Setting up a CAKE instance to relay emails through Mandrill
Mandrill
Mandrill is a transactional mail service (https://mandrillapp.com) linked to a MailChimp account. To setup an account with their service, go to mandrillapp.com and select 'Signup for Mandrill'.
Follow the steps as they are presented until the account has been created. Once able to login, click on the settings tab on the left side navigation within Mandrill.
Mandrill to CAKE
This section will provide all necessary information for configuring the new Mandrill account to relay messages from CAKE.
Within the CAKE admin UI under Setup >> Settings >> Email Settings, place the information provided by Mandrill. Please refer to the below mapping for information on where to find this data:
Mail Server Domain/IP Address:Enter the 'Host' information from Mandrill
Mail Server 'From' Email Address:Enter the email address that you would like your emails to be sent from
Mail Server 'From' Name:Enter the name you would like to appear on the emails to be sent
Mail Server Username:Enter the SMTP Username listed on the Mandrill Settings
Mail Server Password:Enter the API Key provided from Mandrill settings page. This key is provided at the bottom of the page.
Mail Server Port Number*:Enter the Port provided on the Mandrill Settings (Typically 587)
Senders Domain
As an anti-spam measure, Mandrill will refuse to send emails out that do not have FROM email address domains listed in their system. The default email address for your system is found in Setup > Settings > Email Settings > Mail Server "From" Email Address (see above), but can be overridden per email on Setup > Email Templates.
So if the FROM email domain of the email send is not listed in Mandrill is not from one of the permitted domains, Mandrill will accept the send request, CAKE will think it is sent but Mandrill will actually ignore it.
For example, if the 'reply to' of the email send is [email protected], you will need to have registered clientx.com as a permitted Sender's Domain in Mandrill.
Additional Tips to Note
When setting up a new account with Mandrill to conduct your mail relays, please keep the following tips in mind:
1. It can take time for the new configuration to propagate. After setting up the integration, please allow up to 30 minutes for the data to propagate.
2. If you attempt a test and see that email in Mandrill has stopped and is being kept in a 'Backlog' you may have been flagged for additional review. This is a normal security precaution by Mandrill. Please click 'Support' in the bottom left of the Mandrill UI and confirm via the prompt if your account has been set for review. If so, please request an audit by Mandrill and they will look further into your account.
**************************************IMPORTANT NOTE*************************
NOTE FROM MANDRILL - Dated: 2/25/2016
Hello
We're writing to let you know about some significant changes that will affect your Mandrill account.
Going forward, all Mandrill users will be required to have a paid monthly MailChimp account and verify ownership of all sending domains. Here's the timeline: Starting 3/16, all new Mandrill users will create accounts through MailChimp, and current Mandrill users can merge their existing Mandrill account with a monthly MailChimp account. Current users will have until 4/27 to merge their accounts.
Why we're making this change
The MailChimp team built Mandrill in 2012 as a transactional email tool. Mandrill has always been under the MailChimp umbrella, but it has functioned as a completely separate product. Mandrill is now becoming an optional add-on to paid MailChimp accounts. This is a strategic change we're making to close the gap between the two products and focus on the MailChimp marketing platform. MailChimp is designed for marketing, and Mandrill is designed for transactional messages. Each is powerful on its own, and offering Mandrill as an add-on makes MailChimp even more powerful for our small business and e-commerce customers. Our CEO and cofounder Ben Chestnut wrote more about the changes on the MailChimp blog.
What you need to know
The application's functionality and look and feel are not changing at this time. Here are the important changes that will affect your account:
? Starting today, Mandrill will adopt MailChimp's Terms of Use and Acceptable Use Policy. These terms reinforce that Mandrill should be used for transactional email, and bulk email/email marketing campaigns should be sent through MailChimp. In addition, MailChimp's Privacy Policy, which has always covered Mandrill, has been updated. If you have any questions about our policy changes, please email [email protected].
? To continue using Mandrill, all users will be required to have a paid monthly MailChimp account by 4/27.
? All Mandrill users will be required to verify their sending domains and add SPF and DKIM records by 4/27. This is already in effect for new Mandrill users.
? Starting 3/16, all new Mandrill accounts will be created and accessed through MailChimp.
? Starting 3/16, the Mandrill mobile application will no longer be available for installation. It will remain functional for existing users until 4/27.
? Our billing and pricing model is also changing. MailChimp will generate one consolidated bill that covers your MailChimp and Mandrill charges. Mandrill credits will be sold in blocks of 25,000 emails. Blocks will start at $20 per month. This goes into effect once your accounts are merged.
? Any existing discounts, free credits, and free accounts will no longer be valid once your accounts are merged.
What you need to do
? If you already have a paid monthly MailChimp account, you’ll be able to merge your accounts starting on 3/16. We’ll send detailed instructions at that time.
? If you don't have a paid monthly MailChimp account and decide to create one, you can go to mailchimp.com and do so at any time. You'll be able to merge your accounts starting on 3/16. We'll send detailed instructions at that time.
? If you haven't already done so, you'll need to add SPF and DKIM records and verify ownership of your sending domains. Here's an article explaining how to do that. Starting 4/27, Mandrill will not send any email from unverified domains or domains without valid SPF and DKIM records, including public domains like gmail.com and yahoo.com.
If you don't have a paid monthly MailChimp account merged with your Mandrill account by 4/27, then your Mandrill account will be disabled.
If you have questions or need technical support, please log in to your Mandrill account and click Support in your dashboard. We've made support available to all users on free and paid accounts.
We know this is disruptive, and we understand that it may affect your decision to use Mandrill. Please know that we carefully considered these changes. The new structure will allow us to create more flexible products and better serve our customers. Thanks for using Mandrill, and we hope to welcome you to MailChimp soon.
- The Mandrill team