This article describes the various email relay services. This is not individual email services.

• Virginia Tech’s Google SMTP relay service (smtp.vt.edu)
• Virginia Tech On-Premises SMTP mail relay (mailrelay.smtp.vt.edu) 
• Bulk/mass emailing

Virginia Tech’s Google SMTP relay service (smtp.vt.edu)

Low to medium volume option

This is a metered service intended for low to medium volume email relay - less than approximately 5,000 total emails per day. It is intended for printers, scanners, copier/multi-function devices, or other hardware or software used to send small to moderate amounts of email. 

• Do not configure desktop email clients to use this service (in most cases such usage will be blocked). 
• This relay option is not intended for bulk-mailing services (i.e. newsletter or mass mailing campaigns) 
• Available to most on-campus IP address ranges 
   

For Google SMTP relay configuration settings and more instructions, please see this KB: Configuring devices and applications to use the SMTP relay service. 

Virginia Tech On-Premises SMTP mail relay (mailrelay.smtp.vt.edu) 

Medium to higher volume option

Unmetered service intended for mailing larger volumes of email (up to 5,000 or more). This service is not intended for mass mailing campaigns, and especially not for sending bulk email to thousands of non-vt.edu recipients. Expect delays or delivery issues if used in such manner. Consider using the Virginia Tech 

• Your sending server IP must be vetted and added to the SMTP Mail Relay Allow list. To apply, fill out the catalog item request here: SMTP Mail Relay Allow List. 
• Sending systems must be maintained by VT personnel. Failure to maintain and properly secure the sending system puts the service at risk.
• The FROM [reply-to] address [FROM header and return-path] must be a vt.edu email addresses. Mail sent from other subdomains will fail to properly pass email authentications and potentially not deliver and/or degrade the service. 

Configuration: 

Your IP must be vetted and added to the SMTP Mail Relay Allow list (see above) 

• SMTP host: mailrelay.smtp.vt.edu
• Port 25
• Use TLS when possible, for security
• You do not need to authenticate with a user/passphrase
• Your email FROM address [FROM header and return-path] must be within the vt.edu domain 

Bulk/mass emailing 

High volume sending and/or mass/bulk email campaigns

If sending bulk email such as newsletters or other campaign style or subscription-based mailings, consider the information at Understanding Bulk Email. 

Email service best practices

For all email services, please abide by all best practices 
 

• Honor all unsubscribes and removal requests automatically and/or with timeliness 
• Avoid spammy signatures and content, keep fonts and formats simple, don’t over-use links, provide attachments only when appropriate, and do not use links generated by URL-shorteners. 
• Abide by all university policies. 
• Do not violate Federal or State policy or law such as the CAN-SPAM Act.  
• See Reducing the Spam Score of an Email Message for additional information.

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in degraded service or delivery problems. Service owners and providers may shut down service for accounts or IPs due to service abuse.