Advanced SMTP Configuration

Znode supports Advanced SMTP with OAuth 2.0 authentication to help administrators securely send transactional and system emails without relying on username-and-password authentication.

Many email providers no longer support basic SMTP authentication. Advanced SMTP uses secure, token-based OAuth authentication, improving security, reducing credential risk, and ensuring long-term compatibility with providers such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

Advanced SMTP is configured at the store level and is mutually exclusive with SMTP.

Prerequisites

Before configuring Advanced SMTP, ensure the following conditions are met:

• The administrator must have access to the Znode Admin Console.
• The store’s SMTP Authentication Method must be set to Advanced SMTP.
• OAuth credentials must be available from the email provider, including:
  • Client ID
  • Client Secret
  • Refresh Token
  • Access Token URL
  • Required OAuth Scope

Use Case

Advanced SMTP should be configured when:

• The email provider requires OAuth-based authentication.
• Storing SMTP usernames and passwords must be avoided.
• Improved security and compliance are required for outbound email communication.

Access Advanced SMTP Settings

Navigation Path:

Stores → Manage Stores → Advanced SMTP

The Advanced SMTP configuration screen is divided into two sections:

• General Settings
• Advanced SMTP Settings

A Test Email Settings button is available in the top-right corner of the screen.

Configure General Settings

General Settings control the sender identity and global email behavior for the store.

From Display Name

• Specifies the name displayed as the sender in outgoing emails.
• This value appears in the recipient’s inbox.
• Maximum length is 150 characters.
• This field is required.

Example: Acme Store

From Email Address

• Specifies the email address used as the sender.
• This address appears in the “From” field of outgoing emails.
• The value must be in a valid email format.
• This field is required.

Example: admin@yourdomain.com

Bcc Email Address

• Optional field used to receive a copy of all outgoing emails.
• Supports comma-separated email addresses.
• Each value must be a valid email address.

Use Case: Monitoring or record-keeping.

Enable SSL For SMTP

• When selected, SMTP communication is encrypted using SSL/TLS.
• This option is recommended for secure email transmission.

Turn Off Emails

• When selected, all outgoing emails from the store are disabled.
• No transactional, notification, or system emails are sent while this option is enabled.
• This option is useful during testing or maintenance.

Configure Advanced SMTP Settings

SMTP Server

• Specifies the hostname of the SMTP server.

Example: smtp.office365.com

SMTP Port

• Specifies the SMTP port number.
• Common values include:

• 587 (TLS)
• 465 (SSL)

Client Id

• Specifies the OAuth Client ID provided by the email provider.
• This value is obtained during application registration with the provider.

Tenant Id

• Identifies the tenant or directory used for OAuth authentication.
• The default value is common.
• A specific tenant GUID may be required depending on the provider.

Client Secret

• Specifies the OAuth Client Secret.
• The value is masked in the user interface and stored securely.
• The secret cannot be viewed after saving.

Refresh Token

• Specifies the OAuth refresh token.
• Used to automatically renew access tokens without user intervention.
• Required to maintain uninterrupted email delivery.

Grant Type

• Specifies the OAuth 2.0 grant type used for token acquisition.

Common values include:

• refresh_token
• client_credentials
• authorization_code

Access Token URL

• Specifies the OAuth token endpoint URL provided by the email service.

Example:
https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/token

Scope

• Specifies the OAuth permission scope required for SMTP access.
• One or more scopes may be defined as provided by the email service.

Example:
https://outlook.office365.com/.default

Configure Custom Fields (Optional)

Custom Fields allow administrators to define additional SMTP parameters as key-value pairs.

Add a Custom Field

1. Select Add Field.
2. Enter the parameter name (key).
3. Enter the parameter value.
4. Repeat as needed.

Remove a Custom Field

• Select the X icon next to the field to remove it.

Custom fields are optional and do not have system-level validation.

Test the SMTP Configuration

Steps

1. Ensure all required Advanced SMTP fields are completed.
2. Select Test Email Settings at the top of the Advanced SMTP page.

Expected Result

• A confirmation message indicates that the test email was sent successfully.
• The recipient inbox should be checked to verify delivery.

Behavior Based on Authentication Method

When Advanced SMTP is Selected

• All outbound emails use OAuth-based SMTP settings.
• SMTP settings are ignored.
• OAuth access tokens are refreshed automatically.

When SMTP is Selected

• Advanced SMTP settings are ignored.
• Emails are sent using username-and-password authentication.

Only one SMTP authentication method can be active for a store at any given time.

Backward Compatibility

Notes and Limitations

• SMTP and Advanced SMTP cannot be enabled simultaneously.
• OAuth credentials and tokens are encrypted and stored securely.
• If OAuth access is revoked at the provider level, email delivery stops until reauthorization is completed.
• When a store is copied, all SMTP settings are retained.
• All store email templates continue to function with the selected SMTP configuration (provided valid email credentials).

Summary

Advanced SMTP enables secure, OAuth-based email authentication in Znode while maintaining compatibility with modern email providers.

By eliminating stored SMTP passwords and supporting token-based authentication, administrators can ensure reliable, secure, and future-ready email delivery at the store level.