Email Setup - CertForge

SMTP enables CertForge to send password resets, alert notifications, approval emails, and scheduled reports. Configure it in Admin → Settings → Notifications.

SMTP configuration

Field	Description	Example
Host	SMTP server hostname	`smtp.sendgrid.net`
Port	SMTP port	`587` (STARTTLS) or `465` (TLS)
Username	Auth username	`apikey`
Password	Auth password	(API key or password)
From address	The `From:` header	`noreply@corp.com`
To (admin alerts)	Org-wide alert destination	`ops@corp.com, security@corp.com`
TLS	Use implicit TLS	Off for STARTTLS (587), On for port 465

After saving, click Send Test Email to confirm.

Recommended providers

SendGrid

Port 587, username apikey, password = API key. Generous free tier.

AWS SES

Port 587. Use SMTP credentials from IAM. Very low cost at volume.

Postmark

Port 587. Excellent deliverability for transactional email.

Office 365

Port 587, STARTTLS. Requires app password if MFA is enabled on the account.

What gets sent

Email	Trigger
Email verification	Account registration
Password reset	Forgot password request
License & welcome	Self-hosted license download
Alert notification	Alert rule fires
Approval submitted	New cert request enters queue
Approval outcome	Request approved or rejected
Scheduled report	Report subscription fires (daily or weekly)

Alert subscriptions (personal)

Users can opt in to receive personal emails when specific alert rules fire:

Go to Profile → Alert Subscriptions
Check the alert rules to follow
Save

Requires an email address on the account and SMTP configured.

Report subscriptions (scheduled)

Users can receive scheduled email reports:

Go to Profile → Report Subscriptions
Enable reports and choose daily or weekly delivery
Save

Available reports: Certificate Inventory, Expiring Certificates (next 30 days), Approval Activity (last 30 days). The first delivery happens within an hour of enabling. Subsequent deliveries follow the selected schedule.

Email template customization

Default templates can be customized in Admin → Settings → Email Templates. Templates use Go’s text/template syntax. Available variables:

{{.Email}}          — recipient email address
{{.OrgName}}        — organization name
{{.TrialDays}}      — trial duration in days
{{.DownloadURL}}    — binary download link
{{.SetPasswordURL}} — account activation link

Leave a template blank to use the built-in default.

Troubleshooting

Test email not received — Check spam folder. Verify the From address is authorized to send from your SMTP server (SPF/DKIM). Authentication failed — Verify username and password. For Gmail/Office 365, use an app-specific password rather than your account password. Connection refused — Check host and port. For port 587, TLS should be off (STARTTLS is negotiated after connection). For port 465, TLS should be on. Emails going to spam — Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your From domain. Use a dedicated transactional email service rather than a personal mail server.

​SMTP configuration

​Recommended providers

SendGrid

AWS SES

Postmark

Office 365

​What gets sent

​Alert subscriptions (personal)

​Report subscriptions (scheduled)

​Email template customization

​Troubleshooting