SMTP / IMAP

Use Generic Email when you want Drip Drop to send through a standard SMTP mailbox and optionally receive replies through IMAP. This is the manual connection option for providers that do not have a dedicated native integration.

Note
Generic Email is the manual SMTP and IMAP option. Use Gmail or Outlook instead when you want a native OAuth mailbox flow.
  • You want to send from a mailbox provider that is not covered by a dedicated Drip Drop integration.
  • You want a shared mailbox or custom mail host connected through standard SMTP settings.
  • You may want reply handling through IMAP, but you do not need webhook-based inbound setup.
  • Gather the SMTP server address, SMTP port, username, and password for the mailbox.
  • If you want replies to come back into Drip Drop, also gather the IMAP server address, IMAP port, and any required folder, archive, SSL, or TLS settings.
  • Confirm whether your mailbox provider requires an app password instead of the normal account password.
  • Use a safe test contact for the first outbound and reply test.
Choose Email from the New Integration provider list.
  1. Open Integrations → Email.
  2. Click New Integration and choose Generic Email.
Configure an SMTP mailbox and optionally enable IMAP for inbound replies.
  1. Enter the mailbox username and password.
  2. Enter the SMTP server address and SMTP port number.
  3. Click Save & Continue.
Review the verified sender address used by the Generic Email integration.
  1. Review the Senders step, complete Verify, and then close the wizard. The integration appears in the Email list.
Confirm that credentials are stored and a sender is configured before finishing setup.

Generic Email uses the username and password, or app password, entered in Drip Drop. It does not offer OAuth or a webhook setup step; use Gmail or Outlook when you want a native OAuth mailbox connection.

Enable IMAP and enter the inbound mailbox settings used to receive replies.

If you want Drip Drop to receive replies, enable IMAP in the provider form and complete the incoming-mail settings.

  1. Turn on Enable IMAP.
  2. Enter the IMAP server address and IMAP port number.
  3. Optionally set the IMAP folder and archive folder if your mailbox workflow needs them.
  4. Set Use SSL and Use TLS for incoming IMAP to match your mailbox provider’s requirements.
  5. Save the updated provider settings.
Note
Reply handling only works when IMAP is enabled and the mailbox can be reached with the saved settings.
  • Outbound email uses the saved SMTP server and mailbox credentials. Drip Drop connects with TLS on and SSL off; the Generic Email form does not expose separate SMTP security switches.
  • This is different from Gmail or Outlook OAuth because Drip Drop does not create a provider-managed mailbox connection through a consent screen.
  • Drip Drop can offer the SMTP username as a sender address, but the SMTP server decides which From addresses it allows.

Inbound replies are fetched through IMAP, not through webhooks. Drip Drop polls the configured mailbox and processes matching replies when IMAP is enabled.

  • Drip Drop skips outbound echoes from the same mailbox address.
  • Drip Drop first uses the reply header from the original outbound message. If that match is unavailable, it may thread the message to the most recent outbound email sent to that sender, but that fallback does not create a confirmed REPLY event.
  • If IMAP is off or misconfigured, sending can still work while replies do not appear.
  • Some mailbox providers require an app password or a mailbox-specific access setting for SMTP or IMAP connections.
  • SSL and TLS requirements vary by provider. Use the settings your mailbox host or admin gives you.
  • Generic Email does not configure provider-side delivery, open, or click webhooks. Inbound replies are fetched through IMAP.
Find the configured Email integration and confirm its active status and last verification time.
  • Once saved, Generic Email can be selected anywhere Drip Drop needs an email-capable sender.
  • If IMAP is configured correctly, reply emails can be attached back to the related outbound thread.
  • If only SMTP is configured, the provider can still send even though inbound replies are unavailable.
SMTP problems
  • If sending fails, check the SMTP host, port, username, and password first.
  • If authentication fails, verify whether the mailbox provider requires an app password instead of the normal account password.
  • Outbound SMTP uses TLS on and SSL off; the Generic Email form does not expose separate SMTP security switches.
IMAP problems
  • If replies never appear, confirm Enable IMAP is on and that the IMAP host and port are correct.
  • If the mailbox is reachable but replies still do not appear, check the folder setting and any archive behavior that may move messages unexpectedly.
  • If SSL or TLS is mismatched, IMAP can fail even when the mailbox credentials are correct.
Reply matching problems
  • If a reply reaches the mailbox but is not linked to the expected outbound message, test again with a fresh Drip Drop send so the reply headers are present.
  • Without a matching reply header, Drip Drop may thread the message to the most recent outbound email sent to that sender, but it does not create a confirmed REPLY event. Test with a fresh Drip Drop send when confirmed reply attribution matters.
  • See Integrations for the shared provider setup flow and provider management basics.
  • Compare Gmail or Outlook if you want a native mailbox integration with OAuth instead of manual SMTP and IMAP settings.
  • Compare SendGrid or Mailgun if you want an email service provider integration rather than a mailbox connection.