Zapier + MailKite

Zapier connects 5,000+ apps with no-code workflows. Use MailKite as the email layer: send notifications via SMTP, or trigger Zaps when inbound email arrives at your webhook. Combine both for full email automation.

What you need

• A verified domain with SPF + DKIM published
• Your API key (mk_live_…)
• A Zapier account (free tier works for testing)

Send email via SMTP (Zap action)

Use Zapier's built-in SMTP by Zapier or Email by Zapier action, or connect a third-party SMTP app. Point it at MailKite:

# Zapier SMTP action settings
SMTP Server:  smtp.mailkite.dev
Port:         587
Username:     mailkite
Password:     mk_live_...
Use TLS:      true
From Email:   notifications@yourdomain.com

In your Zap, set the action to Send Outbound Email (SMTP by Zapier) and map the To, Subject, and Body fields from your trigger.

Trigger Zaps from inbound email

MailKite can POST inbound email to a webhook. Zapier's Catch Hook trigger receives it. The workflow:

1. Create a new Zap → Trigger: Webhooks by Zapier → Catch Hook
2. Copy the webhook URL Zapier gives you
3. Paste it into your domain's webhook in the MailKite dashboard
4. Send a test email to your MailKite address
5. Zapier detects the hook and you can map from, to, subject, text, html

// Zapier Webhooks (built-in) — no server needed
// 1. Create a new Zap
// 2. Trigger: Webhooks by Zapier → Catch Hook
// 3. Action: Send Email via SMTP (or any app)
//
// MailKite inbound webhook → Zapier Catch Hook → your workflow
//
// The webhook URL looks like:
// https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/123456/abcdef/
//
// Set this as your MailKite domain webhook in the dashboard.

Example workflows

Here are common Zap patterns that combine MailKite inbound + outbound:

// Example Zap workflow:
//
// Trigger:  MailKite inbound webhook (Catch Hook)
// Filter:   Only continue if "from" ends with "@important-client.com"
// Action:   Create a Trello card with subject + body
// Action:   Send Slack notification to #support channel
//
// This turns inbound email into a support ticket + team alert — no code.

• Inbound → Trello/Asana — every support email becomes a task
• Inbound → Slack — team alerts for emails from key clients
• Inbound → Google Sheets — log every inbound email for reporting
• Shopify order → MailKite SMTP — custom order emails beyond Shopify's templates
• Typeform submission → MailKite SMTP — confirmation emails with your branding

Test it

Verify your webhook is receiving data:

curl -X POST https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/YOUR_HOOK_ID/ \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "from": "sender@example.com",
    "subject": "Test inbound email",
    "text": "Hello from MailKite!"
  }'

Troubleshooting

• Webhook not triggering — Zapier requires a test event before going live. Send a test email first, then test the trigger in your Zap editor.
• Missing fields — MailKite's webhook payload includes from, to, subject, text, html, and attachments. If Zapier doesn't show a field, check the raw hook data.
• SMTP action fails — ensure the From address is on a verified domain and the password is your mk_live_… API key.
• Zapier rate limits — free plans have task limits. High-volume email should use direct API calls instead.

See the SMTP relay docs for connection details, or Inbound webhooks for the full payload.