Connecting your mailbox

Connecting your mailbox

To send emails through Searchlize, you need to connect your sending mailbox. Emails are always sent from your own mailbox, not from our servers.

→ Open mailbox settings — keep this tab open and come back here whenever you need the next step.

Gmail / Google Workspace

Gmail is connected using an App Password — a 16-character password that Google generates specifically for Searchlize. Your real Google password is never entered into Searchlize, and you can revoke the App Password at any time without changing your account password.

Step 1 — Turn on 2-Step Verification

App Passwords are only available once 2-Step Verification is enabled.

1. Open myaccount.google.com/security.
2. Under How you sign in to Google, click 2-Step Verification.
3. Follow the steps to turn it on.

Step 2 — Generate an App Password

1. Open myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.
2. Type a name you'll recognise, e.g. Searchlize.
3. Click Create.
4. Google shows a 16-character password. Copy it — it's shown only once.

Step 3 — Add the mailbox in Searchlize

1. Go to Settings → Sending mailbox.
2. Click Add mailbox and fill in:
   • Email — your full address, e.g. you@yourcompany.com
   • SMTP host — smtp.gmail.com
   • Port — 465
   • Password — the 16-character App Password (paste it without spaces)
3. Click Test connection, then save.

Note for Google Workspace: your administrator can disable App Passwords for the whole organisation. If the App Passwords page doesn't open, or you get an authentication error, ask your admin to allow them.

Heads-up: Google permanently disabled "less secure apps" (signing in with your normal password over SMTP) on 1 May 2025. An App Password is now the supported way to connect Gmail to an external sender.

Outlook / Microsoft 365

1. Go to Settings → Sending mailbox.
2. Click Connect Outlook.
3. Sign in to your Microsoft account.
4. Grant the required permissions.

Note: If you don't see the login window, check that your browser isn't blocking pop-ups.

Other SMTP servers

Any provider that offers SMTP will work.

1. Go to Settings → Sending mailbox.
2. Click Add mailbox and enter your server details:
   • SMTP host and port (usually 465 for SSL)
   • Username (usually your full email address)
   • Password
3. Click Test connection to verify the settings.

Troubleshooting

"Username and Password not accepted" You used your normal Google password instead of an App Password, or 2-Step Verification isn't enabled yet. Go back to Step 1.

The App Passwords page won't open Either 2-Step Verification is off, or (on Google Workspace) your administrator has blocked App Passwords.

Connection times out Check the port — use 465. Some networks block outbound SMTP; try a different connection.

Ready to connect?

→ Go to mailbox settings

Deliverability

Before you start sending, make sure your sending domain has SPF, DKIM and DMARC configured, and warm the mailbox up gradually. Cold mailboxes that suddenly send large volumes land in spam. See Google's Email sender guidelines for the current requirements.