Email and SMTP
Watchdog sends email through your own mail server, so no third party sees your alerts. The same settings send two-step verification codes.
Add your SMTP settings
Open Integrations → Email (SMTP) and fill in:
| Field | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Host | smtp.example.com | Your provider's SMTP server |
| Port | 587 | Use 587 with STARTTLS, or 465 with TLS |
| Secure | off for 587, on for 465 | "Secure" means TLS from the start |
| Username / password | Leave the password empty to keep the saved one | |
| From | Watchdog <alerts@example.com> | Must be allowed by your provider |
Select Save, then Send test email to confirm it works.
Settings saved here override the SMTP_* environment variables. Choose Use environment settings to go back to them.
Add an email channel
- Open Integrations and choose Add channel → Email.
- Enter up to 10 recipient addresses.
- Select Send test and check the inbox.
Provider notes
- Gmail or Google Workspace: use
smtp.gmail.com, port 587, and an app password. Your normal password will not work. - Amazon SES, Mailgun, Postmark, Resend: create SMTP credentials in the provider's dashboard and use those.
Troubleshooting
- Could not send email: Invalid login: wrong username or password, or the provider needs an app password.
- Connection timeout: the port is blocked by your host. Some cloud providers block port 25 and 465; try 587.
- Mail lands in spam: use a From address on a domain with SPF and DKIM set up for your provider.