Glossary definition

SMTP recovery event

An SMTP recovery event records that a sending resource failed, what containment applied, and where the fix stands, so recovery is a tracked workflow instead of ad hoc firefighting.

How GTM Inboxes uses this term

GTM scans for failed resources, records recovery events scoped to the workspace, applies containment such as pausing inboxes or gating exports, and requires explicit operator approval before destructive fixes like credential rotation or domain replacement run.

Contain first, fix second

The workflow separates containment from repair. Containment is safe and immediate: pause the inbox, retire the IP, block the export. Repair actions that change credentials or replace resources wait for operator approval and run fail-closed, leaving the resource untouched if any step fails.

What customers see

Customer-facing readiness output shows redacted recovery state and next steps. Operator-only diagnostics stay internal, and event text avoids assigning fault to any mailbox provider.

Related glossary terms

DNS blacklist (DNSBL)

A DNSBL is a blocklist published over DNS: querying a specially formed name reveals whether an IP or domain is currently listed by that operator.

Readiness-gated export

A readiness-gated export is a sequencer export that partitions ready inboxes from blocked rows using GTM readiness checks.

SMTP readiness

SMTP readiness is the operational check that an inbox can authenticate and submit mail through the managed SMTP path without exposing its password.

Related workflows

Domain replacement workflow

Follow the recovery path when a domain or inbox must be replaced.

Check a real domain

Move from the definition to a practical DNS and authentication check.

Seed placement workflow

How the concept shows up in the pre-launch evidence workflow.

Browse the glossary

Every cold email infrastructure term GTM models, checks, or gates.

Next step

See how recovery events fit into structured incident response.

Read the incident triage workflow