I’m trying to test my ActionMailer class but I’m stuck because I don’t have an SMTP server. I thought maybe I could use Gmail to send test emails instead.
Has anyone done this before? I’m not sure how to set it up properly. What do I need to change in my app’s config files? Also, do I need to do anything special on the Gmail side?
If someone could share a quick example or walk me through the process, that would be super helpful. I’m a bit new to this, so any tips or tricks would be great too.
I encountered this issue during a recent project. In my experience, configuring ActionMailer with Gmail for development was straightforward once I updated the environment configuration. In your config/environments/development.rb, set the delivery method to :smtp and specify the smtp_settings such as address, port, domain, user_name, password, and authentication, with enable_starttls_auto set to true. Remember, you should generate an app password from your Google account rather than using your regular password. This approach tends to be more secure and effective for testing email functionality.
hey, i got it working with gmail tho. update ur config file with smtp info and a generated app pass. make sure not to use ur normal password. it worked fine for me, hope it helps!
I’ve gone through this process recently and can share some insights. Setting up ActionMailer with Gmail for testing is indeed doable, but there are a few gotchas to watch out for.
First, you’ll need to tweak your config/environments/development.rb file. The key is getting the SMTP settings right. One thing that tripped me up initially was forgetting to set enable_starttls_auto to true.
On the Gmail side, you absolutely need to use an app password, not your regular account password. This threw me for a loop at first. You generate this in your Google Account settings under the Security tab.
Also, if you’re using 2FA on your Google account (which you should be), you’ll need to take some extra steps. It’s a bit of a hassle, but worth it for the added security.
Lastly, keep an eye on your Gmail sent folder when testing. Sometimes emails don’t arrive but show up there, which can help with debugging.