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SendGrid Integration

Send WiFi welcome emails, credential delivery, and guest notifications through SendGrid's email platform with customizable templates and delivery tracking.

Overview​

The SendGrid integration enables:

  • Welcome emails after WiFi signup
  • Credential delivery via email
  • Marketing emails to WiFi guests
  • Transactional notifications (expiry warnings, etc.)

Prerequisites​

  • IronWifi account with captive portal
  • SendGrid account (sendgrid.com)
  • Verified sender domain or email

SendGrid Setup​

Create API Key​

  1. Log in to SendGrid
  2. Go to Settings > API Keys
  3. Click Create API Key
  4. Name: "IronWifi Integration"
  5. Select permissions:
    • Mail Send: Full Access
    • Marketing: Full Access (optional)
  6. Copy the API key (shown only once)

Verify Sender​

  1. Go to Settings > Sender Authentication
  2. Either:
    • Domain Authentication: Verify your domain (recommended)
    • Single Sender: Verify a single email address
  3. Follow verification steps

IronWifi Configuration​

Step 1: Add SendGrid Provider​

  1. Log in to IronWifi Console
  2. Navigate to Networks > Captive Portals
  3. Select your captive portal
  4. Go to Integrations
  5. Click Add Integration > SendGrid

Step 2: Configure API​

Enter SendGrid details:

  • API Key: Your SendGrid API key
  • From Email: Verified sender email
  • From Name: Display name (e.g., "Guest WiFi")

Step 3: Configure Email Templates​

Welcome Email:

Subject: Welcome to {{network_name}}!

Hi {{name}},

Your WiFi access is ready.

Network: {{ssid}}
{{#if password}}Password: {{password}}{{/if}}

Enjoy your visit!

Credential Email:

Subject: Your WiFi Credentials

Hello {{name}},

Here are your WiFi login details:

Username: {{username}}
Password: {{password}}

Valid until: {{expiry}}

Email Types​

Transactional Emails​

Automated emails triggered by events:

EventEmail
Guest SignupWelcome email
Account CreatedCredentials email
Session ExpiringWarning email
Password ResetReset link email

Marketing Emails​

Opt-in marketing communications:

  • Promotional offers
  • Newsletter signups
  • Return visit incentives
  • Event announcements

Template Configuration​

Available Variables​

Use these in email templates:

VariableDescription
{{name}}Guest name
{{email}}Guest email
{{username}}WiFi username
{{password}}WiFi password
{{ssid}}Network name
{{location}}WiFi location
{{expiry}}Access expiration
{{duration}}Access duration
{{network_name}}Network display name

Dynamic Content​

Use conditionals in templates:

{{#if password}}
<p>Your password: <strong>{{password}}</strong></p>
{{else}}
<p>No password required - use your email to login.</p>
{{/if}}

SendGrid Templates​

Use SendGrid Dynamic Templates​

  1. In SendGrid, go to Email API > Dynamic Templates
  2. Create new template
  3. Design your email
  4. Note the Template ID
  5. In IronWifi, select SendGrid template option
  6. Enter the Template ID

Template Data​

IronWifi sends data to SendGrid templates:

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "ssid": "Guest-WiFi",
  "location": "Main Lobby",
  "expiry": "2024-12-31"
}

Deliverability​

Best Practices​

  1. Authenticate domain - Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC
  2. Warm up IP - Gradually increase sending volume
  3. Clean list - Remove bounced emails
  4. Monitor reputation - Check SendGrid analytics

Monitoring​

Track email performance in SendGrid:

  • Delivery rate
  • Open rate
  • Click rate
  • Bounce rate
  • Spam complaints

Advanced Configuration​

Categories and Tags​

Organize emails with categories:

Category: wifi-welcome
Category: wifi-credentials
Category: wifi-marketing

Click Tracking​

Enable click tracking for analytics:

  1. In SendGrid settings, enable click tracking
  2. Track links clicked in welcome emails
  3. Measure engagement

Unsubscribe Management​

Configure unsubscribe handling:

  1. Enable SendGrid unsubscribe groups
  2. Add unsubscribe link to marketing emails
  3. Respect unsubscribe preferences

Troubleshooting​

Emails Not Sending​

  1. Verify API key is correct
  2. Check sender is verified
  3. Review SendGrid activity feed
  4. Check for blocked emails

Emails Going to Spam​

  1. Authenticate your domain
  2. Check content for spam triggers
  3. Review sender reputation
  4. Warm up sending gradually

Template Errors​

  1. Verify variable names match
  2. Check template syntax
  3. Test with SendGrid preview
  4. Review error logs

Compliance​

GDPR​

  1. Collect consent for marketing emails
  2. Include unsubscribe option
  3. Honor data deletion requests
  4. Document consent

CAN-SPAM​

  1. Include physical address
  2. Clear unsubscribe mechanism
  3. Accurate sender information
  4. No misleading subject lines

Best Practices​

  1. Keep emails simple - Clear, concise content
  2. Mobile-friendly - Responsive design
  3. Test thoroughly - Preview before sending
  4. Monitor metrics - Track and improve
  5. Segment audiences - Relevant content