> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.truagents.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect email and SMS

> Prepare your channel infrastructure so campaigns and communications can operate on real delivery paths.

## Summary

This step is about getting your communication infrastructure into a "ready enough to test safely" state before you start using campaigns as a debugging tool.

In the current product, email readiness is the most concrete first-launch path. The dashboard's **Going Live** sequence explicitly walks through:

1. email identity
2. outgoing provider configuration
3. optional incoming email configuration

SMS still matters, but it should be treated as a second channel-readiness track unless your first rollout depends on it immediately.

## Who this is for

* New customers during initial setup
* Admins responsible for delivery infrastructure
* Internal teammates validating launch readiness

## Where to find it in the app

* **Settings → Email**
* **Settings → SMS**
* the dashboard's **Going Live** sequence
* supporting organization and integration setup pages

## Recommended setup order

### 1. Set up email identity first

Before provider details matter, recipients still need to see the right sender name and sender email address. In the current app, this is part of the **Going Live** flow.

### 2. Configure the outgoing email provider

The current product treats outgoing email setup as its own step. Finish this before assuming campaigns are ready for real delivery.

### 3. Decide whether incoming email needs to be enabled now

Incoming email is important for response handling, but the product already frames it as optional during the going-live sequence. Be intentional here rather than leaving it half-configured.

### 4. Review SMS separately

If your first rollout includes SMS, visit **Settings → SMS** and confirm the provider, sending identity, and any verification steps are complete. If SMS is not part of the first rollout, document that clearly so the team does not assume it is ready.

### 5. Validate before using campaigns as your test harness

Do not assume campaign creation is the right place to discover channel setup mistakes. Treat channel validation as a separate step.

## Channel-readiness matrix

| Question                                                | Email       | SMS        |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Is there sender identity or provider setup?             | Yes         | Yes        |
| Is there domain or number ownership to verify?          | Usually yes | Often yes  |
| Can bad setup block later workflows?                    | Absolutely  | Absolutely |
| Should this be validated before first campaign testing? | Yes         | Yes        |

## What "ready enough" should mean

### Email

Your team should be able to answer all of these without guessing:

* what sender name and sender address recipients will see
* which outgoing provider is active
* whether domain authentication or provider verification is still pending
* whether incoming email is intentionally configured now, intentionally deferred, or still unresolved

### SMS

If SMS is part of the initial launch, your team should also know:

* which provider or sending path is being used
* which sending number or identity is expected
* whether any verification or activation step is still pending

## Practical validation order

1. Confirm which channel you actually need for the first rollout.
2. Finish the email identity and outgoing provider setup completely.
3. Decide whether incoming email is required for this launch or can wait.
4. If SMS is in scope, verify its setup separately.
5. Review the secondary channel so you understand what is still missing.
6. Only then move into campaign creation and run validation.

## Example: low-risk first launch approach

If the team is mainly testing email first:

* complete the dashboard's **Going Live** email steps
* fully validate **Settings → Email**
* leave SMS documented but not blocking
* make the first campaign email-only
* revisit SMS after the team trusts the broader workflow

## Common failure modes

* the sender name and sender address were never finalized, so "setup complete" is not actually complete
* outbound email is configured, but nobody knows whether inbound handling is supposed to work yet
* SMS is assumed to be available because a settings page exists, even though no real provider validation happened
* a campaign test is used to discover missing channel setup instead of confirming it

## Signs you are moving too fast

* campaign creation is being used to discover missing channel setup
* nobody can tell whether email is verified yet
* the team says "we'll figure out SMS later" without writing down what is still missing

## Success checklist

* [ ] The team knows which channels are ready now versus later.
* [ ] Email identity has been configured.
* [ ] Email setup has been reviewed in **Settings → Email**.
* [ ] The team knows whether incoming email is configured now, optional, or deferred.
* [ ] SMS expectations and provider setup requirements are understood.
* [ ] The first campaign is not blocked by obvious channel configuration gaps.

## Related pages

* [Email settings and domain authentication](/admin/email-settings-and-domain-authentication)
* [SMS settings](/admin/sms-settings)
* [Create your first campaign](/getting-started/create-your-first-campaign)