Setup & App Passwords
Connect your Gmail account to ThanksImHired so it can send personalized cold emails on your behalf.
ThanksImHired sends emails from your own Gmail account via SMTP — this means emails appear to come directly from you, not from a bulk email service.
To make this work, Gmail requires you to generate an app password — a special 16-character password that lets approved apps access your account without using your main Google password.
Why Do I Need an App Password?
Google's security system prevents third-party apps from logging into Gmail with your regular password. Instead, you create a dedicated app password specifically for ThanksImHired. This:
- Keeps your main password secure — ThanksImHired never sees your Google password
- Works alongside 2-Step Verification — required before you can create app passwords
- Can be revoked anytime — go to your Google account and delete the app password if you ever want to disconnect
Step-by-Step: Generate a Google App Password
Enable 2-Step Verification
App passwords only work if 2-Step Verification is turned on.
- Go to myaccount.google.com/security
- Under "How you sign in to Google", click 2-Step Verification
- Follow the prompts to enable it (takes about 2 minutes)
Navigate to App Passwords
- Go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords (Or search "app passwords" in your Google account settings)
- You may be asked to sign in again
Create the Password
- In the "App name" field, type
ThanksImHired - Click Create
- Google shows you a 16-character password (e.g.
abcd efgh ijkl mnop) - Copy this password immediately — Google only shows it once
Add it to ThanksImHired
- Go to your Dashboard → Settings
- Click Add Email Account
- Enter your Gmail address
- Paste the 16-character app password
- Click Connect — ThanksImHired verifies the connection
Sending Limits
ThanksImHired sends a maximum of 50 emails per day per connected Gmail account. This limit is intentional:
- It keeps your Gmail account in good standing with Google
- It ensures emails look like genuine personal outreach, not spam
- It matches the safe-sending guidelines recommended for cold email
If you want to send more, you can connect a second Gmail account in Settings and run campaigns from both.
Troubleshooting
"App passwords" option doesn't appear → 2-Step Verification isn't enabled yet. Complete Step 1 first.
Connection fails after adding password → Make sure you copied the password without spaces. The 16-character code should be entered as a continuous string.
I already have 2FA but can't find app passwords → App passwords are only available if you use the standard Google sign-in (not Google Workspace with SSO). If your email is managed by a company or school, you may need to use a personal Gmail.