Configure Gmail as your email provider in GpsGate

Important note: as Google deprecated less secure app feature, integrating Google as SMTP provider for GpsGate is no longer possible. 

This guide shows how to set up GpsGate using a Gmail account as an SMTP server. We go through all the necessary steps, with an example, of how to send an email notification to a user from an alert generated by an event rule.

Configuration

1. Configure Gmail security settings
2. Configure your SMTP server
3. Set up your user
4. Example: configure an event rule with an email notification

Configure Gmail security settings

Gmail has introduced several new security features. There are mainly three things to take into account before using Gmail with GpsGate:

1. Enable IMAP and POP for Google Apps
2. Allowing less secure apps feature: another feature from Google to block sign-in attempts from some apps or devices. This feature must be turned on in order to be able your Gmail account to work with GpsGate.
3. 2-Step Verification: helps to protect your Gmail account with both your password and your phone. This option is compatible with GpsGate.

Security settings scenarios

You have two options in order to use Gmail with GpsGate:

a. Configure your 2-Step Verification using this wizard.
(If you already have the 2-Step Verification feature enabled, you need to add a new App password in your account settings > Sign-in & security > App passwords.)

b. If you don’t want to use option A, turn on the Less secure apps feature. You can do it here.

If you do not enable this feature, your email submission will be blocked when trying to send a test from GpsGate, and hence you’ll get an error:

Configure your SMTP server

1. Follow this guide to add a new email provider.

2. Enter the Gmail account details:

• Name: enter a name for this account.
• Application Tags: if you want to use this SMTP provider with specific applications, select them here. Note that creating application tags will be necessary first. You can do this in Site Admin → Applications → Application Tags.
• Sender E-mail Address: the email address from where your email is being sent. When the recipient of the notification receives the email, this email will have the Sender Name registered in this address.
• SMTP Server Hostname: the SMTP address of your email provider.
• Use SSL: enable your SSL setting for Gmail.
• SMTP Server Port: use 587 for SSL.
• SMTP Username: the username of your account (without the @gmail.com).
• SMTP Server Password: your account password.

Note: If you configured your account with the 2-Step Verification feature, you have to paste the code given by Google (check the first step in this guide).

3. Save.

4. (Optional). Use the Send test email option to verify your settings are working properly.