Introduction

By combining SendGrid for sending emails, ImprovMX for email forwarding, and Gmail as the primary inbox, you can create a robust and scalable email solution at little to no cost. This guide outlines how to configure these services to efficiently manage your business communication.

Why This Setup?

• SendGrid: Handles outgoing email with custom domain support, analytics, and high deliverability.
• ImprovMX: Forwards incoming emails from your custom domain to your Gmail inbox.
• Gmail: Serves as your main inbox, providing a familiar interface with excellent search and spam filtering capabilities.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Setting Up SendGrid for Sending Emails

1.1 Create a SendGrid Account

1. Sign up for a free account at SendGrid.
2. Verify your email address and log in.

1.2 Configure Your Domain for Sending Emails

To send emails from your custom domain (e.g., yourbusiness.com), you need to authenticate it.

1. In the SendGrid dashboard, go to Settings → Sender Authentication.
2. Click Authenticate Your Domain and select your DNS host (this could be your registrar, like GoDaddy or Namecheap, or a separate DNS provider like Cloudflare).
3. Add the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records that SendGrid provides to your DNS settings.
4. Once the records propagate (can take a few minutes to hours), verify your domain in SendGrid.

1.3 Configure Gmail to Send Emails via SendGrid SMTP

1. In Gmail, go to Settings → Accounts and Import.
2. Under Send mail as, click Add another email address.
3. Enter your business email (info@yourbusiness.com).
4. For SMTP settings:
   • SMTP Server: smtp.sendgrid.net
   • Port: 587
   • Username: apikey
   • Password: (Use your SendGrid API key)
5. Click Add Account and verify the email by clicking the confirmation link sent to Gmail.

2. Setting Up ImprovMX for Email Forwarding

ImprovMX allows you to receive emails sent to info@yourbusiness.com and forward them to your Gmail inbox.

2.1 Create an ImprovMX Account

1. Go to ImprovMX and sign up for a free account.
2. Add your custom domain (yourbusiness.com).
3. Set up forwarding rules (e.g., info@yourbusiness.com → yourbusiness@gmail.com).

2.2 Configure DNS for Email Forwarding

1. In your domain registrar’s DNS settings, add the following records:

   • MX Records (Mail Exchange)
     • Priority: 10 → mx1.improvmx.com
     • Priority: 20 → mx2.improvmx.com
   • SPF Record (Sender Policy Framework)
     • v=spf1 include:_spf.improvmx.com ~all

2. Save and wait for DNS propagation.

3. In ImprovMX dashboard, verify your domain.

2.3 Forwarding Multiple Addresses with ImprovMX

If your business needs multiple email addresses forwarded to different recipients, ImprovMX allows setting up multiple aliases:

• billie@yourbusiness.com → Forward to billie@gmail.com
• lisa@yourbusiness.com → Forward to lisa@outlook.com
• support@yourbusiness.com → Forward to multiple addresses (e.g., both Billie and Lisa)

Simply add these rules in the ImprovMX dashboard under your domain settings, ensuring each recipient gets their respective forwarded emails.

3. Configuring Domain Authentication for Better Deliverability

To ensure your emails don’t get marked as spam, you must set up proper email authentication records in your domain’s DNS settings:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails for your domain. Example:

  v=spf1 include:sendgrid.net ~all
  

• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Encrypts email headers to confirm the message was not altered in transit. SendGrid provides a DKIM record during domain authentication setup.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Protects against email spoofing and phishing. Example:

  _dmarc TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com"
  

  These settings improve deliverability and reduce the risk of emails being rejected or marked as spam.

4. Testing and Verifying the Setup

1. Send a test email from another email (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) to info@yourbusiness.com.
2. Check if it arrives in your Gmail inbox.
3. Reply from Gmail and ensure that it sends using info@yourbusiness.com (via SendGrid SMTP).
4. Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment using MXToolbox.

Scalability and Considerations

• Scalability: You can easily upgrade SendGrid’s plan to send more than 100 emails/day as your business grows.
• Alternative to ImprovMX: You can use Forward Email for a similar free email forwarding service.
• Alternative to Gmail Inbox: Use Zoho Mail’s free tier for a real business inbox instead of email forwarding.

Conclusion

By combining SendGrid, ImprovMX, and Gmail, you create a cost-effective, professional email system that is easy to set up and scalable. Whether you’re a startup, freelancer, or small business, this setup ensures you can send and receive business emails from your custom domain without the expense of full email hosting services.