Email Configuration Overview | Axero Documentation

Introduction

Email has to be configured correctly before your site can reliably deliver messages to the people on it. Axero supports four configuration options, each designed to meet different organizational needs and technical requirements. This guide explains each option and walks you through the settings for self-managed email configurations.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Email Configuration Options
• Email Settings (Option 2)
• Email Images Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• Additional Resources
• Support and Feedback

Email Configuration Options

Choose the option that best fits your organization's needs:

Option 1: Axero Standard Domain and Axero Sending

Let Axero handle everything with the standard domain configuration. No technical setup is required on your end.

Next Steps: Submit a private support case with your preferred site name and friendly name.

Option 2: Your Domain and Your Sending

Use your own email service (Google, Microsoft, Mailgun, SendGrid, or a custom SMTP server) and manage email sending independently. On on-premises and self-hosted sites you can point Axero at any SMTP server. On cloud-hosted sites, using your own SMTP server hostname requires the Custom Email Domain feature; without it, you configure the sending account (username, password, and sender address) while Axero manages the server itself.

Next Steps: Configure your email service settings using the Email Settings (Option 2) section below.

Option 3: Your Custom Domain and Axero Sending

Use your own custom domain while leveraging Axero's reliable sending infrastructure. You purchase and manage a dedicated root domain, while Axero handles the email delivery.

How it works:

1. You provide a dedicated root domain (this cannot be a subdomain or a domain used by any existing site).
2. Axero provides specific DNS records that you must apply to your domain.
3. Result: Professional email delivery using your branded domain through Axero's infrastructure.

After receiving the DNS records from Axero, you must configure the following in your domain provider:

Next Steps: Contact your Client Success Manager for pricing details and to receive the specific DNS records for your domain.

Option 4: Axero Custom Domain and Axero Sending

Choose a personalized subdomain of axero.email (e.g., yoursite.axero.email) combined with Axero's sending infrastructure. No DNS configuration is required on your end.

Next Steps: Contact your Client Success Manager for pricing details and implementation guidance.

Email Settings (Option 2)

If you selected Option 2 (your domain and your sending), use the steps below to set up outgoing email. Setting up incoming email is optional and covered in the sections after that.

Accessing Email Settings

Navigate to Control Panel > System > General Settings, then expand the Email Settings section.

Outgoing Email (SMTP)

These settings let Axero send email through your own provider. Have your provider's SMTP server address and port ready, along with the mailbox account Axero will send from, then work through the steps below. On a cloud-hosted site use port 587: Azure blocks outbound port 25, so a configuration on 25 fails to connect no matter what else is correct.

1. Turn on sending. Check Enable email sending. With it off, Axero sends no email at all.
2. Set who the mail comes from. In From email address, enter the mailbox Axero sends from, for example notifications@yourdomain.com. In Friendly email name, enter the name recipients see in their inbox, usually your site or organization name. (See the Video Tutorial: Changing the Email Sender Name below.)
3. Enter your provider's server. Fill in the SMTP server and Port, then check Use SSL. Typical servers are smtp.office365.com or smtp.gmail.com; the usual port is 587 (with STARTTLS) or 465 (with SSL). Use the port your provider lists, and match it to your SSL choice.
4. Enter the sign-in details. Put the full email address in Username and the mailbox password in Password. Two providers work differently:
   • Gmail or Google Workspace: use a 16-character App Password, not the normal account password. See Google Email Configuration.
   • Microsoft 365: do not enter a password here. Use the Office 365 connection instead, described in the note below.
5. Limit the sending rate (optional). If your provider caps how fast you can send, use Email throttling to set Send [count] emails every [interval] minutes (the interval can be 1 to 59 minutes). Otherwise leave it alone.
   
   Set this against your peak daily volume, not your average. The throttle is a hard ceiling rather than a target: anything generated beyond the configured rate waits in the queue and goes out on later runs. A rate below what the site normally produces builds a backlog that never clears, and time-sensitive messages such as event reminders can arrive days or even weeks late. When mail arrives late, check Control Panel > System > Email Queue to see whether a backlog is the cause.
6. Save and test. Click Save System Settings at the bottom of the page, then send yourself a test message from People > Manage People, then Options > Mass Email, and finish with the Send Email button. If it arrives, outgoing email is working. The Incoming and Catch-All sections below are optional, needed only if you also want Axero to receive email.

Incoming Email

Catch-All Email

Configure a dedicated mailbox to capture misaddressed emails and enable email-to-post functionality for blogs and forums.

Additional Email Settings

Video Tutorial: Changing the Email Sender Name

Watch this step-by-step guide to customize your email sender display name:

Email Images Configuration

By default, images are excluded from email notifications to protect your content security. This prevents unauthorized access if emails are forwarded or shared externally.

You can enable images in emails with encrypted URL keys that allow viewing without login requirements. However, if emails or links are shared externally, images may be exposed to unauthorized users.

To enable images in emails, navigate to Control Panel > System > System Properties, type ImagesInEmail in the Filter this view box, click the edit icon at the end of its row, and switch Value to Enabled. See How to Enable Images in Emails.

Troubleshooting

Emails not sending with organization mail server

If you have configured your own mail server but emails are not being delivered, IP whitelisting may be required.

• Cloud-hosted sites: Submit a support case to request the IP addresses that need to be whitelisted on your mail server.
• Self-hosted sites: Whitelist your server's IP address in your email server configuration.

Microsoft Exchange rate limiting

Exchange users may encounter rate limiting errors that prevent email delivery. The common error message is:

Email Sending Failed. Reason: Service not available, closing transmission channel. The server response was: 4.4.2 Message submission rate for this client has exceeded the configured limit

The resolution depends on which Exchange platform you use:

Exchange Online (Microsoft 365): Microsoft enforces the following sending limits. The first two are fixed; only the per-message recipient limit can be adjusted, and only downward from the ceiling shown.

If your site exceeds these limits, set the Axero email throttling to Send 30 emails every 1 minute to stay within the message rate cap. For high-volume sites, consider using a dedicated email sending service such as Mailgun or SendGrid instead of Exchange Online.

Exchange Server (on-premises): Adjust the message rate limit by executing the following command in Exchange Management PowerShell:

set-receiveconnector -identity connector -MessageRateLimit unlimited

SMTP authentication failures

Verify that your SMTP username, password, server hostname, and port are correct. Ensure that SSL settings match the port configuration (port 587 typically requires STARTTLS, port 465 requires SSL).

Emails going to spam

If your emails are landing in recipients' spam folders, verify that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly configured for your sending domain. These authentication records help email providers verify that your emails are legitimate.

Catch-all email stopped collecting messages

After three consecutive connection failures, Axero disables the catch-all mailbox and clears its stored password. An expired or changed password, or a temporary outage at your mail server, can trigger this. Re-enter the catch-all password under Email Settings and save to resume collection.

Additional Resources

• For step-by-step Microsoft 365 SMTP configuration, see Microsoft 365 Email Configuration.
• For step-by-step Gmail SMTP configuration, see Google Email Configuration.
• For turning incoming email into support cases, see Set Up Email-to-Case.
• For sending event invitations and collecting RSVPs from a space's own mailbox, see Manage Space: Event Email Settings.
• For sending event invitations from a personal mailbox, or setting the fallback Outlook account, see Connect Email to Calendar.
• For clearing a backlog of unsent mail, see Email Queue.
• For Microsoft 365 sending limits and quotas, see Exchange Online Limits.
• For domain setup and DNS configuration, see Domain Configuration.
• For security best practices related to login, sessions, and access control, see Site Security Best Practices.

Support and Feedback

If you need assistance with email configuration or are experiencing delivery issues, submit a support case.