SendGrid is the email delivery engine for Access Automate CRM. Whether SendGrid emails appear in CRM activity fields - such as Last sent email date - depends on how your integration is configured. This article explains the different setup options and what each one tracks.
How SendGrid Connects to Access Automate CRM
There are three ways to use SendGrid for email sending. Each has different implications for how email activity is logged:
Option | Sending domain | Activity logged in CRM? | Best for |
Default elay.io domain | @elay.io | ✅ Yes - automation email steps are logged automatically | Getting started quickly, no configuration needed |
Your own business domain (via Access CSM) | ✅ Yes - automation email steps are logged automatically | Professional branding; requires domain verification by your CSM | |
Your own SendGrid account (API key) | Your choice | ⚠️ Only if logged back into the CRM as an activity | Organisations with an existing SendGrid account |
When Are SendGrid Emails Logged as CRM Activity?
Emails sent through Access Automate Outreach automation steps are automatically logged as activity on the relevant CRM record. This means they will appear in fields like Last sent email date and will be counted in activity-based automation criteria.
However, emails sent directly from SendGrid outside of the platform - for example, through a separate SendGrid campaign or transactional email flow - are not automatically logged in the CRM. For these to appear in CRM activity, they would need to be manually logged against the contact record.
⚠️ Important: If you use your own SendGrid account (Option 3 above) and send emails outside of Access Automate Outreach automation steps, those emails will not update Last sent email date unless they are manually recorded as activity in the CRM.
How to Check if Emails Are Being Logged
To confirm that your SendGrid emails are updating CRM activity fields:
Open a contact or candidate record in your CRM.
Look at the Activity section of the record.
Check whether recent emails sent via Access Automate Outreach appear there as email activity entries.
If emails are appearing as activity entries, they will be reflected in the Last sent email date field and will be picked up by automation search criteria.
📌 Note: Activity is logged at the point an automation email step is executed. There may be a short delay before the activity appears on the CRM record.
Setting Up or Changing Your SendGrid Configuration
Option 1 (elay.io domain) is active by default — no setup is needed.
To use Option 2 (your own business domain):
Contact your Customer Success Manager and request domain setup.
Your CSM will provide DNS records (CNAME and TXT) to be added to your domain.
Forward the records to your IT department to add to your domain's DNS configuration.
Once added, notify your CSM to verify the domain. Allow up to 24–48 hours for DNS changes to propagate.
After verification, your business domain will be active for sending.
To use Option 3 (your existing SendGrid account):
Go to Integrations in Access Automate CRM.
Select SendGrid and enter your API key and sending domain.
Click Connect to activate.
🤔 FAQs
Q: Will emails sent from my own SendGrid account update Last sent email date in CRM automation criteria? A: Only if the email is also logged as an activity on the contact or candidate record in your CRM. Emails that exist only in SendGrid and are not recorded in the CRM will not update this field.
Q: I can see emails logged in my CRM — will those count for automation filters? A: Yes. If an email appears as an activity entry on the CRM record, it will be reflected in Last sent email date and will be evaluated by automation search criteria.
Q: Should I use my own business domain or the default elay.io domain? A: Using your own business domain improves deliverability and builds trust with recipients. The Access team recommends setting this up before launching major outreach campaigns. Contact your CSM to get started.