How to Send Email From n8n Through SMTP

n8n SMTP settings

Step-by-step setup

1. Get SMTP credentials on the Bulko SMTP Relay page. After payment the username and password are shown in Dashboard > SMTP Access and sent to your email.
2. Open your workflow in n8n, click + and add the Send Email node. Choose the Send operation (use Send and Wait for Response only for approval flows).
3. In Credential to connect with, select Create new credential. n8n opens the SMTP account credential form.
4. Fill in User and Password with your Bulko credentials, Host smtp.bulko.io and Port 587. Leave SSL/TLS off: on port 587 the connection starts plain and is upgraded with STARTTLS. Leave Disable STARTTLS off and Client Host Name empty. Save the credential.
5. Back in the node, set From Email (you can include a name, for example Acme Alerts <[email protected]>), To Email (comma-separated for several recipients, or an expression such as {{ $json.email }}), Subject and Email Format (Text, HTML or Both).
6. Under Options, add Reply To if replies should go to a different mailbox, CC Email or BCC Email if needed, and Attachments with the name of the binary property. Turn off Append n8n Attribution if you do not want the footer line "This email was sent automatically with n8n".
7. Optional: verify your domain in Sending Domains and add the DKIM TXT record (selector bk1) and the bnc.yourdomain.com CNAME so SPF, DKIM and DMARC align.

The same SMTP account credential works for every Send Email node in your instance, on n8n Cloud and on self-hosted n8n. No environment variables are needed for workflow emails. Note that Bulko is outgoing only, so the Email Trigger (IMAP) node cannot connect to it; keep using your normal mailbox for incoming mail.

n8n SMTP credential and Send Email node values

Credential: SMTP account
  User:              smtp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Password:          your-bulko-smtp-password
  Host:              smtp.bulko.io
  Port:              587
  SSL/TLS:           off   (587 and 2525 upgrade with STARTTLS)
  Disable STARTTLS:  off
  Client Host Name:  (leave empty)

Alternative: Port 465 with SSL/TLS on (implicit TLS)

Node: Send Email  (Operation: Send)
  From Email:    Acme Alerts <[email protected]>
  To Email:      {{ $json.email }}
  Subject:       Your report is ready
  Email Format:  HTML
  Options > Reply To:  [email protected]

Send a test email

Point To Email at an inbox you can read, then click Execute step on the Send Email node. On success the node output shows the SMTP server response, including accepted with your recipient and a response line starting with 250. If the node fails, n8n shows the SMTP error text in the output panel: compare it with the table below. Open the received message, view the original headers and check that SPF and DKIM pass before you switch the workflow to production.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Should SSL/TLS be on or off in the n8n SMTP credential?

Off for port 587 or 2525, because those ports use STARTTLS after connecting. On for port 465, which uses implicit TLS from the first byte.

Can I use Bulko with the n8n Email Trigger (IMAP) node?

No. Bulko SMTP is outgoing only and has no inbox or IMAP. Use your regular mailbox for the trigger and Bulko for sending.

Does this work on n8n Cloud and self-hosted n8n?

Yes. The Send Email node and SMTP account credential are the same in both. On self-hosted n8n, make sure the server can reach smtp.bulko.io on the chosen port.

How many emails can an n8n workflow send?

The default limit is 2,000 emails per day per SMTP account, which [email protected] can raise. Packages are pay-as-you-go: $5 for 5,000, $15 for 20,000, $30 for 50,000 or $60 for 150,000 emails, and unused emails never expire.

Can I use a Gmail address as From Email?

Use an address on a domain you control. A gmail.com or outlook.com From address sent through another server fails DMARC checks and is likely to be rejected or filtered.