Email Notifications
Notify users and teams by email when feedback is submitted, statuses change, or comments are posted. Configure SMTP or Resend.
Quackback sends email notifications to keep users and admins informed. Voters are notified when their requested features ship. Admins get alerts when new feedback arrives. No third-party notification service required — configure SMTP or Resend and emails send automatically.
Overview
Email notifications cover two audiences:
For end users (voters and authors):
- Status change notifications when a post they voted on or authored changes status
- Comment notifications when someone replies to their post
- Subscription updates for posts they're watching
For admins and team members:
- New feedback alerts when a post is submitted
- Daily or weekly digest of new feedback activity
- Mentions when tagged in a comment
Prerequisites
- Admin access to your Quackback workspace
- An SMTP server or Resend API key
Setup
Option 1: SMTP (Recommended)
SMTP works with any email provider: Gmail, SendGrid, Postmark, Mailgun, Amazon SES, or your own mail server.
Set these environment variables:
EMAIL_SMTP_HOST="smtp.example.com"
EMAIL_SMTP_PORT="587"
EMAIL_SMTP_USER="your-username"
EMAIL_SMTP_PASS="your-password"
EMAIL_FROM="[email protected]"Common provider settings:
Provider | Host | Port |
|---|---|---|
SendGrid |
| 587 |
Postmark |
| 587 |
Mailgun |
| 587 |
Amazon SES |
| 587 |
Gmail |
| 587 |
Option 2: Resend
Resend provides a developer-focused email API. Set one environment variable:
EMAIL_RESEND_API_KEY="re_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
EMAIL_FROM="[email protected]"Note: If neither SMTP nor Resend is configured, OTP codes are printed to the server console instead of emailed. All other email notifications are skipped.
How Notifications Work
User Notifications
Users receive email when events occur on posts they're connected to:
Event | Who gets notified |
|---|---|
Status change (e.g., "Planned" → "Shipped") | All voters and the post author |
New comment on a post | Post author and users watching the post |
Admin reply to a post | Post author |
Users can unsubscribe from individual posts or all notifications from their account settings.
Admin Notifications
Admins receive email for workspace-level events:
Event | Who gets notified |
|---|---|
New post submitted | Admins with new-post alerts enabled |
Daily/weekly digest | Admins who opted into digest emails |
@mention in a comment | The mentioned admin |
Configure admin notification preferences in Admin → Settings → Notifications.
Authentication Emails
Quackback uses email for passwordless authentication:
- OTP codes — six-digit codes sent when a user signs in with email
- Magic links — one-click sign-in links (when enabled)
These are sent regardless of notification preferences.
Configuration
Sender Identity
The EMAIL_FROM address appears in the "From" field of all emails. Use a domain you own and have configured with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. This improves deliverability and prevents emails from landing in spam.
Tip: Use a subdomain like
[email protected]to separate feedback notifications from your primary email domain's reputation.
Custom Branding
Emails automatically use your workspace branding:
- Logo — displayed in the email header
- Workspace name — used in email subjects and footers
- Accent color — applied to buttons and links
Configure branding in Admin → Settings → Branding.
Digest Emails
Digest emails summarize feedback activity over a period:
- Go to Admin → Settings → Notifications
- Enable Digest emails
- Choose frequency: Daily or Weekly
- Select which boards to include
Digests include:
- New posts submitted since the last digest
- Top posts by vote count
- Status changes
Testing
After configuring email, verify it works:
- Go to Admin → Settings → Email
- Click Send Test Email
- Check your inbox for the test message
If the test email doesn't arrive:
- Check the server logs for SMTP errors
- Verify your SMTP credentials
- Ensure the
EMAIL_FROMdomain has valid DNS records
Deliverability
To ensure emails reach inboxes:
- Set up SPF — add your email provider to your domain's SPF record
- Enable DKIM — sign outgoing emails with your domain's DKIM key
- Configure DMARC — set a DMARC policy for your sending domain
- Use a dedicated sending domain — avoid sharing reputation with marketing emails
Troubleshooting
Emails Not Sending
- Check that
EMAIL_SMTP_HOSTorEMAIL_RESEND_API_KEYis set - Review server logs for connection errors
- Verify the SMTP port is not blocked by your hosting provider
Emails Going to Spam
- Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domain
- Avoid using free email providers (gmail.com, outlook.com) as the
EMAIL_FROMaddress - Check your sender reputation with mail-tester.com
Users Not Receiving Notifications
- Check the user's notification preferences in their account settings
- Verify they haven't unsubscribed from the post
- Check the admin inbox for delivery errors
Next Steps
- Slack Integration - Real-time Slack notifications
- Discord Integration - Discord channel notifications
- Webhooks - Build custom notification pipelines
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