How to Configure Email Notifications in Redmine

Redmine can send email notifications for issue updates, assignments, due dates, and project activity. This guide explains why the installer does not configure email and how to set it up yourself after installation.

1. Why the Installer Does Not Configure Email

Sending email requires SMTP credentials: a mail server address, port, username, and password. These are sensitive authentication details that grant access to send messages on behalf of your organization.

The Redmine 1-Click wizard deliberately does not ask for SMTP credentials during setup. Collecting them would mean transmitting and temporarily storing mail server passwords on our infrastructure, which is an unnecessary security risk. Instead, you configure email directly on your server, where the credentials never leave your control.

The installer creates the configuration file with default (empty) email settings. Redmine will work normally without email — notifications simply won't be sent until you complete this step.

2. The Configuration File

Email settings are defined in a single YAML file inside your Redmine installation directory:

/opt/redmine/config/configuration.yml

If you chose a custom install path in the wizard, replace /opt/redmine with the path you selected.

The installer copies this file from the Redmine default template (configuration.yml.example). Open it with any text editor:

sudo nano /opt/redmine/config/configuration.yml

3. SMTP Configuration

Add the following block under the production section of the file. Replace the placeholder values with your actual SMTP provider details:

# /opt/redmine/config/configuration.yml production: email_delivery: delivery_method: :smtp smtp_settings: address: "smtp.example.com" port: 587 domain: "example.com" authentication: :login user_name: "your-email@example.com" password: "your-smtp-password" enable_starttls_auto: true
YAML is indentation-sensitive. Use exactly 2 spaces per level — never tabs. Incorrect indentation will prevent Redmine from reading the file.

Common SMTP providers

Here are the typical settings for popular email services:

Provider Address Port Notes
Gmail / Google Workspace smtp.gmail.com 587 Requires an App Password (not your regular password)
Microsoft 365 / Outlook smtp.office365.com 587 Use your full email address as user_name
Amazon SES email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com 587 Use SMTP credentials from the SES console (not IAM keys)
Mailgun / SendGrid See provider dashboard 587 Recommended for high-volume Redmine instances

4. Set the Sender Address

In the same configuration.yml file, you can define the default "From" address that appears in notification emails. Add this line at the same level as email_delivery:

production: email_delivery: # ... smtp_settings as above ... default_headers: 'X-Mailer': 'Redmine'

You can also set the emission address from the Redmine web interface: go to Administration → Settings → Email notifications and fill in the Emission email address field (e.g. redmine@example.com).

5. Restart and Test

After saving the file, restart the application server so Redmine picks up the new configuration. The command depends on your web server stack:

Apache + Passenger

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Nginx + Passenger

sudo systemctl restart nginx

To verify that email is working, go to Administration → Settings → Email notifications in Redmine and click Send a test email. If the test email arrives, notifications are configured correctly.

If the test email does not arrive, check:
  • YAML indentation (spaces, not tabs).
  • Correct SMTP credentials and port.
  • Firewall rules: port 587 (or 465) must be open for outbound connections.
  • Redmine log for errors: sudo tail -50 /opt/redmine/log/production.log

6. Notification Preferences

Once email delivery is working, each user can customize which notifications they receive from their My account page. Administrators can set global defaults under Administration → Settings → Email notifications, including:

  • Which events trigger notifications (issue created, updated, closed, etc.).
  • Whether to notify the author of their own changes.
  • The default notification scheme for new users.