A Complete Guide to Setting up the QuickBooks Email Service in QuickBooks desktop
Connecting your email account directly to your accounting dashboard is one of the smartest ways to automate your business communication. Setting up email service in QuickBooks allows you to send invoices, receipts, estimates, and financial statements directly to your customers with a single click. Whether you prefer using a standard corporate Microsoft Outlook setup, a modern secure Webmail client (like Gmail or Yahoo), or the built-in QuickBooks e-mail service, integrating it correctly ensures your professional branding stays consistent.
Trouble linking your email client to QuickBooks? Navigating SMTP server ports, configuring security options, or dealing with unexpected app-password blocks can quickly turn an easy setup into a technical hurdle. If you want a secure, hassle-free configuration without risking your communication settings, let our certified experts handle the backend integration for you. Call our QuickBooks Email Support Desk right now at +1-888-510-9198, and our QuickBooks customer support for immediate, live-expert setup. Let’s walk through the manual configuration steps below.
Benefits of setting up QuickBooks email services
QuickBooks is loaded with features and these features make it efficient for businesses to perform their daily activities. And the email service feature can be of a lot of benefits to the users. It can help the users in the following ways:
- One can easily email invoices whenever the customer requires it directly from the software.
- Another plus point of this feature is that it allows the user to send payment reminders to customers by emailing them invoices.
- It further helps in importing data from spreadsheets.
- This feature serves both as a storage and tracking device for clients’ and vendors’ contact details.
- Using this feature, one can make a list of the products and send them to the vendors in a more efficient manner.
- Overall, this feature adds to the efficiency and smooth working of the business.
What do you need to set up email in QuickBooks?
In case you are planning to setup Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003, then you might require the following information:
- Username
- Password
- Outgoing email server address
- Incoming email server address
- Incoming email server type
Available Email options in QuickBooks
QuickBooks allows the use of limited email services. There can be situations where you might be unable to spot the options for a particular email at QuickBooks desktop setup, due to some or the other reason. One of the reasons can be a different version other than the ones listed below. The common three options available are as follows:
- Outlook: In case you have Microsoft Outlook installed already, then simply avail outlook support. Also, note that outlook is a preferred email client and offers more effective hold with much ease.
- QuickBooks Email: The second option is the QuickBooks email option. This is not so common option among QuickBooks users.
- Webmail: Another option available is the webmail feature, which was launched in 2011 to bridge with Gmail, Yahoo, or any other email platforms.
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Steps to Set-up QuickBooks Email Service on QuickBooks Desktop
Before proceeding, you need to prepare and setup your Microsoft Outlook profile.
You can use your existing Outlook profile or create a new one to set up your QuickBooks email service. You will also require Outlook username, password, incoming mail server address, outgoing mail server address and incoming email server type. In case you don’t have these details, you can contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Procedure to set up QuickBooks email invoices in Outlook and web mail

To continue this process you need to create an outlook profile first.
Here’s how:
- First of all, you have to set up Outlook in QuickBooks Desktop:
- After that fill your Username
- Then put you Password
- And then Incoming mail server address
- Now put your Outgoing mail server address
- And finally put your Incoming email server type
Your webmail password will not be accepted on QuickBooks Desktop
If you are logged in to your QB desktop and trying to send email, you may receive a message that your password is incorrect and you would have to set up your password for your webmail account.
Quick tip: If QuickBooks Desktop doesn’t have outlook:
- Go to ‘QuickBooks Edit‘ menu
- Click on ‘Preferences‘
- Select ‘Forms‘
- Choose Outlook and click ‘OK‘
QB 2018: Provides for Gmail and Hotmail/ Lives user in the UK, USA, and Canada.
QuickBooks 2017 R5 and newer versions: Provides for Gmail users for the USA only.
QuickBooks 2017, older and R4 version: No Secure Webmail available.
Important Note: If you wish to add Secure Webmail to your QB company file, you should set up a strong password for your file.
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Steps to set up email service in Webmail
- Connect with Secure Webmail.
- Go to QuickBooks Edit menu and select Preferences and then Send Forms.
- Choose WebMail and Click Add.
- Type in your email address.
- Click “enhance the security” check box.
- Click OK.
- Sign in after the Login Page appears.
- Allow Intuit access.
Important: In hosted environments like right network, you may have to sign into your webmail account to send emails through QuickBooks software.
Your internet service provider determines the Webmail servers and port settings. QB can automatically furnish details for Gmail, Yahoo and other common providers.
You can choose your email service provider in different emails if you use a different email. However, make sure you verify this with your ISP prior to setting up webmail in QB Desktop.
- Go to ‘QuickBooks Edit menu‘ and select ‘Preferences‘ and Send Forms.

- Select ‘Webmail‘ and click ‘Add‘.

- Provide Login credentials.

- Click ‘OK‘ to save the changes.
Important: QuickBooks Desktop, unlike the Secure Webmail, prompts you to provide your password the first time you use regular webmail to send an email.
In case QB Desktop still doesn’t take your password, please know that web mail providers (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) practice two-step verification and want users to check the account setting for the same.
If you are a Cox user: Cox’s standard SMTP setting is not to use SSL or login credentials when sending emails. QB Desktop prefers SSL connections and wants you to provide login information. Thus, using port 25 and no SSL connection with SMTP doesn’t function with QuickBooks Desktop. A different trick is to use SSL with port 587 or 465.
If you are a CableOne users: Please use the following information since CableOne uses Google servers.
- Email Address: Your Email ID
- Email Provider: Gmail
- Port: 587 or 465
- SSL: Yes
Set up Email service in QuickBooks
This process requires you to choose the QuickBooks email settings.
- Followed by opting for the QuickBooks email option.
- Later on, enter the needed information like the email address, password, username, etc.
- You are also required to enter in any other information asked to and this would successfully link the email service to your QuickBooks.
Set up regular webmail
Before setting up the regular webmail, make sure to perform the steps related to verifying the server and port information with ISP. The steps involved in setting up web mail are as follows:
- Note that, the webmail servers and the port settings are governed by ISP.
- Enter the information for some of the most common providers like the Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail.
- Search for the server and port information.
- Perform the steps that appear on the screen until it shows set up successful.
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Internet Service Provider (ISP) and Port Information
Below we have shared a table in which we have mentioned various internet service provider and port information. The users can check out the below table to find out the exact codes and information.
| SP (Internet Service Provider) | SMTP Server | SMTP Port |
|---|---|---|
| 1AND1.com | smtp.1and1.com | 587 (SSL enabled, with password) |
| ADELPHIA | mail.adelphia.net | 110 |
| AOL | smtp.aol.com | 465 or 587 (see Note) (SSL enabled for incoming and outgoing mail server) |
| BELL SOUTH | mail.bellsouth.net | 110 |
| COMCAST | smtp.comcast.net | 587 |
| COMPUSERV | smtp.compuserve.comsmtp.aol.com | 110 or 587 |
| COX Business | smarthost.coxmail.com | 25 |
| COX CENTRAL | smtp.central.cox.net | 25 |
| COX EAST | smtp.east.cox.net | 25 |
| COX WEST | smtp.west.cox.net | 25 |
| EARTHLINK | smtpauth.earthlink.net | 25 (with password) |
| GODADDY | smtpout.secureserver.net | 80, 25, or 3535 |
| GODADDY with Office 365 | smtp.office365.com | 587 (SSL enabled) |
| LYCOS | smtp.mail.lycos.com | 25 |
| MICROSOFT OUTLOOK 365 | outlook.office365.com | 587 (SSL enabled) |
| NETSCAPE | smtp.isp.netscape.com | 25 (SSL enabled) |
| PRODIGY | smtp.prodigy.net | 25 (SSL enabled) |
| ROADRUNNER | smtp-server.sc.rr.com | 587 |
| SPRINT PCS | smtp.sprintpcs.com | 25 |
| VERIZON | outgoing.verizon.net | 465 |
| VERIZON YAHOO | outgoing.yahoo.verizon.net | 465 |
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Conclusion!
Integrating your everyday mailing client with your accounting software removes the hassle of manually downloading PDFs and drafting separate client messages. By setting your default preferences to Outlook or optimizing your Webmail SMTP settings within the QuickBooks Preferences menu, you can ensure your automated customer invoices are delivered safely without getting flagged as spam.
However, because email providers constantly tighten their multi-factor security standards, getting stuck on a continuous login screen or experiencing Port 465/587 communication errors is quite common. If you have followed the steps above and your test emails are still failing to send, don’t let it delay your billing cycle. Connect directly with our dedicated QuickBooks online support at +1-888-510-9198. Our certified ProAdvisors are available round-the-clock to map your servers securely, unblock firewall ports, and make sure your business emailing works flawlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
This usually happens due to incorrect SMTP server details, an outdated email application, or a firewall blocking outgoing ports. Ensure your server address is accurate (e.g., smtp.gmail.com for Gmail) and that your security software allows QuickBooks to communicate through the network.
Navigate to the Edit menu in QuickBooks, select Preferences, and click on Send Forms. Under the My Preferences tab, choose the Outlook radio button and click OK. Note that Outlook must be installed and set up as your default Windows mail client for this to work.
Yes. Modern webmail providers require strict multi-factor authentication. Instead of using your regular login password, you must log into your Google or Yahoo security settings, generate a unique 16-digit “App Password,” and paste that into QuickBooks to establish a secure link.
A greyed-out option typically indicates a corrupted user preference file or an administrative restriction within Windows. Try running QuickBooks as an Administrator, or call our expert support helpline at +1-888-510-9198 to have a technician repair the configuration block remotely.
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