SMTP server for e-commerce and business systems – deliver your emails with Make Sender SMTP
In short: Make Sender SMTP is a service that sends automatic emails from your online store, website, or business system, such as order confirmations, receipts, and password reset links. You simply enter a few settings in the system you already use, and Make handles the rest. You can use templates from Make, send to your own contact lists, monitor delivery, and your data is stored on servers in Norway.
Almost all online stores, content management systems, and business platforms have a field called "SMTP server". This is where you specify who should send the automated emails on your behalf.
If you choose the wrong provider, emails may end up in spam or not be delivered at all. Below you will learn what an SMTP server does, why it pays to use a dedicated service, and how to get started with Make.
What is an SMTP server?
SMTP is the standard protocol used to send email across the internet. An SMTP server acts as the post office that receives email from your system and delivers it to the recipient.
When you use Make Sender SMTP, your system sends the email to Make, and Make ensures it reaches the inbox.
Why not send emails yourself?
While you can set up your own email server, maintaining it requires significant effort.
Reputation. Gmail and Outlook do not trust unknown senders. A new server with no sending history is easily flagged as spam, regardless of your content.
High volumes. When sending many emails at once, such as during a sale, everything must be delivered quickly and without errors.
Blocklists. If your server ends up on a blocklist, someone must detect it and resolve the issue quickly.
Security. Servers require ongoing updates and 24/7 monitoring.
Unsubscribes and invalid addresses. These must be handled correctly, also for GDPR compliance.
Make handles all of this for you.
Can I use the email service from my web host?
Often, no. The email service provided by many web hosts is designed for personal email, not for automated emails sent from a website or system. Domeneshop recommends that their customers use a dedicated provider for automated mailings, and highlights Make as one of two Norwegian alternatives.
How to get started
Get a subscription. Make Sender SMTP is available to all paying customers. Choose a plan that covers your monthly email volume.
Create a subdomain and add DNS records. Create a subdomain, for example send.example.com, and add it to Make. Provide the DNS records in the table below to your domain administrator. Never add these records to your main domain, as this may disrupt your regular email services.
Verify the domain. Click "Verify" in Make once the records have been added.
Create an SMTP user. Set up an SMTP user in your account settings to receive a user ID and password.
Enter the settings in your system. Locate the SMTP fields in your online store or system and enter the values from the table below.
Test. Send a test email to yourself and verify in Make that it was delivered.
Settings for your system
Field | Value to enter |
|---|---|
SMTP / host | smtp.makesender.no |
Port | 2525 or 587 |
Encryption | STARTTLS (may also be called TLS) |
Username | The user ID for your SMTP user |
Password | The password for your SMTP user |
DNS records to add to your subdomain
Record | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
SPF | send.example.com | v=spf1 mx include:_spf.makesender.no ~all |
DKIM | make1._domainkey.send.example.com | Unique value for each domain, found in Make |
MX | send.example.com | 10 mxa.makesender.no. |
What do these records mean?
SPF informs recipients that Make is authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
DKIM is a digital signature verifying that the email actually originates from you and has not been altered in transit.
MX ensures that bounce messages, such as when an address does not exist, are routed to Make so the suppression list can be kept up to date.
Switching from another provider
Switching is straightforward and involves no downtime.
Add Make's DNS records to a subdomain.
Change the SMTP server in your system to smtp.makesender.no.
Update the user ID and password to the ones provided by Make.
Make increases volume gradually at first to help email providers get used to the new sender.
Templates and personalization
With Make Sender SMTP, you can use templates created in the Make editor without needing to use the API. Your system sends the template name along with the data to be merged, such as names and order numbers, and Make assembles the email before sending.
This allows you to update the text and design of your order confirmations or welcome emails directly within Make. The person who configured your system only needs to link it to the correct template once.
You can also disable tracking for opens and clicks on emails where tracking is not appropriate.
Send to lists
With Make Sender SMTP, you can send to an entire list of recipients, not just one by one. This is useful for system status updates, terms of service changes, or general member communications.
Each list receives its own email address, such as newsletter@makesender.no. When you send an email to that address, Make sends an individual copy to every recipient on the list.
Troubleshooting
Incorrect username or password. Ensure you are using the correct user ID and password for the SMTP user, and that the user is active in Make.
No connection to the server. Verify that you are using port 2525 or 587, and that your firewall is not blocking the traffic.
Domain not verified. Check that the subdomain has been verified in Make.
Encryption error. Select STARTTLS. Do not select SSL on port 465.
Email is too large. Keep each email under 25 MB, including attachments.
If you need further assistance, Make's support team is ready to help.
SMTP or API?
SMTP is best when your system already has a designated SMTP server field, allowing you to get started without a developer. The API is best if you are developing custom systems and require more flexibility, such as managing lists and suppression lists directly. Both methods send from the same infrastructure, providing identical delivery rates and statistics.
Statistics and delivery
In Make, you can see how many emails were delivered, opened, and clicked, as well as bounce rates and spam complaints. You can also view the reason why a specific email failed to deliver.
Addresses that unsubscribe, file spam complaints, or do not exist are automatically added to a suppression list to prevent future mailings. Make sends from dedicated servers with strong reputations among internet service providers, ensuring reliable delivery.
Real-time notifications with webhooks
The statistics in Make show the status of your emails. If you want your CRM, online store, or customer system to receive the same data, you can use webhooks. Make sends a notification to your system within approximately one minute of an email event.
Available notifications:
Received: Make has received the email and placed it in the queue.
Delivered: The email has been delivered to the recipient's email server.
Bounced: The address does not exist, or the email was rejected. Make automatically retries temporary errors.
Opened and clicked: The recipient has opened the email or clicked a link.
Spam complaint: The recipient has marked the email as spam.
Privacy and data storage
Make is a Norwegian company that stores customer data on servers in Oslo, rather than with US cloud providers. As the sender, you are responsible for ensuring you have the necessary consent to send emails to your recipients.