# Set Up Buyer Email in CloseMagnet

Start with Mailgun's Free plan if keeping the provider subscription at $0 is your priority. Use this guide to prepare sending, replies and delivery tracking in the CloseMagnet Inbox, with SendGrid as the alternative.

Written for client owners setting up their own email account. Pricing checked October 20, 2026. Provider plans and dashboard labels can change.

**Current limitation:** CloseMagnet's Mailgun and SendGrid receiving activation is still held until the required receiving checks are complete. You can prepare a draft connection, but this document does not mean your account is already verified or ready to send.

Resend receiving in the CloseMagnet Inbox is deferred. This does not change existing Resend sending or GoHighLevel conversations, and CloseMagnet will not automatically switch you to IMAP.

## Contents

- [Choose the Starter Plan](#choose-the-starter-plan)
- [Complete Your Setup Worksheet](#complete-your-setup-worksheet)
- [Assign the Setup Tasks](#assign-the-setup-tasks)
- [Connect Mailgun](#connect-mailgun)
- [Connect SendGrid Instead](#connect-sendgrid-instead)
- [Verify and Activate Your Sender](#verify-and-activate-your-sender)
- [Test a Complete Conversation](#test-a-complete-conversation)
- [Set Your Sending Limits](#set-your-sending-limits)
- [Use Your Inbox](#use-your-inbox)
- [Understand the Status Messages](#understand-the-status-messages)
- [Troubleshoot the Connection](#troubleshoot-the-connection)
- [Keep These Official References](#keep-these-official-references)

## Choose the Starter Plan

| Provider | Free Starting Option | Important Limits | Paid Starting Point |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mailgun | An ongoing Free plan advertised at $0/month | 100 emails/day, one custom sending domain, one inbound route, two API keys and one day of logs; SMTP, tracking and webhooks are listed | Basic starts at $15/month with 10,000 emails/month |
| SendGrid | A 60-day free trial, not an ongoing free sending plan | 100 emails/day during the trial; continued sending requires an upgrade | Email API Essentials starts at $19.95/month |

Sources: [Mailgun Pricing](https://www.mailgun.com/pricing/), [SendGrid Pricing](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/pricing), and [SendGrid Free-Plan Retirement](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/changelog/sendgrid-free-plan).

**Recommendation:** Begin the first client test with Mailgun Free. Do not choose a paid-plan trial by mistake, and review the actual account's selected plan before continuing. Do not buy a dedicated IP or deliverability add-on for this initial setup.

**Do not promise free two-way service yet.** An advertised inbound route does not prove the account permits every original-message retrieval, signature and API read that CloseMagnet requires. Verify those permissions on the actual free account. If something is unavailable, identify that exact restriction before discussing an upgrade. SendGrid's signed receiving configuration also needs account-level verification.

The provider subscription is separate from your domain registration and any existing CloseMagnet plan or usage charges. Do not assume every provider feature or every application action is free.

## Complete Your Setup Worksheet

Fill in this non-secret worksheet before opening either setup form. Leave passwords, API keys and signing secrets out of this document.

| Item | Your Value | Example Only |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CloseMagnet client | ____________________ | Your company name |
| Provider | ____________________ | Mailgun |
| Provider region | ____________________ | US |
| Sending domain | ____________________ | deals.example.com |
| Sender name | ____________________ | Your Company Buyers Team |
| From address | ____________________ | team@deals.example.com |
| Reply-To address | ____________________ | replies@deals.example.com |
| Additional reply addresses, if needed | ____________________ | offers@deals.example.com |
| Connection label | ____________________ | Main Buyer Email |
| External test inbox you control | ____________________ | Your own Gmail or Outlook inbox |
| Person who manages your domain records | ____________________ | Owner or website administrator |
| Actual provider allowance | ____________________ | Copy from the provider account |
| Trial expiry, if applicable | ____________________ | Copy the date shown by SendGrid |
| Operator completing CloseMagnet verification | ____________________ | Your implementation contact |

All addresses and domains above are examples. Replace them with addresses you control.

To fit a one-domain starter plan, consider one dedicated subdomain for both sending and replies, as the example shows. Confirm the provider supports that configuration. Do not assume the plan also includes a separately registered root domain and another receiving domain.

Do not replace the mail records for your normal business inbox. Your domain administrator should add only the provider's required records for the agreed domain or subdomain.

## Assign the Setup Tasks

| Person | Their Tasks | Finished When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Client owner | Own the provider account, choose the sender addresses, approve the plan and nominate the test inbox | Worksheet is complete and the correct provider plan is selected |
| Domain administrator | Add and verify the provider's domain records without disrupting existing business email | The provider reports the required records as verified |
| CloseMagnet operator | Configure the integration, verify the live receiver and delivery feed, then record the results | CloseMagnet's required checks pass for the saved connection |
| Client and operator together | Run the controlled conversation and engagement test | Real mail, replies, receipts and the correct conversation are observed |

Three terms used below:

- **SMTP** is the connection CloseMagnet uses to submit outgoing email to your provider.
- **Receiving Endpoint** is the exact address on CloseMagnet's receiving service where the provider reports incoming replies. It is not an email address or SMTP server.
- **Receipt Endpoint** is a different address where the provider reports delivery, bounce and other outgoing-email events. A working reply connection does not automatically prove delivery tracking.

## Connect Mailgun

### 1. Open Your Client-Owned Account

Create or sign in to the client's Mailgun account. Confirm the selected subscription, any account review and the limits displayed there. Enable the account's available sign-in protections.

Use the client's account, not a shared CloseMagnet platform email account. Keep login credentials private.

**Expected result:** You can access the correct client-owned account and its selected plan.

### 2. Add and Verify the Agreed Domain

Add the domain from your worksheet. Choose the intended US or EU region and use that region consistently throughout setup.

Give your domain administrator the exact records Mailgun displays. These can include sending authentication, receiving and tracking records. DNS records tell other systems which service is allowed to handle email for that domain. MX records control incoming mail; changing the wrong MX records can interrupt an existing inbox.

Wait for Mailgun to report the required records as verified. Do not invent record values or replace an existing business-email configuration without approval.

**Expected result:** The intended domain passes the provider's required sending and receiving checks.

### 3. Obtain the Sending and Integration Credentials

In Mailgun, open **Sending -> Domain Settings**, select the domain, then open **SMTP Credentials**. Obtain the domain's SMTP username and password. These are not your dashboard login. [Mailgun SMTP Instructions](https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/sending-messages/send-smtp).

Prepare these settings for the protected CloseMagnet fields:

| Field | Value to Use |
| --- | --- |
| SMTP Host | `smtp.mailgun.org` for US, or `smtp.eu.mailgun.org` for EU |
| SMTP Port / TLS | `587 - STARTTLS` or `465 - TLS`, matching the selected secure connection |
| SMTP Username | The domain's actual SMTP username |
| SMTP Password | The corresponding SMTP password |
| Provider API Key | A dedicated key with the actual account/domain, receiving and receipt read access required by verification |
| Receipt Signing Secret | The provider credential used to verify outgoing-event notifications |
| Receiving Signing Secret | The provider credential used to verify incoming-message notifications |

A signature is a provider-generated proof used to reject forged notifications. Let the operator confirm which signing credential applies to each field. A domain sending-only key is not enough for the required setup and receiving reads.

**Expected result:** Credentials are available for secure entry, without appearing in this worksheet, chat or screenshots.

### 4. Prepare One Receiving Route

Have the operator create a Mailgun route for only the reply addresses in your worksheet. A route is a rule telling Mailgun what to do with mail arriving at those addresses.

Start with the `store()` action and no notification URL. Record the actual Route ID. Do not use a broad catch-all, a normal mailbox-forwarding rule or a guessed callback URL as a substitute.

Mailgun's stored-message flow lets CloseMagnet retrieve the original email. Provider storage is temporary, not a permanent message backup. [Mailgun Route Actions](https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/receive-forward-store/route-actions), [Stored-Message Retrieval](https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/receive-forward-store/storing-and-retrieving-messages).

**Expected result:** You have a route ID for the exact receiving addresses and know whether this account permits original-message retrieval.

### 5. Save a Draft in CloseMagnet

Open the correct client, then **Deal Blasts -> Settings (gear) -> Email Sending -> Add Client Email**.

Select **Mailgun** and **Direct Provider Receiving**. Read **Mailgun Setup Steps** beside the form. On a narrow screen, open **Setup Steps for This Provider**.

Fill in the fields using this mapping:

| CloseMagnet Field | What to Enter | Where It Comes From |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Connection Label | A short internal name, such as Main Buyer Email | You choose it; it is not the sender name |
| Mailgun Sending Domain | The verified domain | Mailgun domain settings |
| Receiving Address | The exact Reply-To address | Your worksheet and receiving route |
| Additional Reply Addresses (Comma-Separated) | Only additional addresses covered by this connection | Your worksheet; leave blank if unnecessary |
| Declared Daily Provider Limit | The actual daily allowance | Provider account; not a desired sales target |
| Receiving Domain | The domain handling those replies | Provider receiving configuration |
| Mailgun Route ID | The real route identifier | The route created in the previous step |
| Mailgun Region | The domain's US or EU region | Mailgun account/domain settings |
| SMTP and Secret Fields | Corresponding credentials | Protected provider settings |

Choose **Save Draft Connection**. Saving a draft does not activate sending or send a test email.

**Expected result:** The saved connection appears, with setup details available to expand.

### 6. Copy the Actual Receiving and Receipt Addresses

Expand the saved connection's **Provider Setup Endpoints**.

Have the operator update the same Mailgun route using the exact displayed **Mailgun Route Expression** and **Receiving Endpoint**. The route action must store the message and notify that displayed endpoint. Copy the complete value; do not substitute the application homepage, SMTP host or an example URL.

Configure outgoing event notifications separately using the displayed **Receipt Endpoint** and the matching signing credential. Required coverage includes delivery, failure/bounce, complaint and unsubscribe handling. Configure supported open/click events for engagement testing as well.

**Expected result:** Incoming replies and outgoing delivery events point to their own correct endpoints. The connection is still a draft until verification passes.

### 7. Stop at Any Unfinished Platform Check

If CloseMagnet reports **Receiving Check Required** or says an operator must finish verification, hand the connection to the operator. You do not need another mailbox or an IMAP account for this native Mailgun path.

Continue to [Verify and Activate Your Sender](#verify-and-activate-your-sender) only after the operator confirms the platform check is complete.

## Connect SendGrid Instead

Use this section only when SendGrid is the chosen provider. Do not activate a second provider to avoid fixing a failed check. CloseMagnet supports one active provider for new outgoing client email in this release.

1. **Confirm the plan and trial end date.** Use the Email API product for this connection. Do not buy Marketing Campaigns solely to connect the CloseMagnet Inbox. Record the actual account allowance and trial expiry in the worksheet.
2. **Authenticate the sending domain.** Open SendGrid's sender authentication settings and add the exact records supplied for the intended domain. Have your domain administrator verify receiving records for the chosen receiving hostname as well.
3. **Create the sending credentials.** For SMTP, use `smtp.sendgrid.net`, username literally `apikey`, and the sending API key as the password. Select `587 - STARTTLS` or `465 - TLS`. [SendGrid SMTP Instructions](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/sending-email/integrating-with-the-smtp-api).
4. **Have the operator prepare signed receiving.** SendGrid calls this **Inbound Parse**. It sends incoming mail to the application. The operator creates a receiving security policy, saves its policy ID and verification public key, and attaches that policy to the receiving configuration. This is separate from outgoing delivery tracking. [Signed Inbound Parse Setup](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/parsing-email/securing-your-parse-webhooks).
5. **Open the CloseMagnet form.** Use **Deal Blasts -> Settings (gear) -> Email Sending -> Add Client Email**. Select **SendGrid** and **Direct Provider Receiving**.
6. **Enter the actual account details.** Fill in Connection Label, Provider Account Key, receiving addresses/domain, SendGrid Parse Security Policy ID, SendGrid API Region, SMTP settings, Provider API Key, Receiving Verification Public Key, Event Webhook Verification Public Key and Declared Daily Provider Limit. The account key must match the identity returned by the API credentials, not a guessed friendly name.
7. **Save the draft and copy its endpoints.** Open **Provider Setup Endpoints**. Have the operator configure the receiving hostname with the displayed Receiving Endpoint, the signed policy and full original MIME. MIME means the original email, including headers, content and attachments. [Inbound Parse Configuration](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/parsing-email/setting-up-the-inbound-parse-webhook).
8. **Configure the separate signed Event Webhook.** Use the displayed Receipt Endpoint and its corresponding verification key for required delivery/failure, bounce, complaint and unsubscribe coverage, plus supported open/click events. [Event Webhook Overview](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/tracking-events/twilio-sendgrid-event-webhook-overview).
9. **Check account access before paying.** Confirm signed receiving, original-message handling and the required configuration reads are available to this account. A pricing page or an ordinary unsigned test does not prove those checks pass.
10. **Wait for the operator's platform verification.** Then complete the sender and conversation checks below. Record the actual results; do not treat the trial signup as successful integration.

## Verify and Activate Your Sender

Complete these steps after CloseMagnet support confirms that the receiving check has passed. Do not use an existing CRM sender test as proof that a custom provider is ready.

1. Open the saved connection and choose **Add Sender Identity**.
2. Enter **Sender Name**, **From Address** and **Reply-To Address**, then choose **Save Sender for Verification**. Reply-To must be covered by the connection's receiving addresses.
3. Select **Sender to Verify** and confirm **Receiving Address (Sender Reply-To)**.
4. Choose **Create Setup Challenge**. This creates specific test instructions, not an automatic email send.
5. Have the operator arrange the authorized probe using the exact displayed **Probe From**, **Probe To** and **Exact Subject**, before **Expires**. Do not send a guessed test or use a real buyer.
6. Complete **Verify Opt-Out Handling** when shown, then choose **Check Probe Evidence**. This setup check must not unsubscribe a real buyer.
7. Review **Sending**, **Receiving** and **Delivery Tracking**, including their check times. Expand **Tracking Coverage and Connection Details** if a check has not passed.
8. Review the sender and actual provider allowance, then choose **Activate for New Email** only when the saved connection reports **Ready**.

**Expected result:** The verified custom connection is the route for new email. Existing conversations retain their original route. An additional sender address or replacement credential needs its own applicable verification.

## Test a Complete Conversation

Use only the external inbox you control. Approve the exact recipient and bounded test-message count before sending. Normal provider or application usage charges can apply.

1. **Send an ordinary email from CloseMagnet.** Choose the reviewed buyer/test contact and verified sender. Confirm the name, From address and Reply-To in the received email, not just in the compose screen.
2. **Confirm a real delivery receipt.** Wait for provider evidence tied to that exact message and recipient. Queued means waiting; Sent means submitted; Delivered requires a recorded receipt. A provider's simulated test event is not proof of actual delivery.
3. **Reply from the external inbox.** Confirm that the reply appears against the correct buyer and conversation in CloseMagnet.
4. **Answer inside CloseMagnet.** Open that message and choose **Review Reply**. Review the draft and choose **Queue Reviewed Email** after the required human confirmation. Do not choose New Email when continuing a conversation.
5. **Reply again from the external inbox.** Confirm the second incoming reply continues the same conversation rather than creating unrelated threads.
6. **Test one small permitted attachment.** Check the received file and its authorized readback. Do not start with a maximum-size file. Large-message capacity is a separate operator check.
7. **Test blast attribution separately.** An ordinary New Email conversation is not automatically a blast. For blast statistics, have the operator approve a controlled email-only test blast to the test buyer. Open it, click its actual deal link and reply. Check the matching recipient's recorded activity and the blast totals. Include any normal AI usage in that approval.
8. **Record the result.** Complete the checklist below. Do not count an operator preview as a buyer open or click.

| Check | Result / Evidence Reference |
| --- | --- |
| Correct sender and Reply-To in the received email | ____________________ |
| Exact-message provider delivery receipt | ____________________ |
| First incoming reply on the correct buyer | ____________________ |
| CloseMagnet answer received externally | ____________________ |
| Second reply in the same conversation | ____________________ |
| Small attachment received and readable | ____________________ |
| Authorized test-blast open recorded | ____________________ |
| Authorized test-blast click recorded | ____________________ |
| Reply attributed to that test blast | ____________________ |
| Operator previews do not create buyer activity | ____________________ |
| Required failure, bounce, complaint and opt-out coverage checked separately | ____________________ |
| Date, provider, sender and operator recorded | ____________________ |

Do not deliberately generate spam complaints against a real address. Use the provider's approved test facilities for applicable negative cases and label simulated events as simulated. A delivery event does not prove inbox placement, and automated privacy tools or scanners can affect opens and clicks.

## Set Your Sending Limits

Open **Deal Blasts -> Settings (gear) -> Email Sending -> Sending Limits**.

Read the current saved values first. Do not reset an established client's settings just because examples in a guide differ.

- **Hourly Target:** Your requested ceiling before other restrictions. It does not override the provider's allowance.
- **Current Warm-Up Cap:** The present hourly limit while a sender builds verified healthy history.
- **Daily Cap:** The application's current daily ceiling. Keep it within the actual provider allowance and leave room for human replies and test mail.
- **Batch Size:** How many recipient slots can be released together. It is not a promise that a batch can send immediately.
- **Local Send Window:** The hours and timezone in which sending is permitted.
- **Recipients Waiting:** People currently waiting in the queue, not a failed-message count.

For the initial test, use one recipient and keep the existing new-sender safeguards. Do not switch to Established Sender to avoid a hold. Tell the operator if the provider has a lower remaining allowance than the saved policy; do not repeatedly press Send to force the queue.

## Use Your Inbox

Open **Deal Blasts -> Inbox**. Use Unread for new activity or All for conversations you have already read. Use buyer, property, blast and source filters to narrow the list.

Reply within the existing conversation using **Review Reply**. Use **New Email** only to start a new conversation. Keep replies human-reviewed; this release does not provide automatic AI replies.

Client-email conversations stay in CloseMagnet. Existing LeadAttractor CRM conversations keep their original CRM route and history. Choosing a custom provider does not move old conversations or copy custom-provider messages into the CRM.

Folders and Trash are shared by the client's team. Unread status is personal. Owners/admins control folder management and confirmed Delete Forever. Local Inbox deletion does not delete provider copies or recorded blast evidence.

## Understand the Status Messages

| Message | Plain-English Meaning | Who Acts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Draft | Settings were saved, but sending is not activated | Operator completes verification |
| Ready | Required checks passed for the saved connection | Owner/operator reviews activation |
| Receiving Check Required | CloseMagnet has not recorded the required live receiving proof | CloseMagnet operator |
| Health Coverage Is Unverified | Complete, current delivery-health evidence is missing; this does not by itself prove SMTP is disconnected | Operator checks the receipt feed and evidence |
| Warm-up increases paused | The application is not increasing limits without healthy sending evidence | Operator reviews the cause; do not raise limits to bypass it |
| No Email Waiting | There are no queued recipients to estimate | No queue action needed |
| Queued | The application has not released the message yet | Review limits/holds; do not duplicate the send |
| Sent | The provider accepted submission, not necessarily delivery | Wait for exact-message delivery evidence |
| Delivered | A matching delivery receipt was recorded | Continue the controlled reply test |


## Troubleshoot the Connection

| Problem | Check First | Safe Next Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sending works but replies never arrive | Reply-To, receiving-domain records, receiving route and Receiving Endpoint | Have the operator inspect that exact path |
| Replies arrive but Delivered stays empty | Separate Receipt Endpoint, signing credential and message correlation | Verify outgoing-event coverage; do not resend just to create a receipt |
| Ready never appears | The named failed check and its recorded time | Fix that cause; do not select another provider to bypass it |
| A free plan prompts for an upgrade | Actual selected plan and the precise unavailable permission/feature | Record the restriction before approving any paid plan |
| A sender test passed but health is unverified | The test sender versus complete receipt/bounce/complaint coverage | Ask the operator to verify the missing coverage |
| New mail uses an unexpected sender | Active connection and verified sender identity | Compare with the received email's actual headers |
| A reply starts a separate conversation | Whether New Email was used and the original conversation route | Continue through Review Reply and have the operator check threading |
| A reply is not counted against a blast | Exact email thread and the original blast message | Do not credit unrelated conversations to a blast |
| An attachment is rejected | Size and type allowed by the actual form | Try a smaller permitted file; do not disable limits |
| SendGrid stops after the trial | Trial end date and selected Email API package | Approve a paid plan or a separately reviewed provider change |

## Keep These Official References

These links explain current provider screens and policies. Application setup is source-reviewed, not proof of a successful test on your account.

- [Mailgun Pricing](https://www.mailgun.com/pricing/)
- [Mailgun SMTP Setup](https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/sending-messages/send-smtp)
- [Mailgun Route Actions](https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/receive-forward-store/route-actions)
- [Mailgun Stored-Message Retrieval](https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/receive-forward-store/storing-and-retrieving-messages)
- [SendGrid Pricing](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/pricing)
- [SendGrid Free-Plan Retirement](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/changelog/sendgrid-free-plan)
- [SendGrid SMTP Setup](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/sending-email/integrating-with-the-smtp-api)
- [SendGrid Receiving Configuration](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/parsing-email/setting-up-the-inbound-parse-webhook)
- [SendGrid Signed Receiving](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/parsing-email/securing-your-parse-webhooks)
- [SendGrid Delivery Event Webhook](https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/tracking-events/twilio-sendgrid-event-webhook-overview)

Read online: https://docs.closemagnet.com/guides/client-email-provider-setup