Outgoing Mail Server Setup Help

Overview

For optimal results, use your own email address to send automatic notification emails from the website. This allows event participants to reply directly to you, reinforces your event’s brand, and gives you fuller access to sent mail and responses.

Default Mailbox Details

• The default mailbox is managed solely by ARD Software and is not regularly monitored.

• The default outgoing shared email address is: noreply@ardsoftware.com or noreply_isa@ardsoftware.com

• As the daily outgoing mail limit is shared between ARD Software users, this mailbox can be open to overuse at peak times, and in turn resulting in mail not sent.

• Using your own outgoing email server keeps you in greater control of correspondence and daily sending limits.

Important Notice

Do not change to your own outgoing mail server until you have verified your settings using the ‘Test Settings’ option on the SMTP settings page. Unverified settings can result in missed emails, which may interrupt order completions - especially in the Stripe checkout process, which requires an active email service.

How to Set Up Your SMTP Email Address

1. Access Settings

   • Go to: Administration > Settings > Mail tab

2. Change Outgoing Server

   • In the Outgoing Server dropdown, select SMTP (instead of DEFAULT)

   • This opens additional fields for SMTP setup

3. Enter Mailbox Information

   • Host: e.g., smtp.gmail.com or smtp.office365.com

   • Port (Encryption):

     • TLS: use port 587

     • SSL: use port 465

     • Confirm with your Email Service provider

   • Encryption: Choose TLS or SSL as specified by your provider

   • Username: Your full mailbox address (e.g., example@domain.com)

   • Password: The mailbox password

   • From Name: The name displayed as sender 

     • The “From Name” is the display text that appears as the sender in recipients’ inboxes—for example: “City Show Team.” This is not used for authentication; it’s simply what people see as the sender’s label and is branding for your site. 

   • From Address: The email address that sends notifications

     • To meet industry standards and improve deliverability, your sender domain should be set up with DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). The “From Address” is the actual email address (e.g., support@city-show.com) that sends your message. DMARC and DKIM authentication are attached to this email address, specifically to the domain part. For DKIM and DMARC to pass, the domain in the DKIM signature and/or SPF record must match the domain in the ‘From Address’. In strict policy, these should be an exact match—if they do not align, emails can be rejected or sent to spam.

   These details can be requested from your email service provider.

4. Save Settings

   • Click SAVE to apply changes

5. Verify Setup

   • Use the Test Settings button to ensure emails are working

   • You should receive a confirmation email as the site admin

   • Check that the test email appears in your Sent mailbox

   • Email text:
     “This is test email. If you get it that means system configurations are working.”

After Setup

When settings are correct and verified, all automatic notifications will be sent through your mailbox. Track email activity via your Sent mailbox.

Tips

• Always verify new SMTP credentials before switching servers.

• Contact your email service provider for setup help.

• Monitor your Sent mailbox to confirm delivery of notifications.