Postmark is built around one core promise: dependable inbox delivery. It is not trying to be an all-in-one marketing suite. It is focused on getting email delivered quickly and cleanly, which is why it consistently shows up near the top of deliverability benchmarks.
For agencies where every review request matters and inbox placement is the main priority, Postmark is a serious option. The trade-off is that it is more premium, does not offer a permanent free tier, and introduces concepts like message streams and separate account and server tokens.
What Postmark is and why agencies choose it
#Postmark is best thought of as a premium delivery provider. It is especially attractive when the agency cares more about inbox reliability than about squeezing the last possible value from a free tier.
Steps and details · includes a table
| Plan | Monthly emails | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | 100 test emails | Free |
| 10,000 emails | 10,000 per month | $15 per month |
| 50,000 emails | 50,000 per month | $50 per month |
| 125,000 emails | 125,000 per month | $100 per month |
| Higher volumes | Custom | Contact sales |
Postmark does not have a permanent free tier. It is usually chosen because of delivery quality, not because it is the cheapest option.
Before you start
#A Postmark account
Steps and details
- A domain or subdomain you want to send from
- Access to the DNS settings for that domain
- A Server API token and an Account API token
Part 1: set up your sending domain in Postmark
#Inside Postmark go to Sender Signatures, click Add Domain, enter the sending domain, then add the DNS records Postmark gives you.
Steps and details
You will usually be working with a DKIM record and a Return-Path record. DMARC is also worth adding for stronger alignment and trust.
- Use a subdomain if you want to protect the primary business domain reputation
- Verify both required records before moving on
- Add DMARC if you want a stronger overall domain-authentication posture
Part 2: get the two Postmark API tokens
#Postmark uses two different tokens for two different jobs. The Server API token is used for sending. The Account API token is used during setup so the platform can read message streams and configure feedback.
Steps and details
This is more complex than SendGrid or Brevo, but it is also a cleaner security model because sending access and account-management access are separated.
- Get the Server API token from the specific Postmark server you plan to use
- Get the Account API token from the top-level Postmark account area
- Do not mix the two up because verification will fail if they are swapped
Part 3: understand message streams
#Postmark separates sending into message streams. The usual built-in streams are Outbound for transactional sending and Broadcast for bulk or campaign-style sending.
Steps and details
For review request campaigns, Broadcast is usually the better fit because it aligns with the one-to-many campaign use case.
- Use Broadcast if you want the most natural fit for review request campaigns
- Use Outbound only if you have a specific reason and understand how Postmark classifies those sends
- You can change the chosen stream later by editing the provider
Part 4: connect Postmark in the platform
#Go to Platform -> Messaging -> Email, click Add Provider, name the provider, click Show more providers, choose Postmark, and continue through the setup wizard.
Steps and details · includes a table
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Authenticate | Paste the Server API token and the Account API token, then verify both |
| Message stream | Choose the stream that should send review request emails |
| Throttling | Keep the default unless you have a specific reason to reduce it |
| Feedback | Let the platform register bounce and complaint webhooks automatically |
| Summary and sender details | Set from and reply-to details, then send a test email |
Step · What to do
- Authenticate
- Paste the Server API token and the Account API token, then verify both
- Message stream
- Choose the stream that should send review request emails
- Throttling
- Keep the default unless you have a specific reason to reduce it
- Feedback
- Let the platform register bounce and complaint webhooks automatically
- Summary and sender details
- Set from and reply-to details, then send a test email
The most common setup mistake is simply swapping the Server API token and the Account API token.
Part 5: feedback and tracking
#Postmark aligns well with deliverability-first setups because open and click tracking are not forced on by default. That helps keep unnecessary tracking elements out of the email unless you deliberately decide you need them.
Steps and details
Feedback setup handles bounce and complaint data automatically so the platform can stop repeatedly sending to bad addresses.
Part 6: verify everything is working
#Confirm the provider shows a setup complete badge in the email providers area
Steps and details
- Send a test email and confirm the sender details are correct
- Check the chosen Postmark message stream in the dashboard if you want to verify activity directly
- Run a small campaign test before treating the provider as production-ready
How Postmark interacts with custom-plan credits
#Postmark changes the delivery provider. It does not change the custom-plan invite credit rules in a normal agency-managed sending setup.
Steps and details
So if a Postmark-powered invite fails because of credits, the usual issue is still the customer plan email limit rather than the Postmark configuration itself.
- Transactional emails remain separate from invite credits
- Normal agency-managed invite emails still respect the customer plan email limit
- The main exception remains customer-owned Gmail or Outlook sending from inside the customer account