What you can and cannot do with one email in MailPoet

MailPoet is an email marketing tool that works inside WordPress. When you set up MailPoet, you connect it to an email address — usually something like newsletter@yoursite.com or admin@yoursite.com. That single email address can send newsletters to your subscriber list, but it cannot simultaneously send from two different domain addresses like newsletter@site1.com and newsletter@site2.com using the same MailPoet account.

However, you have real options depending on what you actually need to do. If you want to send from multiple domains, you can either set up separate MailPoet installations, use email forwarding, or configure your email provider to let one address send "as" another address. The right choice depends on whether you manage one WordPress site or multiple sites, and whether you want one subscriber list or separate ones.

Key Takeaways

  • One MailPoet account connects to one email address, but that address can be configured to send from multiple domain addresses if your email provider supports "send as" functionality.
  • If you run two separate WordPress sites on different domains, you need two separate MailPoet installations, each with its own email address.
  • Email forwarding lets you receive messages at multiple domain addresses in one inbox, but does not let you send from those addresses unless your email provider adds that feature.
  • Gmail, Outlook, and most business email providers let you add "send as" addresses to a single account, which is the simplest way to send from multiple domains without creating duplicate MailPoet setups.

How "send as" works with one email address

Most email providers — Gmail, Outlook, Zoho Mail, and many hosting companies — let you add extra sending addresses to a single account. This is called "send as" functionality. When you set this up, you log into your main email address (the one connected to MailPoet), but when you compose a message in MailPoet, you can choose which domain address to send from.

To set this up, you go into your email provider's settings and add the second domain address as an alias or "send as" address. The email provider verifies that you own that domain, usually by having you click a link or add a DNS record. Once verified, MailPoet sees that address as an option when you compose newsletters. Your subscribers see the message coming from the domain you selected, but the replies and bounce notifications go back to your main email address.

This approach works well if you manage one WordPress site but send newsletters from multiple brand names or domain addresses. You keep one MailPoet account, one subscriber list, and one email connection — but you control which sender address appears on each campaign.

When you need two separate MailPoet accounts

If you run two completely separate WordPress sites on two different domains, you need two separate MailPoet installations. Each WordPress site gets its own MailPoet plugin, and each one connects to its own email address. This is the only way to have separate subscriber lists, separate automation workflows, and separate sending histories for each domain.

For example, if you run both a blog at blog.com and an online store at shop.com, and you want blog subscribers to receive different emails than shop customers, you need two MailPoet accounts. Each site maintains its own list of who opted in, and each domain has its own sending reputation with email providers.

Setting up two accounts does not cost extra — MailPoet itself is free — but you will need to host both WordPress sites and connect each one to its own email address. The email addresses can be on the same domain (like blog-newsletter@yourcompany.com and shop-newsletter@yourcompany.com) or on different domains entirely.

Email forwarding versus sending from multiple addresses

Email forwarding and "send as" are different things, and it matters which one you need. Forwarding means messages sent to address-two@domain.com automatically arrive in address-one@domain.com. You receive everything in one inbox. But when you reply or send a new message, it comes from address-one@domain.com unless you manually change the sender.

MailPoet newsletters sent through a forwarded address will show the main email address as the sender, not the forwarded address. Your subscribers will see the message coming from the wrong domain. That is why forwarding alone does not solve the problem — you also need the "send as" feature so MailPoet can actually send from the second domain address.

If your email provider supports both forwarding and "send as", you get the best of both worlds: messages to either address land in one inbox, and you can send from either address. Check your email provider's documentation to see if both features are available on your plan.

How to check if your email provider supports "send as"

The steps differ depending on which email service you use. In Gmail, go to Settings, then Accounts and Import, then "Send mail as". In Outlook, go to Settings, then Mail, then Forwarding. In Zoho Mail, go to Settings, then Mail Accounts, then "Send As". Most business hosting providers have a similar option in their control panel, usually under Email or Accounts.

If you do not see an option to add a sending address, contact your email provider's support team and ask whether they support sending from multiple addresses on a single account. Some budget hosting plans or older email systems do not offer this feature, which means you would need to set up a separate email account for the second domain instead.

Once you confirm your provider supports "send as", add the second domain address, wait for verification (usually a few minutes to a few hours), and then MailPoet will recognize it as an option when you compose a newsletter.

Setting up the second address in MailPoet

After you have verified the second address with your email provider, go into MailPoet's settings inside WordPress. Under the Sending section, you should see an option to choose which address to send from. Some versions of MailPoet call this "From Address" or "Sender Email". Select the second domain address from the dropdown.

If you want different campaigns to send from different addresses, you can set a default sender address in settings, then override it for individual campaigns. When you create a new newsletter, look for a "From" field and choose which address to send that particular campaign from. This lets you send some newsletters from newsletter@site1.com and others from newsletter@site2.com, all from one MailPoet account.

Test by sending a campaign to yourself and checking which address appears in the "From" line. If it shows the wrong address, double-check that the second address is verified with your email provider and that MailPoet's settings are pointing to the correct sender.

Potential issues and how to avoid them

The most common problem is that the second address is not fully verified with the email provider. Verification usually requires clicking a link in a confirmation email or adding a DNS record to your domain. If you skip this step, MailPoet will not see the address as an option, or emails will bounce. Always wait for a confirmation message from your email provider before trying to send from the new address.

Another issue is that some email providers limit how many "send as" addresses you can add, or they charge extra for the feature on certain plans. Check your email plan's terms before setting up the second address. If your plan does not support it, you may need to upgrade or switch to a provider that does.

Finally, sending from multiple addresses can affect your email deliverability if the addresses have different sending histories. If one address has a good reputation and the other is brand new, the new one may land in spam folders more often. Build the reputation of the new address gradually by sending to engaged subscribers first, and monitor bounce rates and spam complaints in MailPoet's reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use one MailPoet account to manage two separate subscriber lists?

No. One MailPoet account has one subscriber list. If you need two separate lists — for example, one for blog readers and one for shop customers — you need two separate WordPress sites with two separate MailPoet installations. You can send from multiple addresses with one account, but all subscribers are in the same list.

What happens if my email provider does not support "send as"?

You have two options: upgrade to a plan that supports it, or create a separate email account for the second domain and set up a second MailPoet installation on a second WordPress site. Some providers like Gmail and Outlook support "send as" on free accounts, so switching providers may be simpler than upgrading.

Will sending from multiple addresses hurt my email deliverability?

Not if both addresses are on domains you own and your email provider has verified them. Email providers check that you own the domain before allowing you to send as that address. However, a brand new address will have no sending history, so it may land in spam more often until it builds a reputation. Send to your most engaged subscribers first.

Can I send the same newsletter from two different addresses at the same time?

No. Each newsletter sends from one address. You can send the same content from different addresses by creating duplicate campaigns and changing the sender on each one, but they will be separate sends with separate reports. Most people do not need to do this — they pick one address per campaign based on which brand or domain makes sense.

Do I need to pay extra to add a second sending address?

MailPoet itself is free, and most email providers do not charge extra for "send as" functionality. However, some business email plans charge for additional sending addresses, and some budget hosting plans do not offer the feature at all. Check your email provider's pricing and features before assuming it is included.