openproject/docs/configuration/incoming-emails.md

# Incoming mail functionality

OpenProject is able to receive emails and create and update work packages and reply in forums depending on the content of the email.

## Setup

Receiving emails is done via a rake task that fetches emails from an email server, parses them and performs actions depending on the content of the email. This rake task can be executed manually or automatically, e.g. with the help of a Cron job.

### IMAP

The rake task `redmine:email:receive_imap` fetches emails via IMAP and parses them.

**Packaged installation**

```bash
openproject run bundle exec rake redmine:email:receive_imap host='imap.gmail.com' username='test_user' password='password' port=993 ssl=true allow_override=type,project project=test_project
```

**Manual installation**

```bash
bundle exec rake redmine:email:receive_imap host='imap.gmail.com' username='test_user' password='password' port=993 ssl=true allow_override=type,project project=test_project
```

**Docker installation**

The docker installation has a ["cron-like" daemon](https://github.com/opf/openproject/blob/dev/docker/cron) that will immitate the above cron job. You need to specify the following ENV variables (e.g., to your env list file)

- `IMAP_SSL` set to true or false depending on whether the ActionMailer IMAP connection requires implicit TLS/SSL
- `IMAP_PORT` `IMAP_HOST` set to the IMAP host and port of your connection
- `IMAP_USERNAME` and `IMAP_PASSWORD`

Optional ENV variables:

- `IMAP_CHECK_INTERVAL=600` Interval in seconds to check for new mails (defaults to 10minutes)
- `IMAP_ALLOW_OVERRIDE` Attributes writable (true for all), comma-separated list as specified in `allow_override` configuration.



Available arguments for this rake task that specify the email behavior are

|key | description|
|----|------------|
| `host` | address of the email server |
| `username` | the name of the user that is used to connect to the email server|
| `password` | the password of the user|
| `port` | the port that is used to connect to the email server|
| `ssl` | specifies if SSL should be used when connecting to the email server|
| `folder` | the folder to fetch emails from (default: INBOX)|
| `move_on_success` | the folder emails that were successfully parsed are moved to (instead of deleted)|
| `move_on_failure` | the folder emails that were ignored are moved to|

Available arguments that change how the work packages are handled:

| key | description |
|---|---|
| `project` | identifier of the target project |
| `tracker` | name of the target tracker |
| `category` | name of the target category |
| `priority` | name of the target priority |
| `status` | name of the target status |
| `fixed_version` | name of the target version |
| `type` | name of the target type |
| `priority` | name of the target priority |
| `unknown_user`| ignore: email is ignored (default), accept: accept as anonymous user,                           create: create a user account |
| `allow_override` | specifies which attributes may be overwritten though specified by previous options. Comma separated list |


### POP3

The rake task `redmine:email:receive_pop3` fetches emails via IMAP and parses them.
**Packaged installation**

```bash
openproject run bundle exec rake redmine:email:receive_imap host='imap.gmail.com' username='test_user' password='password' port=993 ssl=true allow_override=type,project project=test_project
```

**Manual installation**

```bash
bundle exec rake redmine:email:receive_pop3 host='pop.gmail.com' username='test_user' password='password' port=995 allow_override=priority
```

**Docker installation**

POP3 fetching of incoming mails is currently not supported. We welcome a pull request submission if you're interested in integrating it!



Available options that specifiy the email behavior are:

|key | description|
|----|------------|
|`host` | address of the email server (default: 127.0.0.1)|
| username | name of the user that is used to connect to the email server|
| password | password of the user|
| port| POP3 server port (default: 110)|
| apop | use APOP authentication (default: false)|
| delete_unprocessed | delete messages that were ignored (default: leave them on the server)|

Available arguments that change how the work packages are handled:

|key | description|
|----|------------|
| `project` | identifier of the target project|
| `tracker` | name of the target tracker|
| `category` | name of the target category|
| `priority` | name of the target priority|
| `allow_override` | specifies which attributes may be overwritten though specified by previous options. Comma separated list|

If you set a default value it will be used when creating a work package.

But then no other value is possible (even when you update the work package) unless you specify this with the use of `allow_override`. Some attributes (like `type, status, priority`) are only changeable if you specify this via `allow_override`. But notice: Some attributes have to specified in another format here, e.g. Assignee can be allowed to be overriden with `allow_override=assigned_to` and version can be overriden with `allow_override=fixed_version`


## Format of the emails

### Work packages

#### Sending user address

The address the mail is sent from must match an existing account in order to map the user action.
If a matching account is found, the mail handler impersonates the user to create the ticket.

If no matching account is found, the mail is rejected. To override this behavior and allow unknown mail address
to create work packages, set the option `no_permission_check=1` and specify with `unknown_user=ACTION`

**Note**: This feature only provides a mapping of mail to user account, it does not authenticate the user based on the mail. Since you can easily spoof mail addresses, you should not rely on the authenticity of work packages created that way.

**Users with mail suffixes**

If you're used to using mail accounts with suffix support such as Google Mail, where you can specify `account+suffix@googlemail.com`, you will receive mails to that account but respond with your regular account `account@googlemail.com` . To mitigiate this, OpenProject by default will expand searching for mail ddresses `account@domain` to accounts `account+suffix@domain`  through regex searching the mail column. If you do not wish that behavior or want to customize the prefix, alter the setting `mail_suffix_separators` by running `bundle exec rails runner "Setting.mail_suffix_separators = ''"`



#### Attributes

The Attributes you can use in your email are the same whether you create or update a work package.

Only the `project` attribute is a bit special:

You must either add `project` to the set of allowed overridden attributes with `allow_override=project,..` in order to use it in a mail,
OR set it as fixed variable with `project=identifier`.

The subject of the work package that shall be created is derived from the subject of the email. The body of the email gets parsed and all lines that contain recognized keys are removed. What is left will become the description.

Other available keys for the email are:

|Key|Description|Example|
|---|---|---|
| Project | sets the project. Use the project identifier | Project:test\_project |
| Assignee | sets the assignee. Use the email or login of the user | Assignee:test.nutzer@example.org |
| Type | sets the type | type:Milestone |
| Version | sets the version | version:v4.1.0 |
| Start date | sets the start date | start date:2015-02-28 |
| Due date | sets the finish date |  |
| Done ratio | sets the done ratio. Use a number | Done ratio:40 |
| Status | sets the status | Status:closed |
| priority | sets the priority | priority:High |

If you want to set a custom field just use the name as it is displayed in your browser, e.g. `Custom field:new value`

**Notice: The keys are not case-sensitive but the values you want to set are.**

#### Attachments

If you create or update a work package via email the attachments of the email will be attached to the relevant work package.

#### Watchers

If you create a work package via email and sent it to another email (to or bcc) OpenProject will search for a user with this email and add it as watcher.

### Truncate Emails

In the administator's setting you can specify lines after which an email will not be parsed anymore. That is useful if you want to reply to an email automatically sent to you from OpenProject. E.g. you could set it to `--Truncate here--` and insert this line into your email below the updates you want to perform.