Connect to SMTP Server

Connects to an SMTP email server, storing the established connection in a variable.

Command availability: IBM RPA SaaS and IBM RPA on premises

Description

Connects to an SMTP email server, storing the established connection in a variable.

Script syntax

IBM RPA's proprietary script language has a syntax similar to other programming languages. The script syntax defines the command's syntax in the script file. You can work with this syntax in IBM RPA Studio's Script mode.

smtpConnect --smtphost(String) [--smtpport(Numeric)] [--smtpusername(String)] [--smtppassword(String)] [--smtpusessl(Boolean)] [--enableLog(Boolean)] (EmailConnection)=value

Dependencies

  • If you are using the IntegrationConnection authentication type, refer to Connections.
Important:SMTP connections only support sending emails.

Input parameters

The following table displays the list of input parameters available in this command. In the table, you can see the parameter name when working in IBM RPA Studio's Script mode and its Designer mode equivalent label.

Designer mode label Script mode name Required Accepted variable types Description
SMTP Host smtphost Required Text SMTP address of the mail server.
SMTP Port smtpport Optional Number SMTP server TCP port used for the connection.
Authentication Type authenticationtype Required Text The type of authentication. See the authenticationType parameter options.
SMTP Connection smtpconnection Required when the authenticationtype parameter is IntegrationConnection text Connections available in your tenant.
SMTP User name smtpusername Optional Text Client username registered on the SMTP server.
SMTP Password smtppassword Optional Text Client user password registered on the SMTP server.
Use SSL for SMTP smtpusessl Optional Boolean Enables the use of the SSL External link security protocol for SMTP.
Enable log enableLog Optional Boolean Enables protocol logging, if available.

The log file is stored in the %localappdata%\IBM Robotic Process Automation directory.

authenticationType parameter options

The following table displays the options available for the authenticatinType input parameter. The table shows the options available when working in Script mode and the equivalent label in the Designer mode.

Designer mode label Script mode name Description
BasicAuthentication basicAuthentication Uses basic authentication to authenticate third-party accounts. Requires User name and password.
IntegrationConnection integrationConnection Uses Oauth authenticated connections from the tenant you're logged in.

Output parameters

Designer mode label Script mode name Accepted variable types Description
Connection value Email Connection Collection containing all messages from the account's email boxes.

Example

Sends an email using an SMTP connection variable.

defVar --name emailConnection --type EmailConnection
defVar --name receiveremail--type List --innertype String --value "[email@email.com]"
smtpConnect --smtphost "smtp.gmail.com" --smtpport 465 --smtpusername "useremail@gmail.com" --smtppassword userpassword --smtpusesslemailConnection=value
emailSend --connection ${emailConnection} --to ${receiverEmail} --from "useremail@gmail.com" --bodytype "Text" --body "Message body"
emailDisconnect --connection ${emailConnection}
// Sends an email via SMTP protocol and terminates the connection to the server.

Limitations

  • To send emails the connection must use the original email account and not an alias. Connections using an aliased email account can only read emails. The workaround is to add your email provider to the Microsoft™ Outlook service and use the Connect to Microsoft Outlook (outlookConnect) command.