Set up e-mail delivery
Configure the SMTP server the platform sends invitations and notifications through, and send a test message.
Requires: kernel/emailSettings/manage
The platform sends its e-mail through one SMTP server. Configuring it needs
kernel/emailSettings/manage at the platform root, which Platform Owner and Platform Contributor
hold.
What the platform sends
- Invitations to a boundary or to a platform role, and a notice when an invitation is withdrawn.
- Just-in-time access: the request, to those who can approve it, and the decision, to the requester.
- A notice to someone added as a member.
- Password resets, and a confirmation when a password has changed.
Every message is sent in English, from the templates described in Edit e-mail templates.
Configure the server
Open Settings → Platform Settings and the Email (SMTP) tab.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Host | The SMTP server's host name. The platform sends e-mail only when this is set; there is no separate on/off switch |
| Port | Usually 587; left blank it is 587 |
| Implicit TLS (port 465) | On for servers that expect TLS from the first byte, usually on port 465. Off, the connection is upgraded with STARTTLS when the server offers it, and otherwise stays unencrypted |
| Username | The account to authenticate as. Left blank, the platform does not authenticate |
| Password | Stored encrypted and never shown again. Leave it blank to keep the stored password |
| From address | The sender address, for example no-reply@example.com |
| From name | The sender name, for example Stackship |
| Reply-to address (optional) | Where replies go |
Choose Save settings.
A field left blank uses the value set when the platform was installed, if there is one — so a value set at installation cannot be cleared here, only replaced. Other API instances pick up a change within five minutes.
Saving also opens the platform's outbound network policy for the configured port, so that the platform can reach the server.
Send a test
Under Send a test email, enter the address to send to and choose Send test. The platform sends "Stackship SMTP test" using the saved settings — save your changes first — and reports Test email sent or the error the server returned.
When e-mail cannot be sent
Nothing that triggers an e-mail waits for it: an invitation is created, and reported as sent, even when its e-mail fails. A message that cannot be delivered is tried three times within about ten seconds and then dropped; undelivered messages are also lost when the API restarts. When no host is configured, every send fails with "SMTP host is not configured".