SMTP/IMAP server details
Starting with our Starter plan, Hunter offers SMTP/IMAP connections, allowing you to connect your own domain to Hunter Campaigns to send emails from.
To send email campaigns on your behalf, Hunter needs access to your mailbox for sending emails and to your outbox to monitor replies, track opens, and track link clicks.
To enable Hunter to access your mailbox, we require the following information:
Email address (you wish to connect)
Password (linked to your email address)
SMTP (sender) server details:
Server Address
Port
Protection: SSL or STARTTLS
IMAP (Incoming) server settings:
Server Address
Port
Hunter automatically retrieves this information if possible for you and connects your account; however, sometimes, this is not possible, and you'll need to insert this information manually. More on how to connect your account through SMTP/IMAP can be found here.
💡 The server information can be found in the help center of your email hosting service. You can find some of the most common services here:
Prepare your email account
This is an important step to avoid getting a connection error. Here are a few tips that can help with connecting your account successfully to Hunter:
Review your Email Hosting Service guides for email connections.
Make sure that IMAP and SMTP connections are enabled in your email account settings (certain services such as Zoho require that).
Check if your 2FA is activated and turn it off when possible. External authentication can make accessing your account difficult, and sometimes, an application-specific password is required.
Check the type of plan you're using and whether it supports email account connections. For instance, Zoho requires a paid account to connect.
Make sure you enter the correct server details in Hunter, and don't make confusion with POP servers or wrong ports.
Troubleshoot connection errors
Should the connection fail, you will receive an error message designed to assist you in troubleshooting the issue. Below is a list of possible error messages you might encounter:
SMTP Authentication Error: Mostly due to incorrect email/password or SMTP settings, such as connecting to the wrong SMTP server.
Check your email/password combination and SMTP settings. Also, ensure that two-factor authentication (2FA) is not blocking SMTP/IMAP connectivity or use an application-specific password if your email provider supports it.
IMAP Authentication Error: Similar to the SMTP error, this occurs due to an issue with IMAP authentication. Verify your email settings and password, as well as the server settings. Check that the IMAP connection is activated in your account. If the 2FA is active, disable it or use an application-specific password.
Lack of Sent Mailbox: in this case, we couldn't detect a Sent mailbox in your email account. Please contact us.
SMTP Fatal Error: This indicates that a fatal error occurred while communicating with the SMTP server. Please try to connect again.
IMAP No Response Error: This is an unusual error; in this case, the IMAP connection failed. Please try to connect again.
SSL Error: This error can occur if the SMTP/IMAP server does not support a sufficiently recent version of SSL or if there is an incorrect SMTP encryption setting. Verify your server's SSL and encryption settings, and if necessary, contact your email provider for assistance.
Timeout Error: This happens when the SMTP/IMAP server does not respond quickly enough, and we timeout after 10 seconds. Please try to connect again and if necessary contact your email provider for assistance.
Connection Refused: The mail server has rejected our connection. This may be due to issues such as a proxy or being banned by the host server. Please check your server settings and try again.
Host Unreachable: This error occurs if the server doesn't exist or cannot be reached. Confirm the server address and try to reconnect.
Unknown Error: For any other issues not listed above, Please check your configuration and credentials, then try again. If you need help, feel free to contact us.
Some rules to respect for SMTP/IMAP email account connections
When connecting an SMTP/IMAP email account, you cannot use Gmail, Google Workspace and Outlook accounts. Hunter already supports these email services through dedicated sign-in buttons in the Email Accounts section.
Some email providers, such as Zoho Mail, require a paid account to enable connections to other services through SMTP/IMAP.
Protonmail email addresses aren't currently supported and iCloud providers are not recommended.
To successfully connect to your SMTP server, we require that it also supports IMAP; in other words, it must be an actual mailbox provider with the capability of receiving and storing email.
👉 Should you still experience difficulties with connecting your email account to Campaigns, don't hesitate to contact us via chat on our website or at contact@hunter.io.
✔️ For troubleshooting purposes, please send us a screenshot of the server settings you have entered, the email you're trying to connect and the name of your email hosting provider.