SendGrid is one of the most practical email providers for agencies because it balances setup speed, deliverability, and pricing well. For many agencies it is the easiest serious step up from the built-in email service.
If you want a clean white-label sender, your own domain reputation, and a provider that most teams can configure without turning the project into a technical detour, SendGrid is usually the right place to start.
What SendGrid is and why agencies use it
#SendGrid handles the delivery side of email so your messages have a stronger chance of landing in the inbox instead of the spam folder. It is well known, widely documented, and easy enough for most agencies to manage without a developer on every small change.
Steps and details · includes a table
| Plan | Monthly volume | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 100 emails per day | Free |
| Essentials | Up to 100,000 per month | From $19.95 per month |
| Pro | Up to 1.5 million per month | From $89.95 per month |
The free tier is often enough for early testing or a small number of active customers. You can upgrade later without rebuilding the provider setup.
Before you start
#A SendGrid account
Steps and details
- A domain or subdomain you want to send from
- Access to the DNS settings for that domain
Part 1: authenticate your sending domain in SendGrid
#This step tells inbox providers that SendGrid is allowed to send on behalf of your domain. Without it, deliverability is weaker and spam placement risk goes up.
Steps and details
Inside SendGrid go to Settings -> Sender Authentication, click Authenticate Your Domain, choose your DNS provider, enter the sending domain, and copy the three CNAME records SendGrid gives you into your DNS provider.
After that, go back to SendGrid and click Verify. DNS changes can take time, but many verify far sooner than the worst-case window.
- Copy each CNAME exactly as shown
- Some DNS providers automatically append the domain name, so watch for duplicated hostnames
- Use a subdomain such as mail.youragency.com or reviews.youragency.com if you want extra protection for your main domain reputation
This step effectively sets up SPF and DKIM signals for SendGrid on your domain. It is one of the biggest deliverability improvements you can make.
Part 2: create the SendGrid API key
#In SendGrid go to Settings -> API Keys, click Create API Key, give it a clear name such as EmbedMyReviews, and create the key.
Steps and details
- Full Access is the simplest option
- If you prefer restricted permissions, make sure Mail Send, Mail Settings, and Tracking are enabled
- Copy the key immediately because SendGrid only shows it once
Part 3: connect SendGrid in the platform
#Go to Platform -> Messaging -> Email, click Add Provider, name the provider, choose SendGrid, and continue through the setup wizard.
Steps and details · includes a table
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Authenticate | Paste the API key and verify it |
| Throttling | Choose how fast emails should send through the account |
| Feedback | Let the platform configure bounce and complaint webhooks automatically |
| Summary and sender details | Set the from email, from name, and reply-to details, then send a test email |
Step · What to do
- Authenticate
- Paste the API key and verify it
- Throttling
- Choose how fast emails should send through the account
- Feedback
- Let the platform configure bounce and complaint webhooks automatically
- Summary and sender details
- Set the from email, from name, and reply-to details, then send a test email
Throttling and webhook advice
#The default sending speed usually works well for agencies, but conservative throttling is smart on new domains or free-tier accounts. Start slower if your reputation is still new, then increase as performance proves stable.
Steps and details
Webhook setup matters because bounce and complaint feedback helps the platform avoid repeatedly sending to bad addresses.
- On the free SendGrid tier, keeping the sending pace lower is usually the safer move
- On paid plans, the default settings are often fine unless the sender is brand new
- The platform handles the SendGrid webhook registration automatically when permissions are correct
Part 4: check that everything is working
#Confirm the provider shows as setup complete on the email providers page
Steps and details
- Send a test email to yourself and check the sender details
- Run a small test campaign and confirm delivery from the right address
- If this is your first provider, confirm it is marked as the default or intentionally assigned elsewhere
Assigning SendGrid to customer organizations
#By default, your SendGrid provider can act as the agency fallback sender. You can also assign it to specific customer organizations so they use this provider at the organization level while still allowing customer-owned Gmail or Outlook connections to take priority above it.
How SendGrid interacts with custom-plan credits
#SendGrid changes who delivers the email. It does not change the agency custom-plan credit model for review request invites in a normal agency-managed sending setup.
Steps and details
That means invite emails can still fail because the customer assigned to that plan has run out of their monthly email limit, even though SendGrid itself is connected correctly.
- Transactional emails are separate and do not consume invite credits
- Normal agency-managed review request invites still respect the customer plan email limit
- The main exception is when the customer sends through their own connected Gmail or Outlook account