Hi 
How can I test the email templates I create?
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The easiest way to test email templates is to create a user using an alternate email address that you control. As that user, you can then perform actions that trigger the emails you are interested in testing The downside of this approach is that you will only be able to see how the emails are rendered in the email clients that you have access to.
The best way to test email templates is to use an email testing service like Litmus or Email on Acid. I believe that both of those services supply you with an email address that you can send test emails to - I know that Litmus do this. This allows you to create an invite link on Discourse for that email address.
Copy the invite link and visit it in an incognito browser window. Make sure to enter a password when accepting the invite. After accepting the email tester invite, use your admin account to activate the new user:
You can then perform actions as the email test user that trigger the emails you’re interested in. Those emails will be sent to the email testing service and you’ll be able to see how they are rendered on all common email clients.
The downside of using an email testing service is that it’s expensive. Whether or not it’s worth it will depend on your budget, and how extensive the changes are that you’ve made to the templates.
5 Likes
So that’s the only way? It sounds kind of ridiculous that Discourse wouldn’t have a better way of sending test emails. Thanks for your help anyway.
1 Like
That’s not a bad idea. Discourse does have a way of sending the digest email to a specific email address:
Something similar on the email template editor would be useful.
7 Likes
I was just looking for a way to test the welcome email new registrants would receive and it seems like it would be a hassle. So many platforms, like Marketo or Hubspot, let you send test emails, which goes without saying should be a feature on Discourse.