# Paubox Setup and Functionality

Welkin Health integrates with Paubox to provide HIPAA-compliant encrypted email communication. Paubox ensures that emails containing protected health information (PHI) are sent securely and that recipients can read them without needing to create an account or enter a password.

## What is Paubox?

Paubox is a HIPAA-compliant email encryption service. Unlike traditional secure email solutions that force recipients to log in to a portal to read encrypted messages, Paubox delivers encrypted emails that open directly in the recipient's standard inbox (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) – no extra steps required for the patient.

## Key features in Welkin

* **Encrypted outbound email** – all patient emails sent through Welkin are automatically encrypted via Paubox
* **Inbound email encryption** – replies from patients are also encrypted in transit
* **HIPAA compliance** – Paubox provides a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) required for PHI in email
* **Delivery receipts** – track whether emails were delivered and opened
* **No portal friction** – patients read emails directly in their inbox without logging in anywhere

## Setting up Paubox in Welkin

### Step 1: Provision a Paubox account

If your organization does not already have a Paubox account, contact Paubox or your Welkin CSM to initiate provisioning. A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) must be signed with Paubox before use.

### Step 2: Configure sending domain

Paubox requires your organization's email domain to be configured for encrypted delivery:

1. Your Paubox representative will provide DNS records to add to your domain (SPF, DKIM, and MX records)
2. Work with your IT team to add these records to your domain's DNS settings
3. Paubox will verify the domain configuration – this can take 24–48 hours

### Step 3: Connect Paubox to Welkin

1. Log in to the Welkin Admin portal
2. Navigate to **Integrations → Paubox**
3. Enter your Paubox API credentials:
   * **API Key** – available in your Paubox account under **Settings → API**
   * **Organization Name** – your organization's display name for sent emails
4. Click **Save and Test Connection**
5. Confirm the status shows **Connected**

### Step 4: Enable Paubox for outbound communications

1. In the Admin portal, navigate to **Communications → Email Settings**
2. Under **Email Provider**, select **Paubox**
3. Set your default **From** address (e.g., `care@yourorganization.com`)
4. Save changes

All patient emails sent through Welkin will now route through Paubox for encrypted delivery.

## Testing Paubox functionality

1. Send a test email to a personal email address (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) from a test patient record
2. Confirm the email arrives in your inbox – it should open directly without prompting for a portal login
3. Reply to the email and confirm the reply is received in Welkin (if inbound email is configured)
4. Check the Paubox dashboard for delivery and open tracking

## Troubleshooting

**Emails going to spam:** Ensure your DNS records (SPF, DKIM) are correctly configured. Paubox's support team can assist with domain validation.

**Emails not sending:** Verify the API key is correct and the Paubox connection shows **Active** in the Admin portal.

**Recipients asked to log in:** This typically indicates the recipient's email domain requires portal delivery. Paubox handles this automatically – it is not a Welkin configuration issue.


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