Email Settings
Configure the platform-managed email service that Ascent uses to send transactional email on behalf of organizations, plus the inbound ingest pipeline that receives mail back in. This page lives in the Platform admin console and is available only to Ascent operators.
Overview
The Email Settings page lets platform operators:
- Set the sender identity (from email and from name) for platform email.
- Configure the outbound SMTP relay that delivers platform email, including host, port, encryption, and credentials.
- Toggle the platform email service on or off.
- Send a test email to confirm the relay works — using either the values typed into the form or an already-saved relay.
- Configure inbound ingest — the catch-all domain, provider, and webhook signing key used to receive mail.
The page is split into two columns: outbound (sender, SMTP relay, and test) on the left, and inbound ingest on the right.
Navigate to Email Settings
This page is part of the Platform admin console (under /platform/*), which has its own login separate from the MSP-facing org app. You must hold the Platform Admin (PLATFORM_ADMIN) role to view or change these settings — the Platform Support and Platform Billing roles are denied access. Org admins and technicians cannot see this page at all.
Sender
The Sender card defines the address platform email is sent from. The address must be one your SMTP relay is authorized to send from.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| From Email | The address platform email is sent from. Leave blank to use the default ([email protected]). |
| From Name | The display name shown on outgoing platform email. Leave blank to use the default (Ascent Platform). |
A live preview below the fields shows the resulting From header (for example, Ascent Platform <[email protected]>). The sender identity is saved together with the SMTP relay below.
A status badge in the card header reflects the current relay:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | A usable relay is configured and the service can send. |
| Active (env fallback) | No relay has been saved yet, so the platform is using the SMTP_* environment variables as a bootstrap fallback. |
| Not configured | No usable relay exists; platform email cannot be sent. |
SMTP Relay
The SMTP Relay card configures the outbound relay used to deliver platform email. Credentials are encrypted at rest.
Enable the service
Use the Enable platform email service switch to turn the relay on or off. When it is off, organizations relying on platform email fall back to their own provider (or cannot send).
To enable the service successfully, you must provide both an SMTP host and a password. If either is missing, saving will report the relay as not usable.
Provider preset
The Provider Preset dropdown fills in sensible host, port, and encryption defaults so you can set up common providers quickly:
| Preset | Host | Port | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Server | (empty) | 587 | STARTTLS |
| Gmail | smtp.gmail.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
| Outlook.com | smtp-mail.outlook.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
| Office 365 | smtp.office365.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
Relay fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SMTP Host | Yes (when enabled) | The relay hostname (for example, smtp.example.com). |
| Port | No | The relay port. Defaults to 587. |
| Encryption | No | Transport security: TLS (Port 465), STARTTLS (Port 587), or None (Not recommended). |
| Username | No | The SMTP authentication username. |
| Password | Conditional | The SMTP authentication password. Required to enable the service if one is not already stored. Leave blank to keep the existing password. |
Use the eye icon next to the password field to reveal or hide what you type. Click Save Settings to persist the sender identity and relay together.
Send a Test Email
The Send a Test Email card sends a test message from the platform sender to verify delivery.
- Enter a recipient address in the email field.
- Click Send Test.
You can test before saving by entering an SMTP host and password in the form above — those typed values are used for the test. If the form does not contain both a host and password, the test uses your saved relay instead. If neither is available, the test is blocked until you provide credentials or save a relay.
Inbound Ingest
The Inbound Ingest card configures how the platform receives inbound mail. Point your provider's catch-all route at /api/inbound/email.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Ingest Domain | The catch-all domain inbound mail is received on (for example, in.goascent.app). |
| Provider | The provider adapter that delivers and is verified for inbound mail: Mailgun (Routes), SendGrid (Inbound Parse), or Amazon SES. |
| Webhook Signing Key | The key used to authenticate inbound webhook requests. The required value depends on the provider (see below). Leave blank to keep the existing key. |
The signing key field's guidance changes with the selected provider:
| Provider | Signing key value |
|---|---|
| Mailgun | Mailgun route HMAC signing key. |
| SendGrid | SendGrid Inbound Parse verification key (base64 ECDSA public key). |
| Amazon SES | The SNS Topic ARN that publishes inbound mail (used to authorize the source). |
A status badge shows Configured once a domain, provider, and signing key are all set, or Not configured otherwise. When a signing key is already stored, the field shows a stored indicator and a masked placeholder. Click Save to persist the inbound configuration.
Tips
- Make sure your From Email is an address your SMTP relay is authorized to send from, or messages may be rejected.
- After changing relay credentials, use Send a Test Email to confirm delivery before relying on the service.
- The environment-variable fallback (the env fallback badge) is a bootstrap convenience. Once you save a relay in the UI, the saved configuration becomes authoritative — including when you turn the service off.