SendGrid
We recommend using SendGrid for Platform email. SendGrid provides transactional and bulk email, and MinistryPlatform supports extended email statuses when utilizing SendGrid for outgoing mail. Want to get updates about what's happening with your messages after you press send? Use the Message Recap Report to get updates 24 and 48 hours after your messages are sent.
There is no SendGrid Sync Tool. Mailing lists can be managed via the Subscribe to Publication and My Subscriptions Widgets as well as Publications in the Platform.
Note: SendGrid requires two-factor authentication for all accounts. This does not affect Platform mail. To learn more about how you can enhance the security of your account, see SendGrid's Best Practices post. If you have any questions or need assistance, please visit SendGrid's 2FA documentation or reach out to their Support team.
Recommended MinistryPlatform Configuration
- Server: smtp.sendgrid.net
- User Name: apikey
- Password: <api key> (see Create an API Key for SendGrid)
- Port: 587
- SSL/TLS: Optional. Note that MinistryPlatform only uses the SMTP protocol; it does not use TLS.
Important: When setting up your SendGrid account, you'll choose a dedicated or shared IP address. (For more on the difference, see SendGrid's post.) While a shared IP address is less expensive, beware that you're also sharing a sending reputation. And that really matters because a bad sending reputation means your emails are likely to be blocked by Internet Service Providers. Basically, anyone using a shared IP address can ruin the sending reputation of anyone else using that IP address, resulting in your church's emails not reaching your people. If possible, use a dedicated IP address.
Want some help configuring in MinistryPlatform? Send Support an API Key, and we'll configure the various email subsystems in MinistryPlatform.