Configure email server

3 min

For Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) to send out email notifications (for example, to users who are working with projects or content approvals), or if you are using FormsForms and want to send emails from form postings, you need to configure your email server.

📘 Note If you are using Optimizely Digital Experience Platform (DXP), see Configure the email server for information on how to configure the email server for your websites.

Specify an SMTP server endpoint that is reachable from the site and can send emails using the specified from-address. The from-address is only used as a fallback and can be overridden by, for example, notifications, forms, or other features using the built-in SMTP functionality .NET.

Configure settings in web.config:

<system.net>
	<mailSettings>
		<smtp deliveryMethod="Network" from="[email protected]">
			<network host="smtp.example.com"
               port="25"
               defaultCredentials="true" />
		</smtp>
	</mailSettings>
</system.net>

For reference, see the MSDN article <smtp> Element (Network Settings).

Default sender for notifications (optional)

You can configure default settings for the sender in CMS notifications as follows: specify an email address and display name to be used in, for example, project or content approval notifications to editors. Note that these are defaults. A notification can override these defaults with a custom sender. If you did not specify NotificationEmailAddress, CMS uses the from-attribute on the email settings described above; if it does not find an address, you cannot send notifications to users.

<applicationSettings defaultNotificationEmailAddress="[email protected]"
                     defaultNotificationEmailDisplayName="Optimizely">