Brevo Setup Guide

Connect Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) to send up to 300 notification emails per day for free.

Free tier details

Step 1: Create a Brevo account

1. Go to brevo.com/signup
2. Sign up with your email address and a password
3. Confirm your email by clicking the verification link Brevo sends you
4. Complete the onboarding questionnaire (company name, address, etc.)

Step 2: Verify your sender email

Brevo requires you to verify the email address you want to send from before you can use it.

1. In the Brevo dashboard, go to Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs (under your account settings)
2. Click Add a Sender
3. Enter the name and email address you want notifications to come from (e.g., "Contact Form" / hello@yourdomain.com)
4. Click Save
5. Check your inbox for a confirmation email from Brevo and click the verification link

Step 3: Generate an API key

This is where most people get confused. Brevo has two types of keys: an API key (for the HTTP API) and an SMTP key (for SMTP connections). FormBlade uses the API key, not the SMTP key.

1. In the Brevo dashboard, click your name in the top-right corner
2. Go to SMTP & API
3. Click the API Keys tab
4. Click Generate a new API key
5. Name it something like "FormBlade"
6. Copy the API key immediately — it will start with xkeysib-

Step 4: Configure FormBlade

1. Log in to your FormBlade dashboard
2. Open the form you want to configure
3. Go to the Settings tab
4. Under Email Provider, select Brevo
5. Paste your API key (starting with xkeysib-) into the API Key field
6. Set your From Email to the sender address you verified in Step 2
7. Optionally set a From Name (e.g., "Contact Form")
8. Click Save

Step 5: Send a test email

1. In the Email Provider section, click Send Test Email
2. Check your inbox for the test notification
3. If the test fails, double-check that you used the API key (not SMTP key) and that your sender email is verified

Troubleshooting

"Unauthorized" or "403" error

• You may have pasted the SMTP key instead of the API key. Go back to SMTP & API → API Keys and copy the correct key (starts with xkeysib-)
• Your account may still be under review. Check your email for an activation notice from Brevo

"Sender not found" error

• The "From Email" address in FormBlade must exactly match a verified sender in Brevo
• Go to Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs in Brevo and confirm the address is listed and verified

Emails going to spam

• Verify your domain in Brevo (not just the email address) to add SPF and DKIM records
• On the free plan, Brevo adds its own branding to emails, which can affect spam scores. Upgrading to a paid plan removes the Brevo logo
• Make sure the "From Email" domain matches the domain you verified

Account stuck in review

• New accounts are sometimes held for manual review, especially if you signed up with a free email address (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)
• This typically resolves within a few hours. If it takes more than 48 hours, contact Brevo support

Brevo free plan limitations

• 300 emails/day — resets every 24 hours. If you hit the limit, remaining notifications will be sent via FormBlade's default sender
• Brevo branding — a small Brevo logo appears in the email footer on the free plan
• No dedicated IP — you share sending reputation with other free-tier users
• Limited reporting — basic open/click tracking only

For most FormBlade users, the 300/day limit is more than sufficient. A form receiving 10 submissions per day would use only 3% of the daily allowance.

Common gotchas

• API key vs. SMTP key — This is the number one mistake. The SMTP key (shown on the SMTP tab) is a different credential from the API key. FormBlade needs the API key from the API Keys tab. The API key always starts with xkeysib-.
• Account approval delay — Brevo reviews new accounts before allowing email sends. Signing up with a business email (not Gmail/Yahoo) and completing the onboarding questionnaire thoroughly will speed up approval.
• Sender vs. domain verification — Verifying just your email address is enough to start sending, but verifying your entire domain (with SPF/DKIM DNS records) significantly reduces the chance of emails landing in spam.
• Daily limit resets — The 300/day counter resets at midnight UTC, not at midnight in your local timezone.
• Brevo footer branding — The free plan adds a small "Sent with Brevo" logo to all emails. This is removed on paid plans (starting at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month).

Quick reference: where to find things in Brevo