You do not need to set up SMTP server credentials or SMTP relay information in BQE CORE to use its email feature. CORE uses its own SMTP server to handle emails securely on your behalf. You can configure your email settings at the global level in Settings > Company > Email Settings or at the individual user level in User Settings > Email Settings for outgoing emails (with the option Allow User Settings to override these email settings checked in Settings). Check CORE Help Center for details.
When using the default BQE server, CORE sends emails from a separate 'CORE Notifications' email address, not any personal or work email address. To track emails sent from CORE using a personal email address, you can include your email address as a CC or BCC email in Settings or User Settings. Do note that you can specify a maximum of 50 recipients for every email you send (combined total of To, CC and BCC recipients). If you need to send emails to more than 50 recipients, then you have to send multiple emails.
However, as CORE Owner/Admin, you also have an option to connect your company's Outlook 365 account to CORE and designate it as the preferred email service for outbound invoice emails instead. This ensures that all invoice-related emails are sent from your company's Outlook email address. You can set this up in Settings > Company > Email Settings. When the connection is established with Outlook, any emails associated with invoices are sent through it. Check CORE Help Center for details.
You can view the emails only in your associated email account, not in CORE. If you want to view the emails sent out from CORE, say invoices emailed to a client (PDFs), you should enter your email address as Cc or BCc in User Settings or Settings. This sends a copy of all outgoing emails to your inbox. Check CORE Help Center for details.
If you are integrating CORE with your Google or Microsoft Office 365 Outlook/Hotmail account and have a CORE CRM subscription, you can use your own email accounts to send and receive emails in the CORE CRM features only. Its real-time connection allows you to create emails and calendar events in CORE and see them in the other account.
Check CORE Help Center for details on Office 365 integration.