You can send email from FileMaker through SendGrid’s API instead of an SMTP account, and it is often the more reliable route. SendGrid is a cloud email delivery service from Twilio that FileMaker can call over HTTPS. Kyo Logic’s free SendGrid Email add-on gives you a working connection, with attachments, that you can adapt to most sending use cases.

Here is the moment it exists for. Invoices go out from FileMaker every afternoon. One Tuesday they stop. The Outlook account FileMaker has used for years now wants a different kind of sign-in, Send Mail fails, and nobody notices until a customer calls asking where their invoice is.

Why move FileMaker email to SendGrid?

Microsoft and Google have both tightened how outside applications sign in to send mail through their SMTP servers. For FileMaker solutions, that has meant emails that sometimes fail to send and, in some cases, crashes during the send. We have moved many clients to SendGrid to get away from that.

SendGrid is built for application email. It is scalable, it is controlled with simple API calls, and once your domain is authenticated, messages are sent on your behalf from a service designed for it. There are a few setup details to get right, which is what the steps below cover.

How it works

Step 1: Authenticate your domain

1. Create an account at sendgrid.com.
2. Go to Settings > Sender Authentication and click Authenticate Your Domain.
3. Choose your DNS host (for example GoDaddy or Cloudflare), pick your link tracking options, and enter your domain.
4. SendGrid generates CNAME and TXT records. Add each one at your DNS host. Some DNS hosts append your domain automatically, so if SendGrid gives you em4554.yourcompany.com, you may only need to enter em4554.
5. If someone else manages your DNS, use the Send to a Coworker option to send them the records.
6. Back in SendGrid, confirm the records are added and click Verify.

Do not continue until Sender Authentication shows as Verified.

Step 2: Choose a paid plan

Twilio replaced SendGrid’s free plan with a 60-day trial in 2025, so a production FileMaker solution needs a paid plan. For most teams the Essentials plan is enough. At the time of writing, it starts at about $20 a month for up to 50,000 emails. Check SendGrid’s pricing page for current numbers.

Remember that SendGrid counts recipients, not messages. One email with one To, one CC, and two BCCs counts as four emails against your monthly quota.

Step 3: Create your API key

1. Go to Settings > API Keys and click Create API Key.
2. Name it something clear, such as FileMaker Email Integration.
3. Choose Restricted Access, turn on Mail Send, and leave every other permission off.
4. Click Create & View, then copy the key into a password manager. SendGrid only shows it once.

Step 4: Install the add-on in FileMaker

1. Download the add-on using the button on this page and unzip it. The download contains one FileMaker file.
2. Open the file in FileMaker Pro and follow its instructions to save it as an add-on. FileMaker keeps add-ons in its AddonModules folder: on Windows, C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\FileMaker\Extensions\AddonModules, and on macOS, /Users/<user>/Library/Application Support/FileMaker/Extensions/AddonModules.
3. Restart FileMaker Pro and open your solution.
4. Go to any layout, enter Layout mode, open the Add-ons tab, and click the + button.
5. Select the SendGrid add-on. It adds a layout called SendGrid_SampleData.
6. Go to that layout and enter your API key.

If you have several add-ons installed, check the name carefully when you pick from the list. We have seen FileMaker install the wrong one when the AddonModules folder is crowded, and clearing out old add-ons first avoids it.

Step 5: Send a test

On the SendGrid_SampleData layout, fill in From Email, To Email, Subject, and Email Body, then click Send. The From address should be on the domain you authenticated. Confirm the message arrives, then check that it did not land in spam.

What this could look like in your solution

Once the test works, the sample layout becomes the pattern for every email your system sends: invoices, order confirmations, delivery notices, and internal alerts. Most teams then add a log of what was sent and when, retries for failures, and scheduled sends from FileMaker Server. If you want calendar invites to go out the same way, the Calendar Invite Creator builds the .ics attachment, and the Audit Log & Version History add-on can record who changed the records behind each message.

Kyo Logic builds custom Claris FileMaker and manufacturing software for businesses across New England and beyond. If you want help customizing the add-on, adding logging and error handling, or setting up scheduled sends, reach out.

Frequently asked questions

Can FileMaker send email through SendGrid?

Yes. FileMaker can call the SendGrid API over HTTPS. The free Kyo Logic SendGrid Email add-on includes a working connection with attachment support and a sample layout for testing.

Is SendGrid free to use with FileMaker?

Not for ongoing use. Twilio replaced the SendGrid free plan with a 60-day trial in 2025. The Essentials plan starts at about $20 a month for up to 50,000 emails at the time of writing.

Which permissions should the SendGrid API key have?

Use Restricted Access with only Mail Send turned on. Leave every other permission off, and store the key somewhere secure because SendGrid only shows it once.

Why do my emails need domain authentication?

SendGrid sends on behalf of your domain. Authenticating it with the CNAME and TXT records SendGrid provides lets receiving servers trust the mail, and the From address should use that domain.

Quick takeaways

• Authenticate your sending domain before anything else, and wait for Verified.
• Create an API key with Mail Send only and store it in a password manager.
• Count recipients, not messages, when you size your plan.
• Send a test from the sample layout to an inbox outside your company and check spam.