Short Answer
To connect email through SMTP/IMAP in BrandJet, go to brandjet.ai/accounts, click Add Account, choose Existing Mailbox, and enter the mailbox details from your email provider. You need the email address, SMTP username, SMTP password, SMTP host and port, IMAP host and port, and the right security mode, usually SSL or TLS.
Use SMTP for sending and IMAP for receiving replies. SMTP is the mail sending path. IMAP is the mailbox reading path. BrandJet needs both if you want the mailbox to work cleanly for outreach and reply tracking.
The key thing is to use provider-specific settings. For Gmail or Google Workspace, BrandJet specifically points you toward an app password. I would not use your normal password if the provider requires app passwords, because verification will fail even if the password looks correct.
Before You Start
SMTP/IMAP is the right option when your mailbox is hosted outside BrandJet or when the direct OAuth connection is not the best fit. It does not require DNS or nameserver changes. You are simply giving BrandJet the mailbox connection settings that your provider already supports.
| Field | What To Put There |
|---|---|
| Account Name | A readable label, like Your Company Email. |
| Email Address | The sender email address people will see. |
| SMTP Username | Usually the full email address, unless your provider says otherwise. |
| SMTP Password | The email password or app password. |
| SMTP Host And Port | The provider SMTP server, often port 465 for SSL or 587 for TLS. |
| IMAP Host And Port | The provider IMAP server, often port 993 for SSL. |
Open Existing Mailbox In BrandJet
Go to brandjet.ai/accounts and click Add Account. In the Email Accounts row, choose Existing Mailbox. This opens the SMTP/IMAP connection form.
Fill The SMTP Sending Details
Start with the sending side. Add an account name and the email address. Then fill in SMTP username and SMTP password. In many providers, the username is the full mailbox address. The password might be a normal mailbox password, but for Gmail, Google Workspace, and many secure providers, it should be an app password.
Next, enter the SMTP host and port. The BrandJet form shows smtp.gmail.com with port 465 as an example. That is useful for a Gmail-like setup, but do not blindly copy it for every provider. Your mail host might use a different server name, port, or security mode.
For security, choose SSL, TLS, or None. In normal outreach setups, SSL or TLS is what you want. I would avoid None unless your mail provider explicitly tells you to use it, because it sends the connection without the secure wrapper most providers expect.
Fill The IMAP Reply Details
After SMTP, fill in the IMAP host and port. IMAP is what lets BrandJet read the mailbox and understand replies. The form shows imap.gmail.com with port 993 as an example. Again, that is provider-specific, so use the values from your email host.
BrandJet also gives you an option to use a different mailbox for receiving replies. Leave this off if the same email address sends and receives replies. Turn it on only when your sending mailbox and reply mailbox are different. That setup can be useful, but it adds one more place where credentials can be wrong.
Verify And Connect The Mailbox
Once the fields are filled, click Verify & Connect Mailbox. BrandJet will test the credentials and server settings. If the test passes, the mailbox becomes available on the Accounts page.
If verification fails, check the boring details first. These are usually the real problem: one wrong character in the host, a password pasted with a space, the wrong security mode, or a provider that requires app passwords while you are using the normal login password.
Common SMTP/IMAP Mistakes To Avoid
| Mistake | Why It Breaks The Connection |
|---|---|
| Using The Wrong Password Type | Many providers reject normal passwords and require app passwords. |
| Mixing SSL And TLS Ports | Port 465 is commonly SSL, while 587 is commonly TLS. |
| Using SMTP Host For IMAP | SMTP sends mail. IMAP reads mail. They are usually different hosts. |
| Wrong Username Format | Some providers need the full email address, others use only the mailbox name. |
| Reply Mailbox Mismatch | Using a different reply mailbox without the right IMAP credentials breaks reply sync. |
What I Would Check First If It Fails
I would start with the provider documentation and confirm the exact SMTP and IMAP values. Then I would check the password type. If the provider uses two-factor authentication, you probably need an app password or a provider-specific integration setting.
After that, check ports and security. A correct host with the wrong port can still fail. A correct port with the wrong SSL or TLS choice can also fail. The safest approach is to copy the provider values exactly, then test again inside BrandJet.
How To Read Provider SMTP/IMAP Settings
When your provider gives SMTP and IMAP settings, read them literally. Do not mix values from different providers and do not assume that every mailbox uses Gmail-style defaults. The host, port, and security mode work together. If one is wrong, BrandJet can reject the connection even when the email address and password are correct.
A simple way to think about it is this: SMTP is the route BrandJet uses to send mail, and IMAP is the route BrandJet uses to read the inbox. Each route has its own server name and port. Some providers use the same domain pattern for both, while others do not. That is why copying only the SMTP server and using it for IMAP is a common mistake.
If your provider supports app passwords, use an app password for BrandJet. App passwords are designed for tools that need mailbox access without using your main login password. They also avoid many two-factor authentication issues.
A Clean Way To Test SMTP/IMAP
After the mailbox verifies, send one test message and then reply to it. The sent test checks SMTP. The reply check tests whether IMAP is doing what you expect. If the send works but replies do not show up, look at IMAP first. If the reply appears in the mailbox but BrandJet cannot see it, the issue is usually the IMAP host, port, security mode, or mailbox folder access.
Collect These SMTP/IMAP Values Before You Fill The Form
The fastest SMTP/IMAP setup is the one where you collect the provider details before opening the BrandJet form. You need the sending host, sending port, sending security mode, login username, password or app password, receiving host, receiving port, and receiving security mode.
For many providers, the username is the full email address. For some, it can be a mailbox-specific username. Do not guess if the first verification fails. Check the provider documentation or the admin panel, then paste the exact values into BrandJet.
I would also confirm whether your provider wants SSL on port 465 or TLS on port 587 for SMTP. Both are common, but they are not interchangeable in every setup. For IMAP, port 993 with SSL is the common secure option, but again, use the provider value if it differs.
When To Use A Different Reply Mailbox
Most teams should leave the different reply mailbox option turned off. The clean setup is one mailbox that sends outreach and receives replies. That makes tracking easier and removes one extra set of credentials from the connection.
Use a different reply mailbox only when your email setup is intentionally split. For example, your sending mailbox might be dedicated to outbound messages while replies are routed to a shared inbox. In that case, BrandJet needs accurate IMAP access for the reply mailbox, not just SMTP access for the sender.
If you turn this option on without a real reason, troubleshooting gets harder. You now have two mailboxes, two sets of access settings, and more ways for the verification to fail.