A "Connection Timed Out" error when connecting your inbox to Smartlead means that the SMTP port your account is trying to use is being blocked - either by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), a firewall, or your email provider's server configuration. The connection attempt starts but never receives a response, causing it to time out.
The Most Common Cause - Blocked SMTP Port
Smartlead defaults to port 465 (SSL) for outgoing SMTP connections. However, some ISPs and network configurations block this port. Switching to port 587 usually resolves the issue immediately.
How to Fix It
In Smartlead, go to Email Accounts and open the settings for the affected account
Find the SMTP Port field
Change the port from 465 to 587 and save
Make sure the encryption setting is updated to match:
Port 465 → SSL
Port 587 → TLS / STARTTLS
Still Not Working?
If switching to port 587 doesn't resolve the error, contact Smartlead support with the following details:
The email provider you're connecting (e.g. Gmail, Outlook, Zoho)
The port and encryption setting you've tried
Any additional error message shown
