Your first send

Connect the mail server you already use, name the product that will send, then send a test. Same three steps as the panel. About five minutes.

Connect your mail server

A transport is the mail server or provider you already have. In the panel: Transports → New. Type the host and password for the mail server you already use (port 587, encrypted). The Test button opens a real connection and shows you the server's reply before anything is saved. The password is encrypted and never shown again.

Name the product that will send

An Application is one of your products. Every email is tagged with exactly one — that is how "which of our products sent this?" always has an answer. Name it after the product, pick how long we keep the body (365 days down to 0 — zero is right for credential mail), and you'll get a slug like basalt-prod.

POST one message — and watch it

curl -X POST https://spoolway.com/api/v1/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer spw_…" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "template":    "onboarding/test",
        "application": "basalt-prod",
        "to":          "[email protected]"
      }'

→ 202 · status queued · id is a UUID · application_id set — search that id in the panel's Message Log to read the SMTP exchange once it has run

HONESTY NOTE — WHAT THIS CANNOT TELL YOUYour first message will end at Handed to your server — that is success on plain SMTP. There is no green tick to wait for; "Delivered" exists only when a provider webhook feed reports it. See evidence coverage.