Getting Started

Welcome to Postscale! This guide walks you through every step from account creation to sending your first email.

Setup Overview

For a full deliverability checklist, see the Setup Checklist.

1. Create Your Account

1. Go to postscale.io and click Sign Up
2. Enter your email, full name, and password
3. Check your inbox for a verification email and enter the security code
4. You're in!

2. Select a Plan

From the dashboard, navigate to Settings > Billing to choose a plan. Every plan includes domain warming, webhooks, and SMTP relay access. You can start on Starter and upgrade later.

3. Create an API Key

You need an API key to send emails via the API or SMTP.

1. Go to Settings > API Keys in the dashboard
2. Click Create API Key
3. Name it (e.g., "Production Backend") and copy the key immediately

See Authentication for details on key types, SDK setup, and security best practices.

4. Add & Verify a Domain

Before sending, you need a verified domain with proper DNS records.

1. Go to Domains > Add Domain in the dashboard
2. Enter your domain (e.g., yourcompany.com)
3. Add the DNS records Postscale generates:
   • SPF -- authorizes Postscale to send on your behalf
   • DKIM -- adds cryptographic signatures for authenticity
   • DMARC -- tells receivers how to handle authentication failures
4. Click Verify Domain

See Domain Setup for the full DNS configuration guide with record values and troubleshooting.

5. Send Your First Email

Once your domain is verified, send a test email.

Via the API

Install the SDK:

# Node.js
npm install @postscale/sdk

# Python
pip install postscale

# Go
go get github.com/postscale/postscale-go

Send an email:

import { Postscale } from '@postscale/sdk';

const postscale = new Postscale(process.env.POSTSCALE_API_KEY);

await postscale.emails.send({
  from: 'hello@yourcompany.com',
  to: ['you@example.com'],
  subject: 'Hello from Postscale!',
  html_body: '<h1>It works!</h1><p>Your Postscale setup is complete.</p>'
});

Via SMTP

You can also send through any SMTP client. Use these settings:

See the SMTP Relay guide for examples in Python, Node.js, Go, PHP, and Ruby.

Via the Dashboard

Go to Send in the dashboard sidebar to compose and send an email directly from the UI.

6. Domain Warming

After DNS verification, Postscale automatically starts warming your domain. Warming gradually increases your sending volume over ~8 weeks, building reputation with mailbox providers like Gmail and Microsoft.

During warming, your sending volume is rate-limited per phase. Don't worry -- this is normal and protects your deliverability.

See the IP & Domain Warming guide for details on phases, volume limits, and best practices.

Next Steps

You're all set! Here's where to go from here:

• Sending Emails -- attachments, tags, metadata, and advanced options
• Inbound Webhooks -- receive and process incoming emails
• Masked Addresses -- protect user privacy with email aliases
• Templates -- reusable email templates with variables
• Setup Checklist -- verify your full deliverability configuration