Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing SendGrail and sending your first authenticated email.

Installation

From WordPress Admin

1. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Search for SendGrail.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.

Manual Upload

1. Download the sendgrail.zip file from WordPress.org.
2. Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
3. Choose the zip file and click Install Now.
4. Click Activate.

First-Time Setup

After activation, you will be automatically redirected to the Setup Wizard. The wizard guides you through five steps:

1. Welcome -- Overview of what SendGrail does.
2. Migration -- Auto-detects settings from other SMTP plugins (if any).
3. Configure -- Pick your SMTP provider and enter credentials.
4. Test -- Send a test email to verify everything works.
5. Done -- Confirmation that your site is ready.

TIP

If you prefer to skip the wizard, click "Skip" on the welcome screen. You can always configure connections manually from the dashboard.

For a detailed breakdown of each wizard step, see the Setup Wizard page.

Creating a Connection Manually

If you skipped the wizard or want to add additional connections:

1. Navigate to SendGrail in the WordPress admin sidebar.
2. Click the Connections tab.
3. Click Add Connection.
4. Select your SMTP provider from the dropdown. The host, port, and encryption fields will be pre-filled.
5. Enter your credentials:
   • From Email -- The sender email address.
   • From Name -- The sender display name.
   • Username -- Your SMTP username.
   • Password -- Your SMTP password or API key.
6. Click Save Connection.

WARNING

Some providers (like Gmail and Yahoo) require an App Password instead of your regular account password. See the SMTP Providers page for provider-specific instructions.

Sending a Test Email

After saving a connection, verify it works:

1. Go to the Connections tab.
2. Find your connection in the list and click Test.
3. Enter a recipient email address.
4. Click Send Test Email.
5. Check the recipient's inbox (and spam folder) for the test message.

A successful test confirms that your SMTP credentials are correct, the connection is working, and emails will be delivered through this provider.

Setting as Default

To make a connection the default for all outgoing WordPress emails:

1. Go to Settings > General.
2. Under Default Connection, select your connection from the dropdown.
3. Click Save Settings.

All calls to wp_mail() from WordPress core, plugins, and themes will now route through this connection.

Next Steps

• Configure a fallback connection for reliability.
• Review all available settings including email logging and tracking.
• Learn about all 13+ supported providers.