How to Set Up Email Marketing in BotSailor: Complete Beginner’s Guide

Email marketing remains a powerful channel for follow-up communication, lead nurturing, and engagement. In BotSailor, end users (non-resellers) can integrate their email provider to send instant, automated emails when subscribers submit their email addresses through chatbot flows.

This guide walks you through how to connect your email account, collect user email addresses, and trigger real-time email delivery using user input flows or reply buttons.

What You Can Do with End-User Email Integration

✅ Instantly send a confirmation or welcome email when a user submits their email
✅ Use email alongside WhatsApp or Messenger conversations
✅ Collect leads directly inside bot flows
✅ Personalize emails with subscriber input using custom fields

   ⚠️ This feature is available only for end users to send instant emails. There is no bulk email marketing or campaign scheduling at this level.

Step 1: Connect Your Email Provider

To start sending emails from your own address:

• Log in to your BotSailor dashboard
• Go to Integrations → Email API

• Click Connect Email Provider
• Choose from:
  
  
  • SMTP (e.g., Zoho, Gmail SMTP, etc.)
  • Mailgun
  • Postmark
  • SES
  • Mandrill
• Fill in your email host, port, username, and password or API key
• Click Save and Verify

Once verified, your email will be ready to use in bot flows.

Step 2: Collect Email from Subscribers

BotSailor provides two ways to collect email from users:

Option 1: Use a User Input Flow

• Go to Bot Manager → Bot Reply
• Create a new bot reply or edit an existing one
• Choose User Input Flow as the reply type
• In the input settings:
  
  
  • Set expected input type to Email
  • Assign a Custom Field to save the response (e.g., subscriber_email)

If you want to learn how to create a user input flow. Explore this article ( user input flow article)

Step 3: Configure the email

• Go to Your channel and select Bot manager
• Then select your bot and open configuration tab
• Scroll down and from the email section
• Choose the email profile, which you want to use
• Write a subject and email body and save it

Step 4: Trigger the Email

Once the email field is submitted :

• Once any customer trigger your user input flow and input their email
• An instant email is sent to the user using the configured email text
• You can view delivery logs under API log

Tips for Better Delivery

✅ Use a verified domain (SPF/DKIM) if using SMTP or Mailgun
✅ Keep email templates short and clear
✅ Personalize using fields like {{first_name}} or {{bot_name}}
✅ Use this for transactional emails, not marketing blasts

Use Cases

• Send a welcome message immediately after user registration
• Deliver coupon codes after email input
• Confirm bookings with automated email replies
• Provide downloadable links (PDFs, eBooks) post-email submission

Limitations

🚫 Not intended for bulk email marketing
🚫 Cannot schedule emails only instant
🚫 User must provide valid email format

Summary

With BotSailor's built-in email sending capability for end users, you can automate transactional emails effortlessly. Whether it’s to confirm a subscription, follow up on interest, or deliver content all can be handled inside the same bot flow.

This real-time email integration improves lead management and delivers a smooth cross-channel experience directly from your BotSailor automation.

FAQ

Can I use Gmail to send emails from BotSailor?

Yes, you can connect Gmail using its SMTP settings. However, for better delivery and fewer restrictions, we recommend using transactional email providers like Mailgun, Postmark, or AWS SES.

Is this suitable for sending bulk email campaigns?

No. BotSailor’s email feature is designed for instant transactional emails, not bulk campaigns or newsletter blasts.

Will users receive emails instantly after submitting their address?

Yes. Once a user submits their email through the bot’s input flow, BotSailor sends the configured email message instantly.

Can I customize the email content based on user input?

Absolutely. You can personalize the subject and body using custom fields like {{subscriber_email}}, {{first_name}}, or other captured data.

Where can I see if the email was successfully delivered?

You can view email delivery and error logs under the API Log section in your BotSailor dashboard.

Can I add attachments like PDFs or download links?

You can’t attach files directly, but you can include download links (e.g., to Google Drive or your server) in the email body.

Do I need a verified domain to send emails?

If you're using SMTP or providers like Mailgun or SES, it's strongly recommended to verify your domain and configure SPF/DKIM records for better deliverability.

Is it possible to send a follow-up email later?

Currently, no. BotSailor only supports instant email sending, not scheduled or delayed follow-ups.