What is the Amazon SES Sandbox and why do I need to leave it?

New AWS accounts are placed in the SES Sandbox for security and spam prevention. In the sandbox, you can only send emails to verified email addresses (addresses you've confirmed). To send to any customer email address, you must request production access. Submit a request in the SES Account Dashboard explaining that you're using SES to reply to customer emails. Approval typically takes 24-48 hours for legitimate businesses.

How much does Amazon SES cost?

Amazon SES is one of the most cost-effective email sending services. Pricing: $0.10 per 1,000 emails sent. For the first 62,000 emails per month, the AWS Free Tier covers the cost for 12 months. Data transfer out to the internet costs $0.12 per GB (first 1 GB free). Most Mail AI users pay less than $1 per month for hundreds of replies.

Why do I need to verify my domain with DKIM?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that proves emails sent from your domain via SES are legitimate. It dramatically improves deliverability and prevents your emails from landing in spam. The setup involves adding a few DNS records (TXT records) to your domain. SES provides these records when you verify your domain — it takes about 5 minutes and is a one-time task.

What AWS region should I choose for SES?

Choose the AWS region closest to your business location for lower latency. Common regions: US East (N. Virginia) us-east-1, US West (Oregon) us-west-2, EU (Ireland) eu-west-1, Asia Pacific (Singapore) ap-southeast-1. Your SMTP host changes based on region — Mail AI automatically pre-fills the correct host based on your selection during setup.

What is the difference between Amazon SES and Brevo/SendGrid?

Amazon SES is the most cost-effective at scale ($0.10/1,000 emails) and integrates deeply with other AWS services. However, it has a steeper learning curve (requires leaving the sandbox, DNS verification). Brevo offers a simpler free plan (300/day) and easier setup. SendGrid offers a more user-friendly dashboard. Choose SES if you're sending high volume and are comfortable with AWS infrastructure.

Will my emails land in spam if I use Amazon SES?

Not if configured correctly. Amazon SES has excellent deliverability, but success depends on: (1) verifying your domain with DKIM, (2) warming up your sending reputation (start with low volume, increase gradually), (3) maintaining low complaint rates (

How to Set Up Amazon SES SMTP for AI Email Replies in Mail AI

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cloud-based email sending service designed for high-volume, transactional email. For Mail AI users, it offers the most cost-effective way to send AI-drafted replies at scale — $0.10 per 1,000 emails, with the first 62,000 emails per month free for 12 months.

SES is ideal for businesses sending hundreds or thousands of replies daily. It requires some initial configuration (domain verification, leaving the sandbox), but once set up, it provides enterprise-grade deliverability and reliability.

🟣 Why Amazon SES is the most cost-effective choice: At $0.10 per 1,000 emails, sending 10,000 replies costs just $1.00. Compare that to monthly subscriptions from other providers. If you're scaling your business and sending high volumes, SES pays for itself almost immediately.

Amazon SES SMTP Settings at a Glance

Setting	Value
SMTP Host	`email-smtp.region.amazonaws.com` Copy (US East)
Port	`587` or `465` or `25`
Encryption	`STARTTLS` (port 587) or `SSL` (port 465)
Username	Your SMTP username generated by AWS (starts with `AKIA` or similar)
Password	Your SMTP password generated by AWS (not your AWS login password)
FROM Email	Any email address from a verified identity in SES

⚠️ Two critical SES concepts:
1. Your Username and Password are generated specifically for SMTP access — they are NOT your AWS account email or password.
2. Your domain or email must be verified in SES before you can send from it. Unverified senders will be rejected.

AWS Region & SMTP Host Mapping

Your SMTP host depends on the AWS region where you set up SES. Choose the region closest to your business:

Region Name	AWS Region Code	SMTP Host
US East (N. Virginia)	`us-east-1`	`email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com`
US West (Oregon)	`us-west-2`	`email-smtp.us-west-2.amazonaws.com`
EU (Ireland)	`eu-west-1`	`email-smtp.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com`
Asia Pacific (Singapore)	`ap-southeast-1`	`email-smtp.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com`
Asia Pacific (Sydney)	`ap-southeast-2`	`email-smtp.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com`
EU (Frankfurt)	`eu-central-1`	`email-smtp.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com`

Note: In Mail AI, when you select Amazon SES as your provider, you can choose your region from a dropdown. The SMTP host is automatically filled for you.

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Create an AWS account (or sign in)

Go to aws.amazon.com and create a free account if you do not have one. The AWS Free Tier includes 62,000 emails per month when you send via Amazon SES for the first 12 months.
Open AWS Console →
2

Navigate to Amazon SES in the AWS Console

Search for "SES" in the AWS Management Console and click on Amazon Simple Email Service. If this is your first time, you'll land on the SES dashboard.
Open AWS Console →
3

Verify your domain or email address

In the SES console, go to Identities → Create Identity. Choose Domain (recommended for business) or Email Address. If verifying a domain, add the provided DNS records (DKIM and optionally SPF) to your domain's DNS settings. If verifying an email address, click the confirmation link sent to that email.
Open AWS Console →
4

Move your domain out of the SES Sandbox

New AWS accounts start in the SES Sandbox, which only allows sending to verified email addresses. To send to any recipient, request production access. Go to Account Dashboard → Request Sending Limit Increase. Complete the form explaining your use case (e.g., "replying to customer emails"). Approval usually takes 24-48 hours.
Open AWS Console →
5

Generate SMTP credentials

In the SES console, go to Account Dashboard → SMTP Settings → Create My SMTP Credentials. Enter a username (e.g., "MailAI") → click Create. Download the credentials file or copy the SMTP username and password shown. These are your unique SES SMTP credentials.
Open AWS Console →
6

Open Reply SMTP Setting in Mail AI

In your Mail AI dashboard, go to Linked Email Accounts. Find the email address you want to configure and click "+ Reply SMTP Setting".
Open Mail AI Dashboard →
7

Select Amazon SES and enter credentials

Choose Amazon SES from the provider list. Enter the SMTP username generated by AWS (not your AWS login email). Paste the SMTP password generated by AWS. Enter your FROM email address (must be from a verified identity) and your name or business name. SMTP host and port are pre-filled based on your AWS region.
Open Mail AI Dashboard →
8

Save and verify the connection

Click Save SMTP. Mail AI tests the connection instantly. A green "Custom SMTP ✓" badge appears on your linked email card when successful. Your AI replies will now be delivered via Amazon SES with enterprise-grade reliability.
Open Mail AI Dashboard →

✅ Success looks like: After saving, your linked email card in the Mail AI dashboard shows a green "Custom SMTP ✓" badge. Your AI-drafted replies will now be delivered via Amazon SES with pay-as-you-go pricing.

Troubleshooting Common Amazon SES Errors

"Email address is not verified" or "Domain not verified"

This error means the FROM email address or its domain has not been verified in SES. Go to SES Console → Identities, add your domain or email, and complete the verification. For domains, this requires adding DKIM records to your DNS. For emails, click the confirmation link sent to that address.

"User is not in production access" or "Sandbox mode"

New SES accounts start in the sandbox, which only allows sending to verified email addresses. You must request production access to send to any recipient. Go to SES Account Dashboard → Request Sending Limit Increase. Fill out the form explaining your use case (e.g., "replying to customer emails using Mail AI"). Approval typically takes 24-48 hours.

"Authentication failed" or "Invalid SMTP credentials"

Double-check that you're using the SMTP username and password generated from the SES SMTP Settings page — not your AWS account login credentials. If you lost your SMTP credentials, go to SES → Account Dashboard → SMTP Settings → Create My SMTP Credentials again. You can have multiple sets of credentials.

"Message rejected: Email address is not verified" (after production access)

Even after leaving the sandbox, you must still verify the specific FROM email address or its domain. SES requires all sending identities to be verified. If you're sending from [email protected], your entire domain must be verified, not just one email address.

Emails are being throttled or rejected with rate limit errors

SES has sending quotas based on your account's reputation. Initially, you may be limited to 1-10 emails per second. As you build a good sending reputation (low complaint rates, no bounces), these limits increase automatically. You can request higher limits in the Account Dashboard.

Amazon SES vs Other SMTP Providers

Feature	🟣 Amazon SES	💚 Brevo	🟠 ZeptoMail
Pricing	$0.10 / 1,000 emails 62k free/month	300 free/day then ~$25/month	Pay-as-you-go credits
Best for volume	✅ Massive scale (millions/month)	Small to medium (up to 30k/month)	Medium to high
Setup complexity	Advanced (sandbox, DNS, IAM)	Simple	Medium (DNS required)
Domain verification	✅ Required (DKIM)	✅ Required	✅ Required
Free tier	✅ 62k emails/month (12 months)	✅ 300 emails/day (indefinite)	✅ Trial credits
Learning curve	Steep	Gentle	Moderate

Rule of thumb: use 💚 Brevo for simplicity and a generous free plan. Use 🟠 ZeptoMail for pay-as-you-go without AWS complexity. Use 🟣 Amazon SES for maximum cost-efficiency at scale, especially if you're sending thousands of replies per month.

Amazon SES Sending Limits & Pricing Summary

Free Tier: 62,000 emails per month for the first 12 months (plus 1 GB of data transfer out).
Standard pricing: $0.10 per 1,000 emails sent (after free tier).
Data transfer: $0.12 per GB out to the internet (first 1 GB free). Most Mail AI emails are small (<50KB), so data costs are minimal.
No monthly subscription: You pay only for what you send.
Sending quotas: Start at 1-10 emails/second; increase automatically with good reputation.

💰 Cost example: Sending 5,000 AI replies per month costs approximately $0.50 with SES after the free tier. The same volume with Brevo's paid plan would be $25/month. For high-volume users, SES pays for itself many times over.

Domain Verification: DKIM & SPF

To maximize deliverability from Amazon SES, you must set up DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) for your domain. This proves to email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) that you own the domain and have authorized SES to send on your behalf.

DKIM: SES generates 3 DNS TXT records that you add to your domain's DNS. This cryptographically signs your emails.
SPF: Add an SPF record that includes include:amazonses.com to authorize SES servers to send from your domain.
Both are configured in the SES Console under Identities → your domain → DKIM / SPF tabs.
DNS propagation takes 10-30 minutes after adding records. SES will show "Verified" once complete.

Ready to Scale Your Email Replies?

With Amazon SES connected, your Mail AI workflow is ready for enterprise scale: customer emails arrive, the AI summarises and drafts a reply, and when you click Send it leaves from your own business email address — delivered via AWS's global infrastructure, costing pennies for thousands of replies.

Go to your Mail AI dashboard →