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How to connect Gmail with SMTP credentials

5 min read

Outreachbox lets you send outreach emails directly from your own Gmail address — so replies land in your inbox and everything stays in one place. To do this, Gmail requires you to generate a dedicated App Password rather than using your regular login password. This guide walks you through the full setup.

Before you start

  • You need a Google account with 2-Step Verification enabled. App Passwords are only available once 2FA is turned on.
  • If your Google account is managed by a Workspace admin (e.g. a company account), they may need to allow App Passwords first — check with them if you don't see the option.
  • You need an Outreachbox account on any paid plan.

Step 1 — Enable 2-Step Verification on your Google account

Skip this step if 2FA is already on.

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

Step 2 — Generate a Gmail App Password

  1. Go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords. You may be asked to sign in again.
  2. In the App name field, type Outreachbox (or any label you'll recognise later).
  3. Click Create.
  4. Google will show you a 16-character password. Copy it now — you won't be able to see it again.
Keep this password safe. It grants full access to send email from your Gmail account. Never share it and don't put it in a public place. If it's ever compromised, revoke it immediately from the same App Passwords page.

Step 3 — Add the SMTP credentials in Outreachbox

  1. Open the Outreachbox web app and go to Settings → Email Sender.
  2. Select SMTP as the provider.
  3. Fill in the fields:
    • SMTP host: smtp.gmail.com
    • Port: 587 (TLS — recommended, and the default in the form). Use 465 (SSL) only if 587 doesn't work on your network.
    • Username: your full Gmail address (e.g. you@gmail.com)
    • Password: the 16-character App Password you just generated
  4. Click Test connection to verify the credentials. You should see a success confirmation before proceeding.
  5. Click Save configuration to finalise.

Step 4 — Send your first email

Once the connection is verified, you can select your Gmail address as the sending account when composing outreach from any contact in your pipeline. Replies will arrive in your Gmail inbox as normal.

Troubleshooting

“Authentication failed” or “Invalid credentials”

Double-check that you're using the App Password, not your regular Gmail password. Also make sure 2-Step Verification is still enabled — disabling it automatically revokes all App Passwords.

“App Passwords” option doesn't appear in my Google account

This happens when 2FA is not enabled, or when your account is on Google Workspace and the admin has restricted App Passwords. Ask your Google Workspace admin to enable App Passwords under Admin console → Security → Authentication → App Passwords.

Connection times out

Try switching between port 465 (SSL) and 587 (TLS). Some networks block one or the other.

Revoking access

To disconnect Gmail from Outreachbox, go to Settings → Email Sender and remove the account. Then visit myaccount.google.com/apppasswords and delete the Outreachbox App Password to fully revoke access.

Still stuck? Email us at support@outreachbox.co and we'll get you sorted.