Custom Email Server Configuration FAQ

The following responses are supported solutions to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on custom SMTP configuration. The OneTrust team continuously monitors these inquiries and will make additional FAQ available as they are identified.

I have a custom SMTP account, but the Test Connection fails now. What are some steps I can take to troubleshoot my issue?

The following steps can be completed to troubleshoot this issue:

  • Verify if the email account is active and the credentials are valid by logging in through a webmail client (e.g. Gmail, Outlook).

  • Ensure the email server allows SMTP authentication (some might require special settings or permissions).

  • If you recently changed your password, ensure the updated credentials are entered in your platform’s SMTP configuration.

  • Ping the SMTP server to ensure it is reachable.

CAUTION:

Deleting existing SMTP configurations is not recommended since this would cause all emails currently stuck in the queue to be removed entirely. Rather than deleting the SMTP configuration, start with troubleshooting the configuration using the steps above. The most common issue is typically with authentication of the username and password to the SMTP server.

How can I configure a custom SMTP account?

You can configure your email server settings to send email notifications from OneTrust using the Custom SMTP Relay methodology. This methodology is recommended for companies wanting full control over emails coming from the OneTrust application. Emails are sent from the application via SMTP configuration directly to the customer's email server. This works for any email server supporting SMTP.

For more information, see Configuring Custom SMTP Email Accounts.

I've completed my email server configuration but am still experiencing email delivery issues. What are some steps I can take to troubleshoot my issue?

If your organization has strict email content filtering policies, check for server activity related to the Admin Portal IP Addresses associated with your tenant. Please also consider safelisting the Admin Portal IP Addresses associated with your tenant.

For more information, see About OneTrust Hosting Options, Locations, and Backup.

I've configured SMTP email settings but the emails aren't being received by assigned users or user groups.

For organizations that use AWS as a SMTP provider, request subtask reminders and user groups notifications sent to over 50 users will not be sent. This is a restriction enforced by AWS that only allows a maximum of 50 recipients for an email. OneTrust encourages our customers to be mindful of their subtask and user group management if this scenario applies to your account.