Using the Gmail SMTP server

For Saltcorn to send email, an SMTP server needs to be configured. If you have a Gmail account, you can use the Gmail SMTP server. There are limits on the amount of emails you can send, but if you run a small site it may be sufficient. The limit varies, but currently appears to be 500 emails per day for free gmail accounts. 

First, you must obtain an application specific password to your Gmail account.

  • Go to the app password page of your Gmail settings. 
  • Generate a new password. The app should be "Mail`, Device can be anything (?)
  • Copy the newly generated application specific password

Then fill in the email settings in Saltcorn (Settings menu, About application -> Email) with the following values:

  • SMTP host: smtp.gmail.com
  • SMTP username: Your full email address, e.g [email protected]
  • SMTP password: the application specific password generated above
  • SMTP port: 25
  • SMTP secure: ideally this should be ticked (on). However on some installations you get an error when using secure protocols. In that case, leave it unticked (off)
  • Email from address: Your full email address, e.g [email protected]

Click Save to save the settings. You can now enable settings that require an email server, for instance password reset or use the send email action.

On more recent versions of Saltcorn, you can click the "Send test email" button below Save to check that your email configuration works. This will send an email to your email-from-address if correctly configured.