Gmail SMTP settings and IMAP settings: server, port and app password
Gmail SMTP and IMAP settings: smtp.gmail.com on port 587 with STARTTLS, imap.gmail.com on port 993 with SSL, and a Google app password.
Gmail's SMTP server is smtp.gmail.com on port 587 with STARTTLS, and its IMAP server is imap.gmail.com on port 993 with SSL. The username is your full Gmail address. As the password, use a 16-character Google app password, not your normal Google password. App passwords only exist once 2-Step Verification is on.
Gmail SMTP and IMAP settings at a glance
| Setting | Outgoing mail (SMTP) | Incoming mail (IMAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Server | smtp.gmail.com | imap.gmail.com |
| Port | 587 | 993 |
| Encryption | STARTTLS (leave "SSL" off for port 587) | SSL on |
| Username | Your full Gmail address | Your full Gmail address |
| Password | A Google app password | The same app password |
The same settings work for a personal Gmail account and for Google Workspace, where your address is on your own domain.
Why port 587 has "SSL" switched off
Port 587 is Gmail's STARTTLS submission port. The connection starts plain and switches to TLS right after the server's greeting, so your mail is still encrypted. Many apps show this as a checkbox called "SSL" or "Use secure connection", and on port 587 it should be off. Turning SSL on for port 587 is a mismatch. Port 993 for IMAP is the opposite: it needs SSL from the start, so SSL must be on there.
Terlido's IMAP/SMTP form warns you when the two do not match: it suggests switching SSL off on a port that normally starts plain, and on on a port that normally needs SSL from the start.
How to create a Google app password
Gmail refuses your normal Google password in apps that connect over SMTP and IMAP. You need an app password instead:
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for the Google account. App passwords do not exist without it.
- Open myaccount.google.com/apppasswords and create a new app password. Give it a name you will recognise later, such as the name of the app.
- Copy the 16-character code Google shows you and paste it into the app's password field.
You can revoke an app password at any time without changing your Google login.
Google Workspace accounts
Google Workspace uses the same servers and ports. The difference is control: an administrator can switch app passwords off for the whole organization. If you have turned on 2-Step Verification and still see no app password option, ask your Workspace administrator.
Common problems and fixes
- The password is rejected. You are probably using your normal Google password. Create an app password and use that.
- There is no app password option. Turn on 2-Step Verification first. On Google Workspace, an administrator may have turned app passwords off.
- The connection fails. Check the SSL setting against the port: off for SMTP on 587, on for IMAP on 993.
- Sending stops partway through a busy day. You may have hit Gmail's daily sending limit (see below).
Gmail sending limits
Correct SMTP settings do not change how much Gmail lets you send. Google's help pages give 500 recipients a day for a personal Gmail account and 2,000 messages a day for Google Workspace. If you go over, Gmail can stop the account from sending for up to 24 hours, and that includes your normal email. In Terlido, a Gmail mailbox's daily send setting can never go above 2,000.
Outlook and Microsoft 365
If you want to connect an Outlook or Microsoft 365 mailbox to Terlido, you do not need SMTP settings at all. Terlido connects those mailboxes through Microsoft's own sign-in (Microsoft Graph): you choose Microsoft and approve access. Some organizations require an administrator to approve the app first. The help article Connect a Microsoft mailbox has the steps.
Connect Gmail to Terlido
Terlido uses exactly the Gmail settings above, and fills them in for you:
- In Terlido, open Mailboxes, choose Connect mailbox, then Connect Gmail.
- Enter your Gmail address and paste the 16-character app password. Spaces in the code do not matter.
- Save, and check that the mailbox shows as connected.
Once connected, the mailbox can send campaigns and newsletters, take part in warmup, and sync its inbox, so replies show up in Terlido. The help article Connect a Gmail mailbox covers the same steps with screenshots. For any other provider, connect a custom IMAP/SMTP mailbox with the server details your provider gives you; Terlido checks the connection before it saves your login.