SendEmail activity problem

Question

     I am using a SendEmail activity in a SharePoint workflow just before the workflow completes. It always gives me this text in the WorkflowHistory , and the email cannot be sent out.

 

       The e-mail message cannot be sent. Make sure the outgoing e-mail settings for the server are configured correctly.

 

       I am sure that the outgoing email settings in the Central Administration has been configured, because the CreateTask activity can actually send out task email. I gave values to the To, From, Subject in the code, and bind the Body to a workflow field. The CorrelationToken is set to the workflowToken. But it still doesn't work. Is there anything special I need to do?

 

 Thanks.

 

Answer 1

In theory you don't need to do anything special to make SendEmail work. It's probably worth checking the ULS logs to see if you can get a bit more info on what's actually going wrong.

That said, I've had enough difficulties with SendEmail that I usually use a custom code activity and the System.Net.Mail class instead.

Answer 2

Thanks. I think I will need to go sameway.

 

I have seen several complains in other places. Really hope Microsoft someday could give a detailed document on its sharepoint classes and class members instead of just a single sentence.

 

 

 

Answer 3

Hey I had this problem to.

 

Check out my post at http://spschris.blogspot.com/2008/03/e-mail-message-cannot-be-sent-make-sure.html

 

All you need to do is map global properties/fields in the SendEmail Activity properties window.  Then where your setting your properties programatically currently, just set the global fields value instead.  You can reuse these fields/properties over and over again for each workflow activity, unless you have simultaneous activities running in parallel.

 

Answer 4

Maybe this helps:

I'm sending email in a custom VSTO2005 workflow, using this code:

           SmtpClient client = new SmtpClient();
           client.Host = SmtpServer;
           client.Port = 25;
           client.DeliveryMethod = SmtpDeliveryMethod.Network;

           MailMessage myMailMessage = new MailMessage();
           myMailMessage.From = new MailAddress(fromEmail);
           myMailMessage.Subject = emailSubject;
           myMailMessage.Body = emailMessage;
           myMailMessage.To.Add(new MailAddress(toEmail));
           client.Send(myMailMessage);

(having declared fromEmail, emailSubject, emailMessage and toEmail as strings somewhere before...)

Hope this helps you somehow?

Answer 5

I found that the SPUtility.SendEmail( ) from the Microsoft.Sharepoint.Utilites namespace works best.  You only need one line of code, that's it:

Code Snippet

 

Using Microsoft.Sharepoint.Utilities;

 

SPUtility.SendEmail(this.workflowProperties.Web, true, false, contact.EmailAddress, "Task Completed", "Test Email");

 

 

 

 

Syntax:

SendEmail(SPWeb Web, bool fAppendHtmlTag, bool fHtmlEncode, string to, string subject, string htmlbody)

 

That way, you are assured you are using the Sharepoint outgoing email settings.

 

Bryant

Answer 6

Bryant...

You're the best :-)

I've been looking for that kind of function for a very very long time!

Thx man. It's obviously much easier!

 

Answer 7

Your welcome.  Just FYI, if you declare a string first and use it in the SendEmail method, you can easily send a custom HTML email message.  I have done this to send some fairly unique and detailed emails.

 

Bryant

 

Answer 8

 

Thank you Chris. This was the answer.

I did verify this does seem to be a nesting problem. My SendMail was inside an ifelse inside a CAG. When I moved it outside it worked. Your blog provided the answer.

Thank you very much!!!!

Answer 9

Hi.

Thanks a ton....for this answer.......

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jr software programmer