Email server settings

Gmail SMTP settings and IMAP server

Q: What are the Gmail SMTP settings?

Server smtp.gmail.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS or port 587 with STARTTLS, authentication required, with your full Gmail address as the user name. Sign in with Google (OAuth) or use an app password; your normal Google password doesn’t work in mail apps.

Q: What are the Gmail IMAP settings?

Incoming server imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL/TLS, with your full Gmail address as the user name. Since January 2025, IMAP is always on for personal Gmail accounts, so there is nothing to enable.

Q: What are the Google Workspace SMTP settings?

smtp.gmail.com on port 465 or 587 with your full work address and an app password or OAuth (up to 2,000 messages per day), or the SMTP relay smtp-relay.gmail.com on port 25, 465 or 587 with IP-based authentication set up by your admin.

The Gmail SMTP settings are smtp.gmail.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS or port 587 with STARTTLS, with your full Gmail address as the user name. Mail apps can no longer log in with your normal Google password: use Sign in with Google (OAuth) or, with 2-Step Verification on, an app password.

Last checked October 9, 2026, against Google’s own documentation.

Gmail SMTP, IMAP and POP3 servers

Server, port and securityServer	Port and security
IMAP · incomingimap.gmail.com993 · SSL/TLS	993SSL/TLS
POP3 · incomingpop.gmail.com995 · SSL/TLS	995SSL/TLS
SMTP · outgoingsmtp.gmail.com465 · SSL/TLS	465SSL/TLS
SMTP · outgoingsmtp.gmail.com587 · STARTTLS	587STARTTLS

Sign-in: Sign in with Google (OAuth 2.0) or app password

User name: your full Gmail address, for example jane.doe@gmail.com (Google Workspace: your full work address).

Gmail SMTP server settings explained

Both SMTP ports reach the same server. Port 465 is encrypted from the start (implicit TLS); port 587 starts in plain text and switches to TLS with STARTTLS before you log in. If a firewall blocks one, use the other (Google for Developers).

IMAP is always on. Since January 2025, personal Gmail accounts no longer have an “Enable IMAP” switch: IMAP access is always turned on. In Google Workspace, the admin decides.
Up to 15 clients at once. More connections end in “Too many simultaneous connections”.
Big folders. If a client crashes or syncs slowly, limit IMAP folders to 10,000 messages under Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Folder size limits.

Google Workspace SMTP settings for apps and devices

Printers, scanners and apps in a Workspace domain have three options (Google Workspace help):

Option	Server and port	Login	Limit
Gmail SMTP server	`smtp.gmail.com`, 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS)	Full Workspace address + app password	2,000 messages per day
SMTP relay	`smtp-relay.gmail.com`, 25, 465 or 587	IP address, set up in the Admin console	10,000 recipients per user per day
Restricted Gmail SMTP	`aspmx.l.google.com`, 25	None	Gmail and Workspace recipients only

For the restricted server, Google asks you to allowlist the device’s IP address and include it in your domain’s SPF record.

Gmail no longer supports third-party apps or devices that only ask for your Google user name and password; for Google Workspace accounts, “less secure apps” access ended on May 1, 2025. Two ways in remain:

Sign in with Google (OAuth 2.0). The app opens Google’s sign-in page and never stores your password. Choose Google as the account type instead of a manual IMAP account.
An app password. For apps and devices without Google sign-in, such as a scanner or a script (Google’s help):
- 2-Step Verification must be on. The option is missing if you use only security keys, have Advanced Protection, or the account belongs to work, school or another organization.
- Create it at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords and paste the 16-digit passcode into the app’s password field.
- Changing your Google password revokes all app passwords.

Google says app passwords “aren’t recommended and are unnecessary in most cases”, so use one only when an app has no Google sign-in.

Set up Gmail in Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and phones

Outlook: add the account with your Gmail address and complete the Google sign-in window. Google warns that older versions such as Outlook 2016 may not support its security standards. A manual IMAP setup in Outlook uses imap.gmail.com (993, SSL/TLS), smtp.gmail.com (587, STARTTLS) and an app password.
iPhone and iPad: Settings → Apps → Mail → Mail Accounts → Add Account → Google, then sign in. On a Mac, add a Google account in Mail.
Thunderbird: enter your address; Thunderbird finds the servers and opens Google’s sign-in page. Manually, set Authentication method to OAuth2 for IMAP and SMTP.
Scanners, plugins and scripts: smtp.gmail.com, port 465 or 587, full address and an app password. In Google Workspace, prefer the SMTP relay.

Common Gmail SMTP and IMAP errors

Error or symptom	Fix
“Username and password not accepted”, “Invalid credentials”, or the app keeps asking for your password	The app is sending your Google password. Remove the account and add it again with Sign in with Google, or use an app password if the app has no Google option. After a password change, sign in again: old app passwords stop working.
`534` Application-specific password required	2-Step Verification is on and the app uses a plain password. Switch to Google sign-in or create an app password.
`534 5.7.14` Please log in through your web browser and then try again	Google wants the sign-in confirmed. Sign in to Gmail in a browser, then retry; better, switch the app to Sign in with Google.
`530 5.7.0` Must issue a STARTTLS command first	The app connected to port 587 without encryption. Turn on STARTTLS (some apps call it TLS) or use port 465 with SSL/TLS.
`454 4.7.0` Too many login attempts, please try again later	Too many failed logins in a short time. Stop the app, fix the password or sign-in method, wait, then retry.
“Too many simultaneous connections”	More than 15 clients are connected. Close or sign out of mail apps and devices you no longer use.
`550 5.4.5` Daily user sending limit exceeded	You hit a sending limit (below). Wait; Google says sending usually works again within 1 to 24 hours.

Error texts from Google’s Gmail SMTP errors and codes and the Gmail client help. Bounces from other servers are explained in the SMTP error codes reference.

Gmail sending limits

Account	Limit
Personal Gmail	500 recipients per message, 500 messages per day
Google Workspace via `smtp.gmail.com`	2,000 messages per day
Google Workspace SMTP relay	10,000 recipients per user per day

Over the limit, Gmail shows “You have reached a limit for sending mail”. Many bounces from invalid addresses can also block sending for about 24 hours (“Messages you sent couldn’t be delivered”; see Gmail sending limits). A bulk email verifier removes dead addresses first. For sending to Gmail users at volume, see the Gmail and Yahoo sender requirements.

Is @gmail.com a valid email domain?

Yes. gmail.com is Google’s consumer email domain; googlemail.com addresses use the same servers. Two rules matter when you check or deduplicate a list:

Dots don’t count in personal Gmail addresses: jane.doe@gmail.com and janedoe@gmail.com reach the same inbox (Google). In work or school accounts on Gmail, dots do change the address.
Plus aliases such as janedoe+news@gmail.com are delivered to janedoe@gmail.com.

A well-formed Gmail address can still belong to a deleted or never-created account; Gmail rejects it with 550 5.1.1. Check one address first with our free check Is this a real email address?.

Both domains that mail apps set up with these servers

gmail.com, googlemail.com.

Source: the Mozilla Thunderbird ISP database (MPL 2.0), which mail clients use for automatic setup.

Sources

Checked on October 9, 2026. Server names, ports and sign-in rules come from these official pages:

Other mailbox providers

Gmail email settings: FAQ

What are the Gmail SMTP settings?

Server smtp.gmail.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS or port 587 with STARTTLS, authentication required, with your full Gmail address as the user name. Sign in with Google (OAuth) or use an app password; your normal Google password doesn’t work in mail apps.

What are the Gmail IMAP settings?

Incoming server imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL/TLS, with your full Gmail address as the user name. Since January 2025, IMAP is always on for personal Gmail accounts, so there is nothing to enable.

Should I use port 465 or 587 for Gmail SMTP?

Either works. Port 465 uses SSL/TLS from the start, port 587 upgrades the connection with STARTTLS. If one port is blocked on your network, use the other.

Why does Gmail say “Username and password not accepted”?

Gmail no longer accepts your Google password in third-party mail apps. Add the account with Sign in with Google, or turn on 2-Step Verification and create an app password for apps without Google sign-in.

What are the Google Workspace SMTP settings?

smtp.gmail.com on port 465 or 587 with your full work address and an app password or OAuth (up to 2,000 messages per day), or the SMTP relay smtp-relay.gmail.com on port 25, 465 or 587 with IP-based authentication set up by your admin.

Email validation API

Validate gmail.com addresses before you send

emailvalidation.io checks syntax, MX records and the mailbox over SMTP, flags disposable, role and free addresses and returns a quality score, in one request.

/v1/info Email validation API Read the documentation

100 free validations every month. No credit card required.

GET https://api.emailvalidation.io/v1/info?email=support@emailvalidation.io

{
  "email": "support@emailvalidation.io",
  "user": "support",
  "tag": "",
  "domain": "emailvalidation.io",
  "format_valid": true,
  "mx_found": true,
  "smtp_check": true,
  "catch_all": null,
  "role": true,
  "disposable": false,
  "free": false,
  "score": 0.64,
  "state": "deliverable",
  "reason": "low_quality",
  "did_you_mean": "",
  "catch_all_resolution": null,
  "bounce_probability": null,
  "status": "valid",
  "sub_status": "role_based",
  "explanation": "The mailbox exists, but it is a role address (such as info@ or support@), usually read by a team rather than one person.",
  "recommended_action": "send_with_caution"
}

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