Overview
What Gmail is
Gmail is Google's email service that lets users send and receive messages through a web-based interface and the Gmail API.
Courier sits in front of it as one API, a visual editor, journeys, and every other channel, so you keep Gmail for delivery and build multi-channel notifications on top.
You need a Courier account and your own Google account. Courier connects to Gmail with Google OAuth, so there is no API key to paste.
Why Courier
What you get with Gmail + Courier
Design beautiful emails, no code
Build and edit email in Courier's visual editor. Product and marketing change content and layout without shipping code, then send through Gmail.
Automate multi-step journeys
Onboarding, drip, and lifecycle sequences with delays and branching, all delivered through your Gmail account.
Add SMS, push, and chat
The same notification can reach every channel. Add one when you need it, with no new integration in your code.
Add an in-app inbox
A new, easy add-on: drop Courier Inbox into your web or mobile app so users get an in-product notification center alongside email.
Localize a template in seconds
Pick a language and let Courier translate the whole template with AI, then tweak any string. One template, every market.
Send to lists and audiences
Broadcast a one-off or recurring message to an entire list through Gmail, alongside your transactional email.
Use cases
What teams build with it
Setup
Connect it in minutes
An admin adds Gmail once on the Integrations page in Courier. Once connected, anyone on your team can design and send email through Gmail, and add channels whenever they need them.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Gmail with Courier?
Yes. Gmail works as an email delivery channel in Courier, sending through your connected Gmail or Google Workspace inbox. It is intended for testing and small-scale internal sends rather than high-volume production email.
Do I still need my own Gmail account?
Yes. Courier sends through your existing Gmail or Google Workspace inbox, so you connect an account you already own. Only the recipient's email field is required on the Courier profile; Courier does not host a mailbox for you.
What do I need to connect Gmail to Courier?
No API key. You sign into your chosen Gmail inbox and consent to Courier's requested Gmail scopes, granting OAuth permission to send. To send from another account, click "Authorize a different Gmail inbox" and reauthorize.
What are the Gmail sending limits in Courier?
Google enforces send caps: 500 messages per day for consumer Gmail and 2,000 per day for Workspace. Because of this, the Gmail channel is meant for testing and small-scale internal sends, not high-volume production email.
Why do my Gmail sends fail, and how do I fix them?
OAuth tokens require periodic re-authorization. If a send fails, Courier marks it UNDELIVERABLE with a status 400 error. To restore it, go to Channels then Gmail and click Update to re-authorize with Google. Token refresh is otherwise automatic.
Can I set provider-level body overrides for Gmail?
No. Gmail does not support provider-level body overrides in Courier. You design the message in the Courier notification or Design Studio, and it sends as authored through the Gmail channel.
Is Courier a replacement for Gmail?
No. Gmail still delivers the email; Courier sits in front of it. Courier adds the Send API, Journeys, and Design Studio, plus other channels like SMS, push, and Courier Inbox, all through one API.
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