{"id":"6aef3cf04d670dd6061d040d","title":"Setup","path":"how-to/committee/email-articles/external-email/setup","contentMarkdown":"# External Email Setup\n\nYou can read and send committee mail in Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird or Gmail, using a committee role address. This is optional. If the group is happy using [Admin → Inbox](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/inbox \"{{siteUrl}}\") on the website, leave it switched off.\n\n## What you need\n\n- A committee role with an email address on the group's domain\n- A site administrator to turn the setting on (once, for the whole site)\n- The mail app on your computer or phone\n\nYou still send newsletters and mail to the member list from the website composer. This setup is for day-to-day committee mail: Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Deleted, and any folders you already created on the website.\n\n## Turn it on (site administrator)\n\nOpen [Admin → Mail Settings → API](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/mail-settings?tab=api \"{{siteUrl}}\"). Tick Allow External Mail Support, then save. Until that is done, mail apps cannot connect.\n\nIf you later need to stop every device at once, untick the same box and save.\n\n![](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/api/aws/s3/site-content/0b7a5809-a2e1-4975-8ccb-3dad344ebb6a.png)\n\n*[Admin → Mail Settings → API](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/mail-settings?tab=api \"{{siteUrl}}\"): Allow External Mail Support. Off by default. Incoming mail uses IMAP port 993, outgoing mail uses SMTP port 465, both with SSL/TLS.*\n\n## Set up your mail app\n\nOnly people who hold a committee role with an email address see this page. Open [Profile → External Email Setup](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/profile/external-email-setup \"{{siteUrl}}\").\n\n1. Choose your computer or phone, then the mail app you use.\n2. Choose which committee address to use.\n3. Choose **Create application password**. There is one password for every device. Copy it straight away: it is shown once and is not your website login password. The copy icon next to the address copies the hostname, ports, username and password as a labelled note.\n4. Follow the numbered steps on the page for your app. Use the clipboard icon in each box to copy the hostname, ports, username and password.\n5. Open Inbox in the app and send a short test. Check that a copy appears in Sent on the website as well.\n\nOn a live site, incoming mail uses port **993** and outgoing mail uses port **465**, both with **SSL/TLS**. Username is the committee role address. Password is the application password. Do not choose STARTTLS.\n\nIf the website address includes **www**, the hostname must include **www** as well. Copy it from [Profile → External Email Setup](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/profile/external-email-setup \"{{siteUrl}}\"). Leaving **www** off is a common reason the mail app cannot connect.\n\nYou can only send From a committee role address listed on [Profile → External Email Setup](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/profile/external-email-setup \"{{siteUrl}}\"). Sending from a personal address is refused. Mail you send this way is saved in the shared committee inbox Sent folder so the rest of the committee can see it.\n\nOnce the application password is created, open the guide for the mail app you use.\n\n![](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/api/aws/s3/site-content/2974843f-fb58-4b95-87fb-bf98f50d0e02.png)\n\n*[Profile → External Email Setup](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/profile/external-email-setup \"{{siteUrl}}\"): pick the committee address, choose Mac, Windows, iPhone or iPad and the mail app, then create one application password. The copy icon next to the address copies the settings as a labelled note.*\n\n> **Related**\n>\n> [External Email](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/how-to/committee/email-articles/external-email)\n>\n> [30 October 2026 release note](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/how-to/committee/release-notes/2026-10-30-issue-407)\n>\n> [Committee role mailboxes and inbox notifications](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/how-to/committee/email-articles/committee-role-inbox)\n>\n> [Admin → Inbox](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/admin/inbox \"{{siteUrl}}\")\n","contentHtml":"

External Email Setup

\n

You can read and send committee mail in Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird or Gmail, using a committee role address. This is optional. If the group is happy using Admin → Inbox on the website, leave it switched off.

\n

What you need

\n\n

You still send newsletters and mail to the member list from the website composer. This setup is for day-to-day committee mail: Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Deleted, and any folders you already created on the website.

\n

Turn it on (site administrator)

\n

Open Admin → Mail Settings → API. Tick Allow External Mail Support, then save. Until that is done, mail apps cannot connect.

\n

If you later need to stop every device at once, untick the same box and save.

\n

\"\"

\n

Admin → Mail Settings → API: Allow External Mail Support. Off by default. Incoming mail uses IMAP port 993, outgoing mail uses SMTP port 465, both with SSL/TLS.

\n

Set up your mail app

\n

Only people who hold a committee role with an email address see this page. Open Profile → External Email Setup.

\n
    \n
  1. Choose your computer or phone, then the mail app you use.
    2. \n
  2. Choose which committee address to use.
    3. \n
  3. Choose Create application password. There is one password for every device. Copy it straight away: it is shown once and is not your website login password. The copy icon next to the address copies the hostname, ports, username and password as a labelled note.
    4. \n
  4. Follow the numbered steps on the page for your app. Use the clipboard icon in each box to copy the hostname, ports, username and password.
    5. \n
  5. Open Inbox in the app and send a short test. Check that a copy appears in Sent on the website as well.
    6. \n
\n

On a live site, incoming mail uses port 993 and outgoing mail uses port 465, both with SSL/TLS. Username is the committee role address. Password is the application password. Do not choose STARTTLS.

\n

If the website address includes www, the hostname must include www as well. Copy it from Profile → External Email Setup. Leaving www off is a common reason the mail app cannot connect.

\n

You can only send From a committee role address listed on Profile → External Email Setup. Sending from a personal address is refused. Mail you send this way is saved in the shared committee inbox Sent folder so the rest of the committee can see it.

\n

Once the application password is created, open the guide for the mail app you use.

\n

\"\"

\n

Profile → External Email Setup: pick the committee address, choose Mac, Windows, iPhone or iPad and the mail app, then create one application password. The copy icon next to the address copies the settings as a labelled note.

\n
\n

Related

\n

External Email

\n

30 October 2026 release note

\n

Committee role mailboxes and inbox notifications

\n

Admin → Inbox

\n
\n"}