How to Connect Amazon SES

Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) is one of the extended service offered by Amazon specifically for Email marketers. Many users have reported a very secured and reliable deliverability experience with the service.

The services is completely free for the first year, after which you would have to buy a plan in other to continue using the service, you can check out their pricing here. One of the main requirement for your site to be able to use this service is SSL certificate, so make sure your site have an SSL certificate before you continue.

After that, create an email (would be the from email) for your website, this is pretty easy to do and you can contact your hosting support for help with this if you do not know how to do it, the email would look like; [e-mail].

Then, create an AWS (Amazon Web Service) account by clicking here and this will require you to add your credit card, even though it is free for a year! Now, login to the account with your registered Email and Password as Root user:

Follow these 4 easy steps to complete your SMTP integration:

1. Set up the AWS account

2. Activate production mode in AWS account

3. Create, copy and integrate AWS's API

4. Verify your domain Email

Set up AWS account

After login in to your AWS account, you need to select your website server location in the drop down at the upper right corner of the dashboard and if your location is not listed, choose one closer to you:

After that, the next thing is to create IAM User, click here to do that.

Add a username that would be easy for you to remember in case you plan to create many more projects later on, then tick Programmatic access for the access type and click Next: Permissions button.

Next step is to select Attach existing policies directly and type AmazonSESFullAccess in the search bar, when it comes up, tick the box to select it and click Next: Tags button.

You can skip the next step, just click on Next: Review button. The next screen will show preview of your details to double check, then click the Create user button.

The next screen will display a Success message. You’ll also get the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key for your user. Now copy the keys and save somewhere or download in CSV to keep save.

Activate production mode in AWS account

Generally, Amazon SES accounts are restricted to Sandbox Mode by default. It means that your account will only be allowed to send emails to email addresses that have been verified through Amazon.

This step will show you how to switch to Production Mode so that you can send emails to anyone. To begin, Create a request with Amazon Web Services and choose Service limit increase in the next screen.

Case details; See our guide below on how to fill this:

• Limit Type: SES Sending Limits

• Severity: The severity will be determined by your Amazon support subscription, so you can leave this field as is.

• Mail Type: Transactional

• Website URL: Your site’s home URL

• Describe, in detail, how you will only send to recipients who have specifically requested your mail: In this field, you’ll need to share some details about your email sending process. For example, if you only plan to send emails to those who have filled out a form on your site, etc.

• Describe, in detail, the process that you will follow when you receive bounce and complaint notifications: In this field, you’ll need to share details about how you will handle bounce and complaint notifications.

• Will you will comply with AWS Service Terms and AUP: Yes

Requests; See our guide below on how to fill this:

• Region: Choose the same region you've chosen at the initial stage of setup

• Limit: Desired Daily Sending Quota

• New limit value: Give the maximum number of emails you expect your site to send per day.

Case Description; See our guide below on how to fill this:

Here, you need to share in details, what kind of site you have and why you need to send out emails. Be sure to include the type of emails that your site will be sending (for example, confirmations of form submission, purchase receipts, etc).

Note: Try to be fairly detailed here, as Amazon may reject your request if it doesn’t feel enough information was provided.

Click the Submit button and you will receive confirmation message from Amazon about the successful case submission. Then, AWS will generally review the requests and let you know the result within one business day.

Create, copy and integrate Amazon SES's API

This is a quite easy because we will connect Amazon SES's API that we downloaded earlier or click here to generate new one for your IAM user.

If you are going to generate new credentials, after visiting here click the link as seen in the image below:

Go back to the plugin's setting on your website to paste the keys in the appropriate field and make sure you choose the same server region you have chosen at the earlier part of the setup.

Click Save Changes!

Verify your domain Email

Now, still on the setting screen, the next thing to do is to verify your domain Email by clicking the auto-generated link as seen in the image below:

This will take you to a screen that would appear like the image below, click on Verify a New Email Address button:

An overlay will pop up, put your email in the field provided and click the Verify This Email Address button. A verification email will be sent to the email address you entered, follow the instruction and you are ready.

Note

Your AWS account must be approved for Production mode by Amazon before you can send a Test Email successfully or start sending real Emails, if not you will keep getting some error response if you try to Test or send real Emails.