Sending an email using Python

Question

I'm trying to send myself an email using Python's smtplib module. Here's the code I'm trying to execute:

import smtplib

sender = '[email protected]'
receivers = ['[email protected]']

message = """From: From Person <[email protected]>
To: To Person <[email protected]>
Subject: SMTP e-mail test

This is a test e-mail message.
"""
try:
   smtpObj = smtplib.SMTP('smtp.gmail.com', 587)
   smtpObj.sendmail(sender, receivers, message)         
   print "Successfully sent email"
except smtplib.SMTPException:
   print "Error: unable to send email"

However, I get a 'Error:unable to send email' message when I try to execute this script. What seems to be wrong with my script?

Probably because you're missing a `smtpObj.login(username, password)` before the `.sendmail`? — Jon Clements, Jan 18 '15 at 13:27
related: [Sending mail error with python smtplib](http://stackoverflow.com/a/20787826/4279) — jfs, Jan 18 '15 at 13:48

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 18 '15 at 13:27

2

You did not login and you did not start the connection with smtpObj.starttls().

answered Jan 18 '15 at 13:27

Malik Brahimi

16,341
7
39
70

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 18 '15 at 13:43

To add on to what @Malik says, below are the steps you need to perform before you'll be able to do anything with GMail (provided less secure apps can access your account, see below).

conn = SMTP('smtp.gmail.com',587)
conn.ehlo()
conn.starttls()
conn.ehlo()
conn.login(username,pwd)
conn.sendmail(username, emailID, message)

Note that after recent changes to GMail, you'll need to explicitly allow less secure apps to access your account. GMail would block your request to login until you enable it. Link to enable less secure apps to access: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255?hl=en

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 18 '15 at 13:49

Gmail wouldn't let you send an unauthenticated email from an account. Instead, use the Gmail API to send emails. Some useful links below:

Authentication: https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/auth/web-server
Email: https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/guides/sending

Sending an email using Python

3 Answers3