Coming from ActiveCampaign? Start Here — Postmark Overview
📨 Welcome to Postmark!
A quick guide for anyone getting started with Postmark (or learning about it for the first time).
⚡ What is Postmark, and Why Use It?
Postmark is an email delivery service built for speed, reliability, and precision. It’s designed for the kinds of emails that need to land fast and get noticed — like password resets, receipts, account alerts, and welcome emails.
Unlike traditional inbox services (like Gmail or Yahoo) or bulk email tools (like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign), Postmark focuses on application-based sending. That means it’s ideal for automated, one-to-one emails triggered by user actions — and also supports bulk sends like newsletters through Broadcast Streams.
Here’s why customers choose Postmark:
Inbox placement you can trust: We prioritize transactional emails and maintain strong authentication and reputation standards for reliable delivery.
Speed: Postmark is fast — really fast. We consistently rank among the top in independent delivery speed tests.
Transparency: Detailed activity logs, bounce handling, and open/click tracking keep you in control.
Developer-friendly: Simple REST API and SMTP support, plus official libraries in popular programming languages.
No marketing mix-ups: Transactional and broadcast emails are kept separate to protect your deliverability.
🔗 Why Postmark? (Official Overview)
🔗 Visit the Postmark Homepage
🔍 How Postmark Compares to ActiveCampaign
Postmark and ActiveCampaign both send email — but they serve very different purposes.
| Feature | Postmark | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Transactional & system-triggered email | Marketing automation & CRM |
| Audience | Developers & product teams | Marketers, sales, and CX teams |
| Email Type | Password resets, receipts, alerts | Campaigns, newsletters, automations |
| Interface | API & SMTP focused | Visual builder & contact management |
| Speed | Instant delivery focus | Optimized for campaign scheduling |
| Deliverability | Separate transactional & broadcast streams | Shared sending pool for campaigns |
🧭 In short:
Use Postmark when you need fast, reliable delivery for transactional or programmatic emails — and have developer resources to integrate via API or SMTP.
Use ActiveCampaign when you need marketing automation, journeys, or CRM features for managing contacts and campaigns.
📚 Where to Start
Start with our Getting Started Guide, which walks through key setup steps:
Create a Server
Verify a Sender Signature or Domain
Understand Message Streams (Transactional vs. Broadcast)
Send your first test email
🛠️ Sending Email: SMTP vs. API
Before we dive in, here’s an important distinction:
👉 Postmark doesn’t create your email content — it delivers it.
Customers generate emails in their own apps or systems, and Postmark handles the sending and tracking.
Think of Postmark as:
📫 The mail carrier, not the stationery shop.
We pick up your messages and deliver them quickly and securely to recipients.
✉️ SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
✅ Easy setup for apps that already support SMTP
📡 Works like a traditional mail server connection
🔄 Great for migrations — just update your SMTP credentials
🔗 Guide: Sending with SMTP
⚙️ API (Application Programming Interface)
🚀 More flexible and modern
🔍 Offers fine-grained control over sending and tracking
⚡ Faster than SMTP, ideal for custom integrations
🔗 Guide: Sending with the API
💡 Pro Tip: Most customers choose the API for its speed and reliability.
⚙️ Transactional Email (Message Stream #1)
What it is:
Transactional email refers to automated, one-to-one messages triggered by a user’s action or account event (not promotional).
Examples include:
Password resets
Account confirmations
Order/shipping updates
Payment receipts
Security alerts
Why it matters:
These emails are critical to user experience — they need to arrive within seconds.
How Postmark helps:
Fastest delivery speeds in the industry
Separate IP reputation for transactional vs. bulk
No domain warm-up required
🔗 What is Transactional Email and Why It Matters
📣 Broadcast Email (Message Stream #2)
What it is:
Broadcast Streams handle bulk emails, like newsletters or event announcements, keeping them separate from transactional traffic.
Examples include:
Program updates
Session reminders
Educational newsletters
Why it matters:
Separation ensures reliable delivery for both transactional and bulk messages.
🔗 Introducing Broadcast Message Streams
📬 API Docs + Testing Tools
Explore our API documentation and testing tools here:
🔗 Postmark Developer Docs
You can use the API Explorer in your account to test requests like:
Sending emails
Managing templates
Viewing message activity
Testing inbound processing
🔗 Best Practices for Testing Your Emails in Postmark
✨ Key Features
📘 Templates
Create reusable, branded email templates and inject dynamic variables.
🔗 Postmark Email Templates
📥 Inbound Email
Receive incoming emails directly into your app (e.g., replies, contact forms).
🔗 Inbound Email Guide
🕸️ Webhooks
Receive real-time updates about deliveries, bounces, and opens.
🔗 Webhooks Overview
🎥 Visual Learning Resources
Videos: https://postmarkapp.com/videos
Webinars: https://postmarkapp.com/webinars