How to Use the MailChannels Zapier Integration – Help Center

Automatically send transactional emails through MailChannels whenever something happens in your other apps — no coding required.

What This Guide Covers

MailChannels has a native integration in the Zapier app directory, making it easy to connect MailChannels to thousands of other apps. This guide walks you through setting up an automated email workflow (called a "Zap") that sends an email through MailChannels the moment a trigger fires in another app — like a new form submission, a CRM update, or a new order.

Note: The MailChannels app on Zapier is currently in Beta. It works reliably, but you may see the Beta label when searching for it in Zapier.

Before You Start

You'll need the following before building your first Zap:

A MailChannels account — Sign up at mailchannels.com/email-api.
A Zapier account — Free or paid, available at zapier.com.
A domain you own — MailChannels sends email on behalf of your domain. A one-time DNS setup is required (covered in Step 2 below).

Step 1: Set Up Your MailChannels Account

1a. Create an API Key

Zapier uses your MailChannels API key to authenticate and send emails on your behalf.

Log in to the MailChannels Console.
Go to Account Settings.
Under API Keys, click Create API Key.
Give it a description (e.g., "Zapier") and set the Scope to api.
Copy the key and store it somewhere safe.

1b. Find Your Account ID

You'll need your Account ID in the next step. It's displayed in the upper-right corner of the MailChannels Console.

Step 2: Authorize Your Sending Domain (One-Time Setup)

MailChannels uses a security feature called Domain Lockdown to verify that you own the domain you're sending email from. This is a one-time setup done in your domain's DNS settings (managed through your domain registrar — e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap).

Log in to your domain registrar and open the DNS settings for your domain.
Save the record. DNS changes can take a few minutes to a few hours to take effect.

Also recommended: Make sure your domain has a valid SPF record configured. SPF helps receiving mail servers recognize MailChannels as an authorized sender for your domain and improves deliverability. See: Set up SPF Records

Important: Your domain should also have at least one valid A or MX record. If the domain has neither, MailChannels may not deliver mail for that domain.

Need help? Contact your domain provider's support team and share the values above — they can usually add it for you.

Step 3: Connect MailChannels to Zapier

In Zapier, click + Create → Zaps.
Give your Zap a name (e.g., "Send Welcome Email via MailChannels").
Skip to the Action step and search for MailChannels.
Select MailChannels from the results (you may see a "Beta" label — that's expected).
For the Action Event, select Send Email.
In the Account section, Click Sign in.
When prompted, enter your MailChannels API Key from Step 1a and confirm.

MailChannels is now connected to your Zapier account. You only need to do this once — the connection will be reusable across all future Zaps.

Step 4: Configure Your Email

After entering your MailChannels API Key, you should now see a Continue button, click that and fill in the email fields:

Field	Description
From (Email Address)	The address you're sending from — must use the domain you authorized in Step 2 (e.g., `hello@acme.com`)
From (Display Name)	(Optional) The name recipients will see, e.g., "Acme Support"
To (Email Address)	The recipient's email — click the field to insert a dynamic value from your trigger
To (Display Name)	(Optional) The recipient's name — also available as a dynamic field
Subject	Your subject line — can include dynamic values
Body (HTML)	The email body — supports HTML formatting and dynamic values for personalization

💡 Tip on dynamic values: In any field, you can click in and select data passed from your trigger step — like the submitter's name, email address, or any other field your trigger app provides. This is what makes each email feel personally addressed without any extra manual work.

Example Body (HTML):

Hi [First Name], Thanks for signing up! We're excited to have you on board. – The Acme Team

Once all fields are filled in, click Continue, then Test Step. Zapier will send a real test email using your sample trigger data. Check the recipient inbox to confirm it arrived correctly.

Step 5: Set Up Your Trigger

The trigger is the event in another app that kicks off the email. Go back to the Trigger step at the top of your Zap and configure it. Some common examples:

New form submission — Typeform, Google Forms, Gravity Forms
New contact added — HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive
New order placed — Shopify, WooCommerce
New row in a spreadsheet — Google Sheets, Airtable
Scheduled time — Schedule by Zapier (great for recurring emails)

To set it up:

Search for your app and select it.
Choose the event that should kick off the email (e.g., "New Submission").
Connect your account and follow the prompts.
Click Test Trigger to pull in sample data — this will be available to personalize your email in the next step.

Step 6: Turn On Your Zap

Once your test is successful:

Click Publish to turn the Zap on.
Your automation is now live — every time the trigger fires, MailChannels will send the email automatically.

Common Use Case Examples

Trigger: New Typeform or Google Forms submission
Action: MailChannels sends a personalized welcome email to the submitter

Order Confirmation

Trigger: New order in Shopify or WooCommerce
Action: MailChannels sends a confirmation with the customer's order details

CRM Follow-up

Trigger: New contact added in HubSpot or Pipedrive
Action: MailChannels sends a personalized intro email from your sales team

Scheduled Digest

Trigger: Schedule by Zapier (e.g., every Monday at 9am)
Action: MailChannels sends a weekly summary to your team or list

Internal Team Alert

Trigger: New row added to a Google Sheet
Action: MailChannels emails your team with the new row's details

Troubleshooting

I can't find MailChannels in Zapier's app search.
The integration is currently in Beta. Search for "MailChannels" directly — it should appear. You can also use this direct link: zapier.com/apps/mailchannels/integrations.

My test email wasn't delivered.

Make sure the From email address uses the same domain you authorized in Step 2.
Check that your Domain Lockdown TXT record has propagated.
Make sure your domain has a valid SPF record configured: Set up SPF Records
Make sure your domain has at least one valid A or MX record. If it has neither, MailChannels may not deliver the mail.

Email went to spam.

Set up DKIM for your domain in the MailChannels Console under Settings → DKIM. This significantly improves deliverability.
Make sure your domain has a valid SPF record configured: Set up SPF Records
Consider also adding a DMARC record. See the MailChannels DMARC guide.

Zapier shows an authentication error.

Your API key may have been deleted or expired. Generate a new one in the MailChannels Console and reconnect in Zapier under My Apps → MailChannels → Reconnect.

Helpful Links

Last updated: April 2026