Setting

Description

Test

A tool to test the email settings that you've configured.
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To test your email settings, you will need to enter a real email address where you'd like to receive the test email. The test is considered successful if you receive the test email at the email account entered (please ensure to check the junk/spam folder of your recipient email account for this test email as, depending on the content of the test email, it may show up there instead).

Enable / Disable

A tool to enable or disable the use of the email component of External Communications. This setting is database-wide (i.e. it is applicable to all clients and workers regardless of their individual message settings).

Use standard email settings

For Authentication Email Settings only, an option to specify that the standard email settings configured should or should not be used for authentication purposes.
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​Note: If your agency will not be using the Authentication feature, you do not need to configure the Authentication Email Settings. For more information about Authentication, please see the Authentication help topics.

Host

The host name of the outgoing SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server. Common examples include:

Send From

The email address from which all email notifications will be sent (i.e. the sender or email address listed in the "From" field). For example, many agencies use a generic or administrative email address like info@agencyname.com or admin@agencyname.com.

Username

The username for the account that will be sending messages from your email server. Some email providers require your full email address as your username.

Change Password

The password you use to sign in to the email account that will be sending messages from your email server.
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To enter a password for the first time, click the Change Password option and type the account password in the New Password and Confirm Password fields. Please note that passwords are limited to a maximum of 30 characters.

Port Number

The port number used by the outgoing mail server. Penelope defaults to the port typically associated with the encryption type selected

You can generally use the default port number for your encryption type, but we recommend that you consult your IT department or email hosting provider to confirm.

Encryption type
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Use SSL
Use TLS

The encryption type (SSL or TLS) supported by the outgoing mail server. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are security protocols that encrypt data in transit through an extremely secure algorithm that requires SSL or TLS certificates on both sides of a transaction (i.e. an email going from your email server to someone else's email server) to "shake hands" before revealing the contents of the data (the email you sent).
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To determine whether your email server uses SSL or TLS for SMTP-based communications, please consult your IT department or email hosting provider. Common examples include: