Can Gmail send email through Amazon SES?

Yes. Use SES SMTP credentials in Gmail's Send mail as settings, with email-smtp. .amazonaws.com on port 587. Your domain must be verified in SES.

How do I forward Amazon SES email to Gmail?

With an SES receipt rule that saves mail to S3 and a Lambda function that re-sends it to Gmail, rewriting the From address. A simpler option is to read SES mail directly in HelloBox.

Is there an alternative to forwarding SES email to Gmail?

Yes. HelloBox is an inbox built for Amazon SES. It sets up receiving for you and lets you and your team read and reply without any forwarding function.

Can I use Gmail with Amazon SES?

Updated November 9, 2026

Short answer

Partly. Gmail can send as your domain through Amazon SES SMTP credentials, and SES can forward incoming mail to Gmail with a receipt rule and a Lambda function that rewrites the sender. It works, but it's fragile: forwarded mail can fail SPF and DMARC, replies are easy to get wrong, and nothing is shared with your team. HelloBox gives you a proper inbox on top of SES instead, set up in two clicks, with sending and receiving on your own account.

Sending from Gmail through SES

Create SMTP credentials in the SES console, then add your address in Gmail under Settings, Accounts, Send mail as, using email-smtp.<region>.amazonaws.com on port 587 with TLS. Your domain must be verified in SES, and outside the sandbox to send to anyone.

Forwarding SES mail to Gmail

Set up SES receiving with an S3 action, then add a Lambda function that reads each message and re-sends it to your Gmail address. SES only sends from verified identities, so the function has to rewrite From to your own domain and keep the original sender in Reply-To. Attachments, size limits and bounces all need handling in your code.

Where it breaks down

Every forwarded message appears to come from your own domain, so spam filtering and sender checks happen on rewritten mail.
Replies depend on Gmail picking the right send-as address each time.
It's one person's Gmail. Sharing support@ means more forwarding rules, and nobody knows who answered what.
The Lambda function, IAM permissions and bucket are yours to maintain.

A simpler option: HelloBox

HelloBox connects to SES directly, sets up receiving through a CloudFormation stack you launch in two clicks, and shows the original messages, with real sender authentication results, in an inbox you can share. Replies go out through your SES account from the same address, threaded correctly. It works in the browser on desktop and phone.

Frequently asked questions

Can Gmail send email through Amazon SES?: Yes. Use SES SMTP credentials in Gmail's Send mail as settings, with email-smtp.<region>.amazonaws.com on port 587. Your domain must be verified in SES.
How do I forward Amazon SES email to Gmail?: With an SES receipt rule that saves mail to S3 and a Lambda function that re-sends it to Gmail, rewriting the From address. A simpler option is to read SES mail directly in HelloBox.
Is there an alternative to forwarding SES email to Gmail?: Yes. HelloBox is an inbox built for Amazon SES. It sets up receiving for you and lets you and your team read and reply without any forwarding function.