GQ CRM Projects and API Keys: Organize Sending by Domain or Client

Projects are the organizational unit of GQ CRM: each project has its own SMTP configuration, templates, API key, and sending history. If you send for multiple domains or clients, projects keep every reputation and every credential separate. This guide covers creating projects, generating API keys, and using the API to send from your own software.

1. Why projects matter

A project bundles everything a sending pipeline needs into one isolated unit:

• SMTP configuration — the relay (SES, Mailgun, Workspace) and From identity for this project
• Templates — saved templates with {{variables}}
• Email tasks — rate-limited bulk tasks with their sending history
• Contacts — recipients collected from your tasks, tagged by stage
• API key — a per-project credential for programmatic sending

Rule of thumb: one project per sending domain or per client. Never mix two domains in one project — a bounce problem on one would otherwise share history with the other.

2. Create a project

1. Log in to GQ CRM and open the Dashboard.
2. Click New Project and give it a name (e.g. Acme Outreach or Client-A).
3. The project appears in your project list with its own API Key, SMTP configuration, templates, and tasks.

3. Configure the project's SMTP

A project can't send until it has an SMTP connection. Open Projects → your project → SMTP Configuration and enter:

• Host and port (587 STARTTLS or 465 SSL)
• Auth user / password (your SMTP credentials)
• From name / from email

Click Test connection — GQ CRM verifies credentials and the TLS handshake before you save. Not sure which relay to use? See the SMTP setup guides: Amazon SES, Google Workspace, Mailgun.

4. Find your project's API key

1. Open Dashboard → API Keys (or Projects → your project → API Key).
2. Each project has its own key — copy it and store it somewhere secure (see Security).

Keep keys per project. The per-project key model means a leaked key only exposes one domain's sending, and you can rotate it without touching other projects.

5. Send from your own software

The API accepts an X-API-Key header scoped to the project. A minimal request looks like:

curl -X POST https://your-domain.com/api/email-tasks \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_PROJECT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "projectId": "your-project-id",
    "subject": "Quick question",
    "content": "Hi {{name}}, ...",
    "emails": ["[email protected]"]
  }'

Variables in the content are replaced per recipient. The full request/response schema is in the API reference.

6. Work with a team

• Starter includes up to 3 team members; Pro has unlimited team members.
• Create a team workspace to share projects, templates, and sending history across members.
• Each member's actions stay attributed, and project isolation keeps client data separate.

Troubleshooting

• "No SMTP configuration" when starting a task — the project has no connection; complete step 3 and test it.
• API key rejected (401) — confirm you're using the key for the project that owns the projectId you're sending to.
• Wrong From address — the From email must belong to the domain your SMTP is authorized for; see the deliverability guide.
• Credits not consumed as expected — one-time credits are consumed before plan quota; check your usage on the dashboard.

Projects keep your sending honest and your reputations separate. Set one up per domain or client, wire its SMTP, grab its key — and you're ready to build tasks (getting started) and templates (templates guide).