Custom Send Method allows you to send QuickHelp communications using SMTP (Basic) or Direct Send. 


What is SMTP?

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol or SMTP is a data transmission standard that is used to send email.  SMTP requires authentication and options include Basic Authentication or Modern Authentication in the form of OAuth. QuickHelp only supports SMTP Basic Authentication. 


Note: Microsoft announced that they will fully deprecate support for SMTP Basic Authentication in January, 2023.  If you use Microsoft Exchange and wish to use a custom send method, you must use Direct Send.  SMTP Basic is no longer supported by Microsoft.


What is Direct Send?

Direct send is a Microsoft Exchange feature that allows an application or device within your organization's network to send email directly to users within the same network.  Using direct send for QuickHelp can be advantageous because email communications appear as internal email communications (as opposed to email from outside of your organization). 


Direct send may be an ideal configuration for organizations who wish to reduce or eliminate emails from outside of their organization.


To use Direct Send,

  1. Sign in to the QuickHelp Admin Portal as an administrator. 

  2. Click Settings on the left, then click Custom Send Method. 

  3. Next to Custom Send Method, select Direct Send. 

  4. Review the settings and adjust as needed.

  5. Click Test Email Settings to test your new direct send settings.

  6. Click SAVE CHANGES at the bottom (in black) to complete. 


Note: If you are switching from SMTP to direct send, your direct send settings will typically be the same as your SMTP settings with a few exceptions.  SSL, User Name & Password may not be needed.  Use the Test Email Settings button to verify direct send.



If Test Email Settings does not work using SSL, User Name, and Password, we recommend that you use direct send without SSL.  On the Custom Send Method screen,

  1. Uncheck the box next to Use SSL.
  2. Remove the user name.
  3. Remove the password.
  4. Click Test Email Settings to test direct send without SSL.
  5. Click SAVE CHANGES.


What happens now?


Every future QuickHelp email will now be sent from the email configured above. 

An important rule to remember is for emails sent from the Campaigns Tab. In the Campaigns Tab email configuration, for either a custom email or a duplicated QuickHelp email (QuickHelp’s best practice), you will have three options for delivery (see screenshot below). 


If your organization uses Direct Send or SMTP as their Custom Send Method you must do the following:

1. Select OTHER as the Send From > Then select your organization's Direct Send email from the dropdown.

2. Duplicate the campaign when using one of our previously created campaigns. If you do not, you will not see the Other radial button.


3. SAVE. If you do not, the email will not send.


For more information about SMTP Basic Authentication deprecation, please see Microsoft's Deprecation of Basic authentication in Exchange Online article.


For more information about Microsoft's direct send feature, please see Microsoft's how to set up multifunction applications or devices to send email article.