Sample Page

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Step-by-Step Guide:

Setting Up SendGrid and Connecting It to FranchiseSoft

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1. Go to the SendGrid Website

Open your web browser and navigate to the SendGrid homepage:

https://sendgrid.com

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2. Create a SendGrid Account

1. Click “Start For Free” or “Sign Up.”
2. This will take you to the registration page.

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3. Enter Your Registration Information

Complete the required fields:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email Address
• Password

Use an email address that matches the domain you intend to send emails from (for example: yourname@companyname.com).

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4. Agree to the Terms and Conditions

Read SendGrid’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then agree to continue.

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5. Verify Your Email and Phone Number

Email Verification

1. After submitting the form, SendGrid will send a verification email.
2. Open the email in your inbox.
3. Copy the verification code.
4. Paste the code into SendGrid and click Continue.

Phone Verification

SendGrid may request phone verification for security.

1. Enter your mobile phone number.
2. Click Send code via SMS or Send code via voice call.
3. Enter the code you receive.
4. Click Verify.

Once completed, you will see a message saying “You’re all verified!”

Download or copy your recovery code for your records, then click Continue.

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Setting Up Email Sending

6. Authenticate Your Domain

SendGrid must verify that you own the domain you plan to send emails from.

1. Select Send emails from your domain.
2. Enter the domain you want to send emails from.

Example:

If your email address is:

name@companyname.com

Your domain will be:

companyname.com

3. When asked “Would you like to brand the link for this domain?”, select No.
4. Click Next.

If You Are Logging Back Into an Existing SendGrid Account

If the SendGrid account was already created previously, you will need to manually navigate to domain authentication.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click Sender Authentication.
3. Select Authenticate Your Domain.
4. Enter the domain you want to send emails from and continue with the authentication process.

Example domain:

companyname.com

When prompted about branding the link, select No, then continue.

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7. Add DNS Records to Your Domain

SendGrid will display a table with four DNS records containing the following columns:

• Status
• Type
• Host
• Value

These records must be added to your domain’s DNS settings.

Log Into Your Domain Provider

Sign in to wherever your domain is hosted. Examples include:

• GoDaddy
• Namecheap
• Cloudflare
• Google Domains

Locate the DNS Management section.

Add the Required Records

Add all of the following records to your DNS:

• 3 CNAME records
• 1 TXT record

Important Tips

• Check for existing Sendgrid records! Some websites already use SendGrid to send emails (for example, contact form notifications). If you see existing Sendgrid records in your DNS records list, reach out to your website manager first before you delete the records.
• Most DNS providers only require the first part of the Host value.

Example:

If SendGrid shows a CNAME like:

em1493.franchisesoft.com

You usually only enter:

Em1493

Another example:

s1._domainkey.franchisesoft.com

You only enter:

S1._domainkey

The Value field should be copied exactly as SendGrid provides it.

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8. Verify the DNS Records

After adding all 3 CNAME records and 1 TXT record:

1. Return to SendGrid.
2. Click Verify.

If the setup is correct, the Status column will show VERIFIED for all records.

Troubleshooting Verification Issues

1. Check for Existing SendGrid Records
   Some websites already use SendGrid to send emails (for example, contact form notifications).
   If your website developer previously connected SendGrid:
   • Contact your website provider.
   • Inform them you will be connecting your own SendGrid account.
   • Provide them with your new API key once created.
2. Confirm the DNS Records Were Entered Correctly
   • No extra spaces
   • Correct record type
   • Host values entered properly
   • Value fields copied exactly
3. DNS Propagation
   Sometimes DNS updates take 10–60 minutes (occasionally longer) to propagate.
   If the records still fail after waiting, contact support for assistance.

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Connecting SendGrid to FranchiseSoft

9. Create an API Key in SendGrid

1. In SendGrid, go to Settings.
2. Click API Keys.
3. Click Create API Key.
4. Name the key something recognizable, such as: FranchiseSoftKey
5. Generate the key.
6. Copy the API key immediately.

Important: SendGrid only allows you to view the key once.

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10. Add the API Key to FranchiseSoft

1. Log in to FranchiseSoft.
2. Navigate to: Admin → Manage Profile → SendGrid Details
3. Paste your API key into the field.
4. Click Submit.

If successful, you will see a confirmation popup indicating the key was added successfully.

If There Is an Error

Ensure the email address associated with your FranchiseSoft account uses the same domain you verified in SendGrid.

Example:

Verified domain: companyname.com

FranchiseSoft email: user@companyname.com

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Choosing a SendGrid Plan

During setup, SendGrid may prompt you to select a plan.

Email API – Essentials Plan

• Lowest cost option
• Uses a shared IP address

Risk: Shared IPs can sometimes cause email delivery issues if other SendGrid users have poor sending practices.

Email API – Pro Plan

• Includes a dedicated IP address
• Your organization controls the sender reputation

Recommended for businesses sending larger volumes of email.

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Final Step: Whitelist Your Domain

To improve deliverability and reduce the chance of emails landing in spam:

1. In SendGrid go to: Settings → Mail Settings → Suppression Management
2. Open Address Allow List.
3. Add your domain (not your full email address).

Example: companyname.com

4. Click Save.

Configure Event Notifications (HTTP POST URL) in SendGrid

If you want to track the status of emails sent through SendGrid (such as whether an email was delivered, opened, or bounced), you need to configure the Event Webhook and set an HTTP POST URL. This allows SendGrid to send event data back to your server.

Follow the steps below to configure it.

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1. Log in to Your SendGrid Account

Go to the SendGrid login page and sign in with your account credentials.

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2. Navigate to Mail Settings

1. Click Settings in the left navigation menu.
2. Select Mail Settings.

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3. Open the Event Webhook Settings

1. On the Mail Settings page, locate Event Webhook.
2. Click Event Webhook to open the configuration page.
3. Click Create New Webhook.

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4. Enter the HTTP POST URL

In the configuration window, you will see a field called POST URL.

Enter the server endpoint URL where SendGrid should send event notifications. This is the location that will receive HTTP POST requests containing email event data.

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5. Select the Email Events to Track

Choose the events you want SendGrid to report back.

We recommend selecting the following:

• Processed
• Delivered
• Open
• Bounce
• Deferred

Do not select Clicked.

When Click tracking is enabled, SendGrid rewrites the links in your emails in order to track clicks. Some browsers block these rewritten links, which can prevent the URL from opening properly.

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6. Enable the Webhook

1. Toggle the Enabled switch in the top-left corner of the page.
2. Click Save to complete the setup.

Setup Complete

Once the domain is authenticated, the API key is added to FranchiseSoft, and the allow list is configured, FranchiseSoft will be able to send emails through your SendGrid account.

Always send a test (Email log (envelope icon in the top menu bar, and send an email to yourself)) to make sure everything is working correctly.

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