Send Ghost mail through SecureSMTP
Self-hosted Ghost: put our SMTP settings in config.production.json for sign-in links and member emails. Ghost(Pro) has no SMTP setting, and newsletters need Mailgun.
Setup
Ghost has its own SMTP fields. Enter our SMTP settings there; the password is your site’s API key.
- 1
Create a SecureSMTP account
Sign up at securessmtp.com/signup. The Free plan includes 5,000 emails a month. No card needed.
- 2
Add a site and copy its API key
Dashboard → Sites → + Add website. The last step shows the site’s API key (it starts with qcs_live_). It is shown only once, so copy it. The API keys page (/app/forms/api-keys) also shows the SMTP settings.
- 3
Enter the SMTP settings in Ghost
Self-hosted Ghost only. In config.production.json set "mail": { "transport": "SMTP", "from": "Your Site <[email protected]>", "options": { "host": "smtp.securessmtp.com", "port": 587, "secure": false, "auth": { "user": "securessmtp", "pass": "<your site API key>" } } }, then run ghost restart. This covers sign-in links, signup emails and staff emails. Ghost(Pro) has no SMTP setting, and Ghost newsletters (bulk mail) need Mailgun, so they cannot go through SecureSMTP.
- 4
Send a test
Open your site in a private window and sign in as a member. The sign-in link should arrive, and it shows up in the Email log in your dashboard.
- 5
Send from your own domain
New accounts send only from their own verified domain. Add a sending domain (any plan, including Free) and publish its DKIM record. Until it is verified you can send test emails to yourself. See securessmtp.com/docs/guides/domains-and-dns.
Host smtp.securessmtp.com Port 587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL/TLS) Username securessmtp Password your site's API key (Dashboard → Sites) Auth PLAIN or LOGIN
What you get
DKIM-signed email
Every email is signed with DKIM. With a verified sending domain it is signed as your domain, so DMARC passes for your domain.
Spam check before sending
Each email goes through a content check and an AI spam check before it leaves, so junk form posts do not go out under your name.
Email log and events
Every email is in the dashboard Email log with its status. Delivered, bounced, opened and clicked events can be posted to your server by webhook.
Retries on temporary errors
If the receiving server asks us to try again later, we keep trying and send an email.delayed event.
FAQ
How long does setup take?
A few minutes: add a site, then enter the SMTP settings in Ghost. New accounts also add their sending domain and publish one DNS record, because they send only from their own verified domain.
Which From address will people see?
New accounts send from their own verified sending domain, so mail goes out from the address you set for that domain. Any plan, including Free, can add one. Until it is verified you can send test emails to yourself. Older accounts can keep using [email protected] for a limited time, with your sender name, and the original From address becomes the Reply-To.
What happens if SecureSMTP cannot be reached?
The API call or SMTP login fails and the platform or automation tool shows the error; most automation tools can retry a failed step. Once we accept an email, we keep retrying if the receiving server asks us to try again later.
Can I send from my own domain?
Yes, and new accounts need to. Any plan can add a sending domain (Free includes 1). Add it in the dashboard and publish one DKIM TXT record (the advanced setup adds two more records). Emails sent from a verified domain do not count toward the monthly limit.