What You'll Achieve
By the end of this setup, you'll have connected your email account to lemlist using SMTP and IMAP, enabling you to send campaigns, receive replies, and manage conversations directly from lemlist.
What You Need Before Starting
✅ An email account you want to connect to lemlist
✅ Email address and password for that account
✅ SMTP and IMAP settings from your email provider (host and port numbers)
✅ Admin access to your email account (to allow third-party app connections if needed)
✅ 5–10 minutes to complete setup
Important: Incompatible SMTP Providers
⛔️ The following SMTP providers are not compatible with lemlist:
Sendgrid
Mailgun
Sendinblue/Brevo
Mailjet
O2switch
AmazonSES
Postmark
Cloudmark
Hostgator
Proton Mail
If you use one of these providers, you'll need to connect a different email account (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, or a custom domain email).
Step 1: Access Sending Settings
Click your workspace name in the bottom-left corner, then choose Settings.
Click connect email address.
Step 2: Select "Other Email Provider"
In the connection options, choose Other email provider (SMTP/IMAP).
This option is for custom email accounts that aren't Gmail, Outlook, or other pre-configured providers.
Step 3: Enter Your Email and Password
After you select Other email provider (SMTP/IMAP), the Login to your email account window opens.
Type your email address (e.g., [email protected])
Enter your password
Click Connect
lemlist will recognize that additional setup is needed and open a pop-up window for SMTP/IMAP configuration.
Step 4: Configure SMTP (Outgoing Mail Server)
SMTP handles sending emails from lemlist.
Enter SMTP Details
SMTP Host: Example: smtp.yourprovider.com
SMTP Port: Common ports: 587 (TLS), 465 (SSL), or 25
SSL: make sure to check SSL for SMTP
Username: Usually your full email address (e.g., [email protected])
Password: Your email account password
💡 Where to find SMTP settings: Check your email provider's support documentation or contact their support team. Search for "[your provider] SMTP settings" (e.g., "GoDaddy SMTP settings").
Step 5: Configure IMAP (Incoming Mail Server)
IMAP handles receiving emails and checking your inbox for replies.
Enter IMAP Details
IMAP Host: Example: imap.yourprovider.com
IMAP Port: Common ports: 993 (SSL) or 143 (TLS)
SSL: Make sure to check SSL for IMAP
Username: Usually your full email address (e.g., [email protected])
Password: Your email account password (same as SMTP)
💡 Pro Tip: The username and password are usually the same for both SMTP and IMAP settings.
Why IMAP Matters
Setting up IMAP is essential for:
✅ Stopping follow-up sequences when replies are received
✅ Tracking replies in your campaign reports
✅ Replying to emails directly from lemlist
Without IMAP, you can't connect your email to lemlist. You must have both SMTP and IMAP.
Step 6: Test and Save Your Settings
After filling in all SMTP and IMAP fields, click Save changes
lemlist will test the connection automatically
If successful, you'll see a confirmation message ✅
Your email account is now connected and ready to use!
How You'll Know It Worked
✓ Success message appears after clicking "Save changes"
✓ Email account shows as connected in Settings → Sending Settings
✓ Test email sent from lemlist arrives in your inbox
To verify:
Send a test email from a lemlist campaign
Reply to the test email from another account
Check that the reply appears in the lemlist (Inbox or campaign activity)
Common Issues & How to Fix Them
Issue: Connection fails after entering SMTP/IMAP settings
Root cause: Incorrect host, port, username, or password.
Fix:
Double-check your email provider's SMTP and IMAP settings
Verify the port numbers are correct (587 for SMTP, 993 for IMAP are the most common)
Ensure that SSL is ticked for both SMTP and IMAP
Ensure username is your full email address
Try the password in your email client first to confirm it works
Contact your email provider if you're unsure of the settings
Issue: SMTP works, but IMAP fails
Root cause: IMAPis not enabled on your email account, or wrong IMAP settings.
Fix:
Log in to your email provider's settings and enable IMAP access
Verify the IMAP host and port are correct
Check if your email provider requires "less secure app access" or an app-specific password
Some providers (e.g., custom domains) require enabling IMAP in account settings
Issue: Authentication error or "invalid credentials"
Root cause: Password incorrect, or email provider requires app-specific password.
Fix:
Reset your email password and try again
If using Gmail or Outlook, you may need to generate an app-specific password (not your regular password)
Check if your email provider requires 2FA or additional security settings
Disable 2FA temporarily to test (not recommended long-term)
Issue: Connection times out
Root cause: Firewall or network restrictions blocking SMTP/IMAP ports.
Fix:
Check if your network or firewall is blocking ports 587 (SMTP) or 993 (IMAP)
Try connecting from a different network (e.g., mobile hotspot) to test
Contact your IT team or email provider to whitelist lemlist's IP addresses
Issue: Using an incompatible SMTP provider
Root cause: You're trying to connect Sendgrid, Mailgun, or another incompatible provider.
Fix:
Switch to a compatible email provider (Gmail, Outlook, or a custom domain email with standard SMTP/IMAP)
See the list of incompatible providers at the top of this guide
Use a different email account that supports SMTP/IMAP
What Happens Next
Once your email is connected:
You can send campaigns from this email address
Replies are automatically detected and logged in lemlist
Follow-up sequences stop when prospects reply
You can reply to emails directly from lemlist's Inbox
Campaign reports show reply rates and activity
Pro Tips
Test the connection before launching campaigns: Send a test email to yourself and reply to verify IMAP is working.
Enable IMAP immediately: Don't skip IMAP setup. Without it, you can't connect email to lemlist.
Generate app-specific passwords: If your email provider uses 2FA, generate an app-specific password for lemlist instead of using your main password.
Check your email provider's documentation: Most providers have detailed SMTP/IMAP setup guides (search "[provider name] SMTP IMAP settings").
Contact support if stuck: If you can't find your SMTP/IMAP settings, contact your email provider's support team, they can provide the exact details.
Common email providers' SMTP/IMAP settings:
Gmail: SMTP: smtp.gmail.com:587, IMAP: imap.gmail.com:993
Outlook/Office 365: SMTP: smtp.office365.com:587, IMAP: outlook.office365.com:993
Yahoo: SMTP: smtp.mail.yahoo.com:587, IMAP: imap.mail.yahoo.com:993
GoDaddy: Check GoDaddy support for your specific domain settings
Custom domains: Contact your hosting provider (e.g., Bluehost, SiteGround, Namecheap)