Sending emails via your email system using Once Track.


UPDATE May 2024: Due to increasing security requirements by Gmail, Microsoft 365, and other email services, this can be very challenging to setup in your email account (see below). Once support is unable to provide guidance as this is outside what we can control.


By default, emails will be sent via the Once email system. This is a fast and reliable way to send emails but there are advantages to using your own email system as described below.  


Your Email SystemOnce Email System
Advantages
  • The Sender is your email address. Hence no risk of recipients using the wrong email when replying or emailing you.
  • Your Sent items folder will contain the sent emails.
  • Delivery failures will be sent directly to your sending email account from your email provider.
  • Email to SMS Text messages will be from your company email and you can receive replies.

  • Highly reliable - and no risk of exceeding maximum daily sent emails (within reason!).
  • Once Support is available for delivery problems

Disadvantages:
  • A risk of exceeding the maximum allowed sent emails in a 24 hr period for your server, especially if using a free email service,
  • It may be difficult to get support from your email service provider on delivery problems.
  • Only recommended if you are using a paid-for email service with your own company domain.

  • The Sender is a Once account e.g.
    xxxx@mg.ontime.once
    and the Reply-To value is your business email (or an email you specify).

    If recipient does not click Reply but uses the Sender email then their email will be bounced as xxxx@mg.ontime.once is not a real mailbox.

  • Unless a copy is sent to one of your email accounts you have no email record of exactly what was sent.

  • Delivery failures are reported to you by an email from our support system. It can be difficult to match the failure report to the original email.


Configuring the SMTP Connection Properties in Once Track


Under the Settings on the Once Track Orders screen is an option for SMTP Connection Settings. This includes a checkbox to enable or disable this feature.

An internet search for "SMTP settings" will return numerous articles about SMTP settings for different email service providers, or you can contact your email provider for guidance. Due to increasing security restrictions it can be challenging to enable the Once SMTP login and mail transfer to be allowed by the service provider.


Note that if using gmail you will probably need to setup an App Password. Search for "gmail SMTP app password" or see this article: https://www.gmass.co/blog/gmail-smtp/. 


Licencing
This feature uses the Open Source library: SmtpClient-for-Qt released under the GNU Lesser General Public License.
The source code for this library is available from the github repository SmtpClient-for-Qt. 
Under the terms of the licence, you can change and compile your own version of this library to replace the version delivered with the product.

On a Windows x64 platform the library is SMTPEmail.dll found under the Once Track application installation folder %appdata%\OnceTime.