Email Setup

Send professional HTML-formatted email notifications using any SMTP provider. Perfect for formal notifications and audit trails.

Preview

Email notifications include:

Status-based color styling
HTML-formatted templates
Direct links to workflow runs
Repository and workflow metadata
Professional formatting for any email client

Supported Providers

Workflow Blabber works with any SMTP server. Popular providers include:

Gmail - Free, reliable, 2FA app passwords required
SendGrid - Generous free tier, great for high volume
Amazon SES - Pay-as-you-go, enterprise-grade
Mailgun - Developer-friendly API
Custom SMTP - Any SMTP server (Office 365, self-hosted, etc.)

Gmail Setup

Gmail is the easiest option for getting started. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Enable 2-Factor Authentication

Go to your Google Account Security
Under “Signing in to Google”, select 2-Step Verification
Follow the prompts to enable 2FA if not already enabled

2. Generate an App Password

Go to Google Account Security
Select 2-Step Verification
Scroll down to App passwords (at the bottom)
Click App passwords
Select Mail for the app
Select Other for the device and name it (e.g., “GitHub Actions”)
Click Generate
Copy the 16-character password - you won’t see it again

3. Add Secrets to GitHub

Go to your repository → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions → New repository secret

Add these secrets:


Name: SMTP_USER
Value: your.email@gmail.com

Name: SMTP_PASSWORD
Value: [your-16-character-app-password]

Name: RECIPIENT_EMAIL
Value: recipient@example.com

⚠️ Security Warning

Never commit email credentials to your repository. Always use GitHub Secrets to protect passwords and tokens.

4. Use in Your Workflow

.github/workflows/ci.yml


name: CI Pipeline
 
on: [push, pull_request]
 
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      - name: Build
        run: npm run build
      
      - name: Email Notification
        if: always()
        uses: michaelikoko/workflow-blabber@v1
        with:
          channels: 'email'
          status: ${{ job.status }}
          smtp_host: 'smtp.gmail.com'
          smtp_port: '587'
          smtp_user: ${{ secrets.SMTP_USER }}
          smtp_password: ${{ secrets.SMTP_PASSWORD }}
          recipient_email: ${{ secrets.RECIPIENT_EMAIL }}
          smtp_secure: 'false'

Usage Examples

Custom Email Subject

.github/workflows/ci.yml


- name: Custom subject line
  if: always()
  uses: michaelikoko/workflow-blabber@v1
  with:
    channels: 'email'
    status: ${{ job.status }}
    email_subject: '[CI] Production Build Status'
    smtp_host: 'smtp.gmail.com'
    smtp_port: '587'
    smtp_user: ${{ secrets.SMTP_USER }}
    smtp_password: ${{ secrets.SMTP_PASSWORD }}
    recipient_email: ${{ secrets.RECIPIENT_EMAIL }}

Multiple Recipients

For multiple recipients, configure your SMTP provider to handle distribution lists, or run the action multiple times:

.github/workflows/ci.yml


- name: Notify team lead
  if: always()
  uses: michaelikoko/workflow-blabber@v1
  with:
    channels: 'email'
    status: ${{ job.status }}
    smtp_host: 'smtp.gmail.com'
    smtp_port: '587'
    smtp_user: ${{ secrets.SMTP_USER }}
    smtp_password: ${{ secrets.SMTP_PASSWORD }}
    recipient_email: 'team-lead@example.com'
 
- name: Notify dev team
  if: failure()
  uses: michaelikoko/workflow-blabber@v1
  with:
    channels: 'email'
    status: 'failure'
    custom_message: 'Build failed - requires immediate attention'
    smtp_host: 'smtp.gmail.com'
    smtp_port: '587'
    smtp_user: ${{ secrets.SMTP_USER }}
    smtp_password: ${{ secrets.SMTP_PASSWORD }}
    recipient_email: 'dev-team@example.com'

Secure SMTP (SSL/TLS)

For providers that require SSL/TLS on port 465:

.github/workflows/ci.yml


- name: Email with SSL
  uses: michaelikoko/workflow-blabber@v1
  with:
    channels: 'email'
    status: ${{ job.status }}
    smtp_host: 'smtp.example.com'
    smtp_port: '465'
    smtp_user: ${{ secrets.SMTP_USER }}
    smtp_password: ${{ secrets.SMTP_PASSWORD }}
    recipient_email: ${{ secrets.RECIPIENT_EMAIL }}
    smtp_secure: 'true'

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failures

Gmail:

Ensure 2FA is enabled on your Google account
Use an App Password, not your regular password
Check that “Less secure app access” is NOT enabled (use App Passwords instead)

Other Providers:

Verify your SMTP credentials are correct
Check if your provider requires API keys instead of passwords
Ensure your IP isn’t blocked by the provider

Connection Issues

Check these settings:

SMTP Host - Verify the correct hostname for your provider
SMTP Port - Common ports:
- 587 - STARTTLS (most common, use smtp_secure: 'false')
- 465 - SSL/TLS (use smtp_secure: 'true')
- 25 - Unencrypted (not recommended)
Firewall - Ensure GitHub Actions can connect to your SMTP server

Testing SMTP Connection

Test your SMTP settings locally before adding to GitHub:

terminal


# Using swaks (SMTP test tool)
swaks --to recipient@example.com \
  --from your.email@gmail.com \
  --server smtp.gmail.com:587 \
  --auth LOGIN \
  --auth-user your.email@gmail.com \
  --auth-password your-app-password \
  --tls

Required Inputs

Input	Description	Required	Default
`smtp_host`	SMTP server hostname	Yes	-
`smtp_port`	SMTP server port	Yes	-
`smtp_user`	SMTP username/email	Yes	-
`smtp_password`	SMTP password/API key	Yes	-
`recipient_email`	Recipient email address	Yes	-
`smtp_secure`	Use SSL/TLS	No	`'false'`
`email_subject`	Custom email subject	No	Auto-generated

Common SMTP Ports

Port	Protocol	Usage
`587`	STARTTLS	Recommended for most providers
`465`	SSL/TLS	Secure connection from start
`25`	Unencrypted	Not recommended, often blocked
`2525`	Alternative	Some providers use this as alternative to 587