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Email Testing

This guide explains how to test email functionality in Plugged.in using Mailtrap for development and staging environments.

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Quick Setup with Mailtrap

1

Create Mailtrap Account

Sign up for a free account at Mailtrap.io
2

Get SMTP Credentials

Navigate to Inboxes → Select inbox → SMTP Settings → Choose Nodemailer
3

Configure Environment

EMAIL_SERVER_HOST=sandbox.smtp.mailtrap.io
EMAIL_SERVER_PORT=2525
EMAIL_SERVER_USER=your-mailtrap-username
EMAIL_SERVER_PASSWORD=your-mailtrap-password
EMAIL_FROM=noreply@plugged.in
EMAIL_FROM_NAME=Plugged.in
4

Test Email Delivery

curl -X POST http://localhost:12005/api/auth/test-email \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer your-admin-secret' \
  -d '{"email": "test@example.com"}'

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Email Templates

Plugged.in includes responsive HTML email templates for various notifications:

Verification Email

Sent when users register to verify their email address

Password Reset

Sent when users request a password reset

Notifications

Activity alerts and system notifications

Welcome Email

Onboarding email for new users

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Development Setup

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1. Install Dependencies

Ensure email dependencies are installed: 
pnpm install nodemailer @types/nodemailer

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2. Configure Mailtrap

  • Using UI
  • Using API
  1. Log into Mailtrap Dashboard
  2. Navigate to Inboxes
  3. Click on your inbox
  4. Copy SMTP credentials
  5. Select Nodemailer integration

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3. Environment Configuration

Create or update .env.local: 
# Mailtrap Settings
EMAIL_SERVER_HOST=sandbox.smtp.mailtrap.io
EMAIL_SERVER_PORT=2525
EMAIL_SERVER_USER=your-username
EMAIL_SERVER_PASSWORD=your-password

# Email Configuration
EMAIL_FROM=noreply@plugged.in
EMAIL_FROM_NAME=Plugged.in
ENABLE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION=true

# Admin Secret for Testing
ADMIN_SECRET=your-secret-key

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4. Test Email Functionality

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Using Application Forms

  • Password Reset: Visit /forgot-password
  • User Registration: Visit /register
  • Email Verification: Complete registration flow

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Using Test Endpoint

# Test email delivery
curl -X POST http://localhost:12005/api/auth/test-email \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer your-admin-secret' \
  -d '{
    "email": "test@example.com",
    "subject": "Test Email",
    "template": "verification"
  }'

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Email Template Customization

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Template Structure

All email templates follow this structure: 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <style>
      /* Responsive styles */
      @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
        .container { width: 100% !important; }
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <!-- Header with logo -->
    <div class="header">
      <img src="data:image/png;base64,..." alt="Plugged.in">
    </div>

    <!-- Main content -->
    <div class="content">
      <!-- Dynamic content here -->
    </div>

    <!-- Footer -->
    <div class="footer">
      © 2024 Plugged.in. All rights reserved.
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

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Customizing Templates

Edit email templates in lib/email.ts: 
// lib/email.ts
export const emailTemplates = {
  verification: (token: string) => ({
    subject: 'Verify your email',
    html: generateTemplate({
      title: 'Email Verification',
      content: `Click below to verify your email`,
      buttonText: 'Verify Email',
      buttonUrl: `${process.env.NEXTAUTH_URL}/verify?token=${token}`
    })
  }),

  passwordReset: (token: string) => ({
    subject: 'Reset your password',
    html: generateTemplate({
      title: 'Password Reset',
      content: `Click below to reset your password`,
      buttonText: 'Reset Password',
      buttonUrl: `${process.env.NEXTAUTH_URL}/reset-password?token=${token}`
    })
  })
};

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Logo Customization

Logos are embedded as base64 to ensure display even when images are blocked.
Replace the logo: 
// Convert logo to base64
const logoBase64 = fs.readFileSync('logo.png').toString('base64');

// Update in lib/email.ts
const DEFAULT_LOGO_BASE64 = `data:image/png;base64,${logoBase64}`;
Logo Guidelines:
  • Maximum size: 30KB (to avoid email size issues)
  • Recommended dimensions: 200x50px
  • Format: PNG with transparency or JPEG
  • Optimize before converting to base64

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Testing Strategies

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Unit Testing

// tests/email.test.ts
import { sendEmail } from '@/lib/email';
import { vi, describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';

describe('Email Service', () => {
  it('should send verification email', async () => {
    const mockTransport = {
      sendMail: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ messageId: '123' })
    };

    const result = await sendEmail({
      to: 'test@example.com',
      subject: 'Test',
      html: '<p>Test</p>'
    });

    expect(mockTransport.sendMail).toHaveBeenCalled();
    expect(result.messageId).toBe('123');
  });
});

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Integration Testing

// tests/email.integration.test.ts
describe('Email Integration', () => {
  it('should deliver to Mailtrap', async () => {
    const response = await fetch('/api/auth/test-email', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.ADMIN_SECRET}`
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        email: 'integration@test.com'
      })
    });

    expect(response.status).toBe(200);

    // Verify in Mailtrap API
    const mailtrapMessages = await checkMailtrap();
    expect(mailtrapMessages).toContainEmail('integration@test.com');
  });
});

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Production Email Services

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Supported Providers

  • SendGrid
  • AWS SES
  • Mailgun
  • Gmail
EMAIL_SERVER_HOST=smtp.sendgrid.net
EMAIL_SERVER_PORT=587
EMAIL_SERVER_USER=apikey
EMAIL_SERVER_PASSWORD=your-sendgrid-api-key

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Production Checklist

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Email Debugging

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Common Issues

Solutions:
  • Verify Mailtrap credentials in .env
  • Check console for error messages
  • Ensure EMAIL_SERVER_PORT is 2525 (not 25 or 587)
  • Test connection with telnet: telnet sandbox.smtp.mailtrap.io 2525
Solutions:
  • Check firewall settings
  • Verify network allows outbound SMTP
  • Try alternative ports (2525, 587, 465)
  • Use secure connection: EMAIL_SERVER_SECURE=true
Solutions:
  • Regenerate Mailtrap credentials
  • Ensure no extra spaces in credentials
  • Check for special characters that need escaping
  • Verify account is active and not suspended
Solutions:
  • Use base64 embedded images
  • Keep image size under 30KB
  • Test in multiple email clients
  • Provide alt text for accessibility

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Debug Mode

Enable detailed logging: 
// lib/email.ts
import { createTransport } from 'nodemailer';

const transporter = createTransport({
  host: process.env.EMAIL_SERVER_HOST,
  port: Number(process.env.EMAIL_SERVER_PORT),
  auth: {
    user: process.env.EMAIL_SERVER_USER,
    pass: process.env.EMAIL_SERVER_PASSWORD,
  },
  debug: true, // Enable debug output
  logger: true // Log to console
});

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Testing Tools

Mailtrap

Safe email testing sandbox mailtrap.io

Mail Tester

Spam score analysis mail-tester.com

Litmus

Email client preview testing litmus.com

Email on Acid

Comprehensive email testing emailonacid.com

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API Reference

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Test Email Endpoint

POST /api/auth/test-email
Authorization: Bearer {admin-secret}

{
  "email": "recipient@example.com",
  "subject": "Custom Subject",
  "template": "verification" | "passwordReset" | "notification"
}

Response:
{
  "success": true,
  "messageId": "abc123",
  "preview": "https://mailtrap.io/inboxes/123/messages/456"
}

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Email Service Methods

// Send email
await sendEmail({
  to: string | string[],
  subject: string,
  html: string,
  text?: string,
  attachments?: Array<{
    filename: string,
    content: Buffer
  }>
});

// Send templated email
await sendTemplatedEmail({
  to: string,
  template: 'verification' | 'passwordReset',
  data: {
    token: string,
    userName?: string,
    expiresIn?: string
  }
});

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Support

For email testing assistance: