# Allow Group Inboxes to use default outbound SMTP settings

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-group-inboxes-to-use-default-outbound-smtp-settings/347537
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [January 16, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-group-inboxes-to-use-default-outbound-smtp-settings/347537 "2025-01-16T22:18:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![supermathie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/supermathie/32/507518_2.png) [@supermathie](https://meta.discourse.org/u/supermathie)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-group-inboxes-to-use-default-outbound-smtp-settings/347537/1 "2025-01-16T22:18:08Z")

</div>

## Summary

Presently there is no way to use the [Group Inboxes feature](https://meta.discourse.org/t/smtp-support-for-group-inboxes/195572) without configuring an additional user account _specifically for sending mail_.

> ![The screenshot shows an error message in a form requesting SMTP server, port, username, and password with the ampersand character flagged as an error, and “SSL Mode” set to “None.” (Captioned by AI)](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/4/5/d/45dfef36b9bb9e61431d4640b517637302a398e4.png)

However, a site may be in an environment where it _can_ send email from arbitrary addresses by using the default mail configuration and the net result would be correct.

Group Inboxes _should_ enable a site admin to configure an arbitrary address here and specify only the `From Alias`.

## Security considerations

A site hosted in an environment where the platform owner is not the same as the site owner (e.g. our own hosting platform) would leave the platform exposed to address forging / spamming.

To enable the above usage we will probably need some sort of hidden allowlist for permitted addresses to be used in this manner.