n8n-nodes-smtp-server

v0.2.0

Published

9 months ago

SMTP Server Node for n8n

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alexrster

n8n-community-node-package n8n smtp

n8n SMTP Server Node

A custom n8n node that starts an SMTP server and triggers workflows when emails are received. This node allows you to receive emails directly into your n8n workflows, enabling powerful email automation scenarios.

Features

🚀 SMTP Server: Starts a lightweight SMTP server to receive emails
📧 Email Parsing: Automatically parses incoming emails with full metadata
🔐 Authentication: Optional SMTP authentication support
📎 Attachment Support: Handles email attachments with metadata
🔄 Workflow Triggers: Triggers n8n workflows with parsed email data
🛡️ Security: Configurable security options for production use

Installation

From npm (Recommended)

npm install n8n-nodes-smtp-server

From Source

git clone https://github.com/alexrster/n8n-nodes-smtp-server.git
cd n8n-nodes-smtp-server
npm install
npm run build

Usage

Basic Setup

Add the node to your n8n instance:
- If installed via npm: The node will appear automatically in the trigger nodes list
- If built from source: Copy the dist folder to your n8n custom nodes directory
Configure the SMTP Server:
- Set the port (default: 2525)
- Set the host (default: 0.0.0.0)
- Configure authentication if needed
- Set security options
Connect to your workflow:
- The node will trigger your workflow whenever an email is received
- Email data is available in the workflow execution

Configuration Options

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | Port | Number | 2525 | Port to listen on for SMTP connections | | Host | String | 0.0.0.0 | Host to bind the SMTP server to | | Enable Authentication | Boolean | false | Whether to enable SMTP authentication | | Username | String | - | Username for SMTP authentication | | Password | String | - | Password for SMTP authentication | | Allow Insecure | Boolean | true | Whether to allow insecure connections (no TLS) |

Email Data Structure

When an email is received, the workflow is triggered with the following data structure:

{
  "subject": "Email Subject",
  "to": "[email protected]",
  "from": "[email protected]",
  "body": "Email body text",
  "html": "<html>Email HTML content</html>",
  "text": "Plain text email content",
  "date": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
  "messageId": "<[email protected]>",
  "attachments": [
    {
      "filename": "document.pdf",
      "contentType": "application/pdf",
      "size": 1024
    }
  ],
  "headers": {
    "received": "...",
    "date": "...",
    "from": "...",
    "to": "...",
    "subject": "..."
  },
  "raw": "Raw email content"
}

Use Cases

1. Email Support Automation

Receive support emails and automatically create tickets
Route emails to different teams based on content
Auto-respond with confirmation messages

2. Form Submissions

Receive form submissions via email
Process and store form data
Send confirmation emails

3. Email Monitoring

Monitor specific email addresses for keywords
Trigger alerts based on email content
Archive important emails automatically

4. Integration Workflows

Bridge email systems with other services
Convert emails to tasks, events, or notifications
Sync email data with databases or CRMs

Example Workflows

Basic Email Processing

SMTP Server → Email Parser → Database → Notification

Support Ticket Creation

SMTP Server → Extract Email Data → Create Ticket → Send Confirmation

Email Filtering

SMTP Server → Filter by Subject → Route to Different Teams → Archive

Security Considerations

Production Deployment

Use Authentication: Enable SMTP authentication in production
Configure Firewall: Only allow connections from trusted sources
Use TLS: Consider implementing TLS for encrypted connections
Monitor Logs: Keep an eye on server logs for suspicious activity
Regular Updates: Keep the node and dependencies updated

Network Configuration

Internal Use: Bind to localhost (127.0.0.1) for internal use only
External Access: Use proper firewall rules when exposing to the internet
Port Selection: Choose non-standard ports to avoid conflicts

Development

Prerequisites

Node.js 20.x or higher
npm or yarn
n8n instance for testing

Local Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/alexrster/n8n-nodes-smtp-server.git
cd n8n-nodes-smtp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run linting
npm run lint

# Format code
npm run format

Testing

# Test the build
npm run build

# Test with n8n (requires n8n to be installed)
npm install -g n8n
npx n8n --help

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

Development Workflow

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Add tests if applicable
Run linting and build
Submit a pull request

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Node not appearing in n8n:

Ensure the node is properly built (npm run build)
Check that the dist folder is in the correct location
Restart n8n after adding the node

SMTP Server not starting:

Check if the port is already in use
Verify firewall settings
Ensure proper permissions

Authentication issues:

Verify username and password are correct
Check that authentication is enabled
Test with a simple SMTP client

Email parsing errors:

Check the email format
Verify the email content is valid
Review server logs for details

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Dependencies

This node uses external dependencies (smtp-server and mailparser) that are essential for its core functionality. These dependencies are:

Well-maintained by the Nodemailer team
Widely used in production environments
Security audited with no known critical vulnerabilities
Industry standard for SMTP and email parsing

For detailed information about these dependencies and why they are necessary, see DEPENDENCIES.md.

Support

Issues: GitHub Issues
Discussions: GitHub Discussions
Email: [email protected]

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a list of changes and version history.

Acknowledgments

Built for the n8n community
Uses smtp-server for SMTP functionality
Uses mailparser for email parsing