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Last updated: 27 Jan 2023

email-alert-api: Receive emails from Email Alert API in Integration and Staging

In order to test receiving real emails from Email Alert API we have configured Google groups for the integration and staging environments. Emails sent to addresses other than those of these groups will be written to a logfile.

In Integration

In Integration there is the Email Alert API Integration Google group. It has an email address of email-alert-api-integration@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.

This email is associated with an integration test user account, and the credentials are stored in govuk-secrets:

https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-secrets/tree/main/pass/2ndline/govuk-account/integration.gpg

This email address can be used to sign up to subscriptions on https://www.integration.publishing.service.gov.uk/.

In Staging

In Staging there is the Email Alert API Staging Google group. It has an email address of email-alert-api-staging@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.

This account can be used to sign up to subscriptions on https://www.staging.publishing.service.gov.uk/.

Please note: There is no staging environment for the govuk account. This means that you will not be able to test signing up on pages that have a single page notification button, as that flow requires creating or signing into a govuk account.

How to use

To use these Google groups you need to interact with the Email Alert system using the group email as your email address. For example, if you wanted to test receiving the content change alerts for travel advice, you can sign-up to receive travel advice with the group email address. Your next step would be to check the Google group for an email to confirm the subscription. Once confirmed, you can then publish a change in Travel Advice Publisher to generate the content change alert email.

If you are testing over multiple days, bear in mind that each night the databases in Integration and Staging are reset due to the data sync. This will mean that any test subscriptions you've created will be lost and you'll need to recreate them.

Troubleshooting

You might be prompted for http basic auth when you are passed through the account authentication process. If so, those credentials are listed in https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-secrets/tree/main/pass/2ndline/govuk-account/integration.gpg