About SendGrid SMTP

Speed of setup: 5/5 Fast
Ease of setup: 5/5 Fast
Please note, SendGrid SMTP has recently added a total lifetime for their SMTP API key of 5000 email sends. Once you reach this, you will need to create a new API key to get another 5000. Their normal API does not have a limit, and we are soon releasing the ability to connect the API key directly. You can upgrade to this once it has been released so that you don't have a limit of 5000.
SendGrid's free plan allows up to 100 free emails per day. Maximum of 3000 per month for free. Pricing pans.
SendGrid's first pricing plan starts with sending up to 50,000 emails per month for $19.95/m.

SendGrid SMTP Setup

Ensure to disable link tracking in your SendGrid account to avoid links breaking. Simply go to SendGrid > Settings > Tracking > Click tracking > disable this.

Why use SendGrid for SMTP with Fileflare?

SendGrid is an easy-to-use system that allows you to achieve a higher email deliverability. It allows you to do things like assigning new sending IP addresses and domain authentication.
You can set up a free SendGrid account to allow you to send download emails from your own email in Fileflare.
The process is not as technical as using the normal SMTP options with your email accounts. It's most probably much easier to use SendGrid as the middleman in this scenario to simplify the process.
If you are using Google Workspace, you will need to use this method because Google have now discontinued SMTP for their email system.
You can many more insights on deliverability and email tracking from within the SendGrid dashboard.

How to set up

Video guide

Written guide

Go to Fileflare > Settings > Email settings > SMTP. Here, you will see a bunch of boxes to enter your SMTP details. Keep this page open.
Sign up to SendGrid (the free SendGrid plan allows to send up to 100 emails/day)
Create an API key (This will be your password)
Click the "Create API Key" button


Enter a name, such as "Fileflare", so you remember what it is for, then enable all of the permissions, and then click the next button.
Copy the API key.


Paste your API key into the "Password" box on Fileflare's SMTP settings page.


Now enter the rest of the details into the other boxes in Fileflare's SMTP settings page using the below details:

Settings to use in the SMPT boxes:

Send from email address: the email address that you have set up in SendGrid's Sender Verification page
Username: apikey
Password: Enter your API key that you have just created into this box
Server Address (Host): smtp.sendgrid.net
Port Number: 587
Encryption method: TLS

When adding and verifying a whole domain, this means you can use any email address on the domain. For example - type-anything-here@example.com

SendGrid rate limits:
Send up to 100/emails per day on the free SendGrid plan. Easily upgrade to unlock more.
You may send up to 5k messages. This means once you have sent 5000 emails, you will need to create a new SMTP API key. It's a new limitation that SendGrid have recently introduced.
You may open up to 10k concurrent connections from a single server.

Please see SendGrid’s guide for setting up SMTP if you want to learn more about how it works.

Ensure that you add SendGrid to your SPF (only if you have an SPF and DMARC set up in your DNS).

Your SPF will look something like this:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net ~all

Ensure to add include:sendgrid.net to your SPF.

The DMARC is there to take action on the SPF. This informs mail servers that you allow SendGrid to send using your domain. If you don't have an SPF set up, then I would advise you to do this.

Ensure to disable link tracking in your SendGrid account to avoid links breaking. Simply go to SendGrid > Settings > Tracking > Click tracking > disable this.

Improve your email deliverability (optional but recommended)

View our email deliverability guide.

Updated on: 18/01/2025