketing tools.

Why Choose SMTP2GO?

SMTP2GO is a SMTP service that allows websites to send emails reliably, even if their web host restricts email sending. It offers:

  • A free plan allowing up to 200 emails per day and 1,000 emails per month—ideal for low-volume sites.
  • Scalability for growing businesses that need higher limits.
  • DNS verification to improve email deliverability.

If you need to send thousands of emails per month, you will need a paid plan. However, SMTP2GO is an excellent starting point, especially for websites that send critical transactional emails.

Step 1: Signing Up for SMTP2GO

  1. Go to SMTP2GO and sign up for a free account.
  2. Verify your email when prompted.
  3. Complete the account setup by following the on-screen instructions.

Once logged in, we’ll proceed with domain verification.

Step 2: Verifying Your Sender Domain

To send emails reliably, you must verify your sender domain by adding DNS records.

  1. Go to SMTP2GO Dashboard → Click Settings.
  2. Add a Sender Domain:
    • Enter your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com).
    • Click Continue.
  3. Copy the DNS Records Provided:
    • SMTP2GO will generate three CNAME records.
    • Simply copy and paste these records under your DNS records. I personally use and recommend Cloudflare.
  4. Add the Records in Cloudflare (or your DNS provider):
    • Record Type: CNAME
    • Host: As provided by SMTP2GO
    • Target: As provided by SMTP2GO
    • Proxy Status: Turn Off (DNS Only) – I think this is a Cloudflare only thing.
    • Save Changes.
  5. Verify the Domain:
    • Return to SMTP2GO and click Verify.
    • If everything is set up correctly, verification should complete immediately or in a couple minutes.

On the free plan, you can add up to five verified sender domains. This means you can manage multiple sites under one account.

Step 3: Connecting SMTP2GO to SureMail

SureMail is a lightweight SMTP plugin for WordPress that makes it easy to connect third-party SMTP services.

  1. Install the SureMail Plugin:
    • Go to your WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Add New.
    • Search for SureMail.
    • Install and activate the plugin.
  2. Go to SureMail Settings:
    • In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to SureMail → Settings.
  3. Choose SMTP2GO as Your Mailer:
    • Under Connections, select SMTP2GO.
    • Give the connection a name (e.g., “SMTP2GO”).
    • You will be prompted for an API key.

Step 4: Generating an API Key in SMTP2GO

To connect SureMail to SMTP2GO, we need an API key.

  1. Go to SMTP2GO Dashboard → Click API Keys.
  2. Create a New API Key:
    • Click Add API Key.
    • Name the key (e.g., “SureMail”).
    • Click Generate.
  3. Copy the API Key and return to SureMail in WordPress.
  4. Enter API Key in SureMail:
    • Paste the API key into the SureMail settings.
    • Set your From Email (e.g., [email protected]).
    • Set your From Name (e.g., “Your Website”).
    • Enable Force From Name and Email if you want to override other settings.
  5. Click Save to finalize the setup.

Step 5: Sending a Test Email

To ensure everything is working correctly:

  1. Go to SureMail → Click Send Test Email.
  2. Enter a test recipient email (e.g., your own email address).
  3. Click Send.

Check your inbox. If the test email arrives successfully, SMTP2GO is working correctly with SureMail.

Step 6: Monitoring Email Activity

SMTP2GO provides real-time tracking of sent emails.

  1. Go to SMTP2GO Dashboard → Click Summary.
  2. View Email Logs:
    • See details such as delivery status, recipient email, and subject line.
    • Ensure emails are successfully delivered.

On the free plan, SMTP2GO stores email logs for a limited time. Upgrading to a paid plan increases log retention.

Conclusion: Why SMTP2GO with SureMail?

By integrating SMTP2GO with SureMail, you get:
✅ Reliable email deliverability for transactional emails.
✅ A free plan suitable for small sites.
✅ Scalability with paid plans for higher email volumes.
✅ Simple setup for DNS configuration