Send outgoing email from the database

This configuration is handled by the system parameter mail.default.from_filter. In case where the sender's domain do not match the value of this parameter, the notification address is used instead. Multiple values can be defined in this system parameter: comma-separated, domains or full email addresses are all allowed. Once an outgoing mail server is configured, the system parameter is no longer considered and the value used is the FROM filtering of the mail server.

The database can be configured to use a custom domain, in which case all default email addresses are built using the custom domain. If the custom domain is company-name.com, the sender address will be notifications@company-name.com, the reply-to address catchall@company-name.com, and the bounce address bounce@company-name.com. The custom domain can be utilized when sending emails either with WindoorERP’s email servers or an external one.

This section assumes ownership of a custom domain. If not, a custom domain must be purchased from a domain registrar such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or any alternative provider.

Using a custom domain with WindoorERP’s email server

The first step is to configure the SPF and DKIM to be compliant with WindoorERP’s mail server.

Next, the custom domain must be set as the alias domain of a company. Select the company, open the Settings, and add the custom domain under the Alias Domain field.

After adding the alias domain, click the (internal link) icon to assign more companies to the custom domain if needed. Enable the developer-mode mode to modify the default aliases if desired:

• Bounce Alias: the mailbox used to catch delivery errors and populate the red envelope on the corresponding message.
• Catchall Alias: the default mailbox used to centralize all replies.
• Default From Alias: the default sender address.

All email aliases (e.g., related to CRM or Helpdesk teams) must have their corresponding mailbox in the custom domain mail server.

To receive emails in the WindoorERP database within the corresponding chatter (CRM, invoices, sales orders, etc.), one of these three methods must be used:

• Redirections/forwarding,
• Incoming mail servers,
• DNS records (requires advanced technical knowledge)

Using a custom domain implies that specific local-parts might be used by WindoorERP to send emails.

Sending emails with an external SMTP server

To add an external SMTP server in WindoorERP, open Settings, and enable the Use Custom Email Servers option found under the Emails section. Then, click Save at the top of the page to save the changes.

Returning to the Emails section, click Outgoing Email Servers, then New to create an outgoing mail server record. Most fields are the common parameters used to set up a connection to an SMTP server; use the values provided by your email provider.

Once completed, click Test Connection. Note that a successful test connection does not confirm that the email will go out as some restriction might remain on the provider side, thus, it is recommended to consult your provider’s documentation.

Local-part values

Below are presented the different local-part values that can be used by WindoorERP to send emails. It might be required to whitelist them in your mail server:

• The Alias Domain Bounce Alias (default value = bounce),
• The Alias Domain Default From (default value = notifications),
• The specific FROM defined on an email marketing campaign,
• The specific FROM that can be defined in an email template.

Personalized mail servers

Transactional emails and mass mailings can be sent using separate email servers in WindoorERP. Doing so means day-to-day emails, quotations, or invoices sent to clients will be handled as transactional emails. Mass mailing emails, including the sending of batches of invoices or quotations, will be managed by the Marketing Automation or Email Marketing application.

First, activate the developer-mode and go to Settings › Technical › Email: Outgoing Mail Servers. There, add two outgoing email server records, one for the transactional emails server and one for the mass mailings server. Enter a lower Priority value for the transactional server (e.g., 1) over the mass mailings server (e.g., 2) so transactional emails are given priority.

Now, go to Email Marketing › Configuration › Settings, enable Dedicated Server, and select the appropriate email server. WindoorERP uses the server with the lowest priority value for transactional emails, and the server selected here for mass mailings.

FROM filtering

The FROM Filtering field allows for the use of a specific outgoing email server depending on the From email address or domain that WindoorERP is sending on behalf of. The value must be a domain or a complete address that matches the sender’s email address and is trusted on the outgoing mail server provider's side.

If FROM filtering is not used, emails will go out using the notification address.

When an email is sent from WindoorERP, the following sequence is used to choose the outgoing email server:

• First, WindoorERP searches for a server that has the same FROM filtering value as the From value (i.e., email address) defined in the outgoing email. This configuration is ideal if all users of a company share the same domain but have different local-parts.

• If no server is found based on the first criteria, WindoorERP looks for the first server without a FROM filtering value set. The email will be overridden with the notification address.
• If no server is found based on the second criteria, WindoorERP uses the first server, and the email will be overridden with the notification address.

• If there is no mail server, WindoorERP relies on the system parameter value.

It is also possible to use WindoorERP's mail server for transactional emails in addition to mass mailings.

Using an external email server and WindoorERP’s default server

Similar to the previous chapter, proper configuration might be needed to ensure that the external email server is allowed to send emails using your custom domain. Refer to your provider’s documentation to properly set up the relevant records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC). A list of the most common providers is available.

When the developer-mode is activated, the alias domain options are available by going to Settings › Technical › Email: Alias Domains.

The Default From Alias field can be filled with a local-part of the email address (by default notifications) or a full email address. Configure it to determine the FROM header of your emails. If a full email address is used, all outgoing emails will be overwritten with this address.

When an email is sent from the chatter, customers can reply directly to it. If a customer replies directly to an email, the answer is logged in the same chatter, thus functioning as a message thread related to the record.

Upon receiving the reply, WindoorERP then uses the subscribed followers (based on the subscribed subtypes) to send them a notification by email, or in the WindoorERP inbox, depending on the user’s preferences.

To force the email address from which emails are sent, activate the developer-mode, and go to Settings › Technical › Email: Alias Domains. On the Default From Alias, use the local-part or a complete email address as the value.

With more than one outgoing server, the pick goes like this:

1. A server whose FROM Filtering matches the sender's address or domain exactly.
2. Otherwise, the first server with no FROM filtering at all — and the email is rewritten to come from the notification address.
3. Otherwise the first server, again rewriting the sender.

"First" means lowest Priority value, and alphabetical order between equals. This is why FROM filtering is worth setting properly: without it, mail your customers expect from a named person arrives from notifications@ instead.

Day-to-day mail — quotations, invoices, notifications — and bulk campaigns behave differently enough to deserve different servers, often different providers.

1. In developer mode, go to Settings › Technical › Email: Outgoing Mail Servers.
2. Create two servers: one for transactional mail, one for campaigns.
3. Give the transactional server the lower Priority value (for example 1 against 2), so ordinary mail always takes it.
4. Go to Email Marketing › Configuration › Settings, enable Dedicated Server, and select the campaign server.

When a customer replies, their message is relayed to the other followers of the record. Their own address cannot be used as the sender — your domain is not allowed to send on their behalf — so the notification address is used instead, with their name kept in front of it. That is the correct behaviour, not a bug.