Sending Email by Gmail Service

In my previous post, we had tried to send email through O365. Today in my first post in 2017, let's try to send an email through gmail service.

Firstly let's look at configuration part. First of the first, we need a google account :p, then we need to turn on the less secure apps setting for the google account. To do that, we can go to the setting page, and then select "turn on".

Pretty much it is the only configuration we need to do at google account level.Very simple, isn't it? Now let's see the coding part. Open a new console program project in Visual Studio, add system.net and system.net.mail into the using section, and then add codes below. Run the program, you should have the email in your mail box.

            //add your email account & password here
            string username = "your account name";
            string password = "your password";

            string emailbody = "some text";

            var client = new SmtpClient("smtp.gmail.com", 587)
            {
                Credentials = new NetworkCredential(username, password),
                EnableSsl = true
            };

            try
            {              
                MailMessage msg = new MailMessage();
                msg.From = new MailAddress(username);

                //add a to recipient here
                msg.To.Add("recipient@emaildomain.com.au");

                msg.Subject = "test html from google account";
                msg.Body = emailbody;
                msg.IsBodyHtml = true;

                Console.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString());
                client.Send(msg);
                Console.WriteLine("Sent");
                Console.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString());
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
            }
            
            Console.ReadLine();

Now, we can make the thing even easier if we want to send emails from SQL Server. What we need to do is just add the gmail into database's mail profile.

Find the Database Mail node in SQL Server Management Studio and select "configure database mail" option

Leave the option to the "Set up Database Mail by performing the following tasks" and press next button

on the next screen, input a profile name, then click add button to add a SMTP account

We need to select an account for the new profile. Since we have not created one for our gmail account, click the "New Account" button

Now we are on the window of "New Database Mail Account", give this account a name by filling in account name. Then add your gmail account information into the fields required, as demonstrated below:

Once all fields are completed, click the OK button will close current account setting window and bring you back to the profile setting window.

The next window will ask you to select a default profile. I don't want any change to the system default profile, so just level it as is and press next button.

Now the next screen asks us to adjust parameters for the profile, leave every to default and press next button

The final screen just shows us a summary of what SQL Server will do for us. Press finish button and SQL Server will set everything up for you.

We can then do a simple test. Right click the Database Mail node and select "Send Test E-mail"

From the dropdown box, select our newly created gmail profile, provide a to recipient, then press "Send Test E-mail".

Now check your mail box, you've got mail :D