Docs / Strand / connectors/smtp
SMTP Email Connector
Send emails from your Strand workflows using your own SMTP server. Full control over your email infrastructure with no plan-based sending limits from Tendrl.
Connector Setup
Create an SMTP Email connector from the Connectors page.
Configuration Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Friendly name for this connector (e.g., "Company Gmail") |
| Host | Yes | SMTP server hostname |
| Port | No | Server port (default: 587) |
| Username | No | SMTP authentication username |
| Password | No | SMTP authentication password (encrypted at rest) |
| From Email | Yes | Sender email address |
| Use TLS | No | Enable STARTTLS encryption (default: true, recommended for port 587) |
| Use SSL | No | Enable SSL/TLS encryption (default: false, for port 465) |
| Timeout | No | Connection timeout in seconds (default: 30) |
| Description | No | Optional description for reference |
Common SMTP Server Settings
| Provider | Host | Port | TLS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | smtp.gmail.com |
587 | Yes | Use an App Password |
| Outlook/365 | smtp.office365.com |
587 | Yes | Use your Microsoft account password |
| Amazon SES | email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com |
587 | Yes | Use SMTP credentials from SES console |
| SendGrid | smtp.sendgrid.net |
587 | Yes | Username: apikey, Password: your API key |
| Mailgun | smtp.mailgun.org |
587 | Yes | Use domain SMTP credentials |
Node Configuration
Drag a Connector node onto your workflow canvas and select your SMTP connector. Configure the following fields:
To (required)
Recipient email addresses, comma-separated. Supports Jinja templates:
code
{{ payload.customer_email }}
Subject (required)
Email subject line. Supports Jinja templates:
code
Alert: {{ payload.title }}
Body - Text (optional)
Plain text email body. Supports Jinja templates.
Body - HTML (optional)
HTML email body. If both are provided, HTML takes priority in supporting clients. Supports Jinja templates.
CC / BCC / Reply-To (optional)
Additional recipients and reply address. All support Jinja templates.
Output
json
{
"success": true,
"status": "sent",
"data": {
"to": ["[email protected]"],
"from": "[email protected]",
"subject": "Alert: Server Down",
"host": "smtp.gmail.com"
},
"service": "smtp",
"operation": "send"
}
Errors
| Error | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SMTP host is required | Host not configured in connector. |
| from_email is required | Sender address not configured in connector. |
| SMTP authentication failed | Wrong username or password. For Gmail, use an App Password. |
| Failed to connect to SMTP server | Server unreachable; check host, port, and network. |
| SMTP recipients refused | One or more recipient addresses were rejected by the server. |
| SMTP connection timed out | Server didn't respond within the timeout period. |
Limitations
- Attachments: Not currently supported.
- Incoming email: Not supported.
- Connection pooling: Each send creates a new SMTP connection. For high-volume sending, consider using the Tendrl Email connector or a transactional email API via the HTTP connector.
Tendrl