How to Set Up SMTP for Cold Email: Gmail, Outlook, Zoho & More

Setting up SMTP correctly is the foundation of successful cold email. Here's how to configure each major provider.

Gmail / Google Workspace

1. Go to your Google Account > Security > 2-Step Verification (enable it if not already)
2. Go to Security > App passwords
3. Select "Mail" and your device, then click "Generate"
4. Copy the 16-character password (spaces don't matter)



SMTP Settings:

• Host: smtp.gmail.com
• Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
• Username: your full email address
• Password: the app password you generated



IMAP Settings (for reply tracking):

• Host: imap.gmail.com
• Port: 993
• Use SSL: Yes



Daily limit: 500 emails/day for Google Workspace, 100/day for free Gmail.




Outlook / Microsoft 365



1. Go to Microsoft 365 admin > Users > Active users
2. Select the user > Mail > Manage email apps
3. Enable "Authenticated SMTP"
4. Consider disabling Security Defaults for SMTP access



SMTP Settings:

• Host: smtp.office365.com
• Port: 587 (TLS)
• Username: full email address
• Password: account password



IMAP Settings:

• Host: outlook.office365.com
• Port: 993
• Use SSL: Yes



Daily limit: 10,000 emails/day (enterprise), 1,000/day (business basic).




Zoho Mail



1. Go to Zoho Mail > Settings > Mail Accounts
2. Enable IMAP and SMTP access
3. Generate an app-specific password under Security settings



SMTP Settings:

• Host: smtp.zoho.com
• Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
• Username: full email address
• Password: app-specific password



IMAP Settings:

• Host: imap.zoho.com
• Port: 993



IMPORTANT: DNS Configuration




Before sending, configure these DNS records for your domain:



1. **SPF Record** — authorizes your email provider to send on your behalf
2. **DKIM Record** — cryptographically signs your emails
3. **DMARC Record** — tells receiving servers how to handle unauthenticated email



Without these, your emails will land in spam regardless of content quality.