3.4. Email Configuration

In Nexved CRM, configuring email functionality is essential to ensure smooth communication with clients, leads, and team members. The email configuration will be used for sending various system-generated emails such as invoices, estimates, reminders, and more. This guide will walk you through the process of configuring your SMTP settings for Nexved CRM, allowing for secure and reliable email delivery.

Setting Up SMTP for Nexved CRM

To integrate email sending functionality within Nexved CRM, follow these steps to configure SMTP settings:

1. Navigate to Email Settings:

   • From the left sidebar, go to Settings by clicking on the gear icon.

   • In the Settings menu, find and select Email Configuration.

2. Email Configuration:

   • You will be presented with several fields to enter your email settings. These configurations are crucial for email delivery, and it’s important to correctly configure them for seamless operation.

Configuration Options

1. Mail Engine

Nexved CRM supports two mail engines: PHPMailer and Codeigniter's default mail library. By default, PHPMailer is selected. PHPMailer is a widely used and robust email library, and it is highly recommended for better email delivery and performance. You can find more details about PHPMailer here.

The Codeigniter mail engine is an alternative option that uses the native mail library. However, PHPMailer is generally preferred for its reliability and better support for SMTP configurations.

2. Email Protocol

There are three options for email protocols:

• SMTP: Recommended for secure email delivery.

• Sendmail: Typically used for local mail servers.

• Mail: A less secure option that should generally be avoided for reliable email delivery.

For most users, SMTP is the preferred choice as it offers better deliverability, security, and fewer chances of emails landing in the spam folder.

3. Email Encryption

Encryption is vital for protecting your email communications. Depending on your chosen SMTP port, you should select the appropriate encryption method:

• SSL: Use this if you’re configuring SMTP with port 465.

• TLS: Use this for SMTP with port 587.

• None: Select this if you’re configuring SMTP with port 25 (non-secure, not recommended).

4. SMTP Host

Enter your SMTP server’s hostname (e.g., smtp.gmail.com for Gmail, smtp.mailtrap.io for Mailtrap, or your hosting provider's SMTP server).

5. SMTP Port

Enter the port number for the SMTP server:

• 465: Commonly used for SSL encryption.

• 587: Commonly used for TLS encryption.

• 25: Non-secure, not recommended.

Ensure that the selected port matches the encryption setting.

6. Email

This field should contain the email address you’ll use for sending emails from Nexved CRM. It’s generally a no-reply email such as no-reply@yourcompany.com or info@yourcompany.com.

7. SMTP Username

If your SMTP server requires a username (often used for exchange mailboxes), enter it here. This is usually the same as your email address but can vary depending on your mail server.

8. SMTP Password

Enter the password for the email account used in the SMTP configuration.

9. Email Charset

By default, the UTF-8 charset is used for email encoding. It’s generally recommended not to change this setting unless there’s a specific need for a different character set.

10. BCC All Emails To

If you want to keep track of all outgoing emails from Nexved CRM, you can add a BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) email address. This will send a copy of all emails sent from the CRM to the specified email address. You can add multiple BCC addresses by separating them with commas.

11. Email Signature

This field allows you to set a global email signature for all emails sent through Nexved CRM. The signature will be added to the end of emails unless a custom signature is set by individual users. You can also include merge fields in your signature to personalize it.

12. Predefined Header & Predefined Footer

Nexved CRM allows you to customize the header and footer of all outgoing email templates. By default, these are simple but clean HTML headers and footers. If you need more customization, you can edit the HTML code in these fields. Just ensure that any HTML tags are properly closed to avoid formatting issues.

Testing SMTP Configuration

Once you’ve entered the necessary settings, it’s important to test your email configuration to ensure everything is set up correctly.

1. Test Email: In the Email Configuration page, scroll down to find the Send Test Email section.

2. Enter your email address and click Submit.

3. If the SMTP configuration is correct, you should receive a test email, and Nexved CRM will display a success notification. If there’s an error, a debug message will be shown, helping you identify and resolve any issues.

Common SMTP Errors and Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues when sending test emails, here are a few common error messages and possible solutions:

1. Connection Failed / Connection Refused

• This error typically occurs when Nexved CRM cannot establish a connection to the SMTP server. Ensure the SMTP server’s hostname and port are correctly configured, and that no firewall or security restrictions are blocking the connection.

2. Authentication Failed

• This error happens if the SMTP Username or Password is incorrect. Double-check your login credentials for the email account you’re using. Additionally, ensure that you’ve selected the appropriate encryption and port.

3. Could Not Instantiate Mail Function

• This error may occur if you’re using the Mail protocol, which is not recommended for SMTP configuration. Switch to the SMTP protocol for better reliability.

4. Server Blocking Outbound SMTP

• Some hosting providers block outbound SMTP connections on certain ports (e.g., port 25). If you’re unable to send emails, contact your hosting provider to ensure that the necessary ports are open for SMTP traffic.

Gmail SMTP Configuration Example

For Gmail, use the following configuration:

• Encryption: SSL

• SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com

• SMTP Port: 465 (or use 587 for TLS)

• SMTP Email: youremail@gmail.com

• SMTP Password: Your Gmail password or an App Password (recommended for enhanced security).

If you’re using 2-Factor Authentication with your Gmail account, generate an App Password for SMTP access.