[role="xpack"]
[[actions-email]]
=== Watcher email action
++++
<titleabbrev>Email action</titleabbrev>
++++

Use the `email` action to send email notifications. To send email, you must
<<configuring-email, configure at least one email account>> in
`elasticsearch.yml`.

Email notifications can be plain text or styled using HTML. You can include
information from the watch execution payload using <<templates, templates>>
and attach the entire watch payload to the message.

See <<email-action-attributes>> for the supported attributes. Any attributes that
are missing from the email action definition are looked up in the email
account configuration. The required attributes must either be set in the email
action definition or the account's `email_defaults`.

[[configuring-email-actions]]
==== Configuring email actions

You configure email actions in the `actions` array. Action-specific attributes
are specified using the `email` keyword.

For example, the following email action uses a template to include data from
the watch payload in the email body:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
"actions" : {
  "send_email" : { <1>
    "email" : { <2>
      "to" : "username@example.org", <3>
      "subject" : "Watcher Notification", <4>
      "body" : "{{ctx.payload.hits.total}} error logs found" <5>
    }
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------
// NOTCONSOLE
<1> The id of the action.
<2> The action type is set to `email`.
<3> One or more addresses to send the email to. Must be specified in the
    action definition or in the email account configuration.
<4> The subject of the email can contain static text and Mustache <<templates,
    templates>>.
<5> The body of the email can contain static text and Mustache <<templates,
     templates>>. Must be specified in the action definition or in the email
     account configuration.

[[configuring-email-attachments]]
==== Configuring email attachments

You can attach the execution context payload or data from an any HTTP service to
the email notification. There is no limit on the number of attachments you can
configure.

To configure attachments, specify a name for the attached file and the type of
attachment: `data`, `http` or `reporting`. The `data` attachment type attaches the execution
context payload to the email message. The `http` attachment type enables
you to issue an HTTP request and attach the response to the email message. When
configuring the `http` attachment type, you must specify the request URL. The
`reporting` attachment type is a special type to include PDF rendered dashboards
from kibana. This type is consistently polling the kibana app if the dashboard
rendering is done, preventing long running HTTP connections, that are potentially
killed by firewalls or load balancers in-between.

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
"actions" : {
  "email_admin" : {
    "email": {
      "to": "John Doe <john.doe@example.com>",
      "attachments" : {
        "my_image.png" : { <1>
          "http" : { <2>
            "content_type" : "image/png",
            "request" : {
              "url": "http://example.org/foo/my-image.png" <3>
            }
          }
        },
        "dashboard.pdf" : {
          "reporting" : {
            "url": "http://example.org:5601/api/reporting/generate/dashboard/Error-Monitoring"
          }
        },
        "data.yml" : {
          "data" : {
            "format" : "yaml" <4>
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------
// NOTCONSOLE
<1> The ID of the attachment, which is used as the file name in the email
    attachment.
<2> The type of the attachment and its specific configuration.
<3> The URL from which to retrieve the attachment.
<4> Data attachments default to JSON if you don't specify the format.

.`http` attachment type attributes
[options="header"]
|=====
| Name            | Description
| `content_type`  | Sets the content type for the email attachment. By default,
                    the content type is extracted from the response sent by the
                    HTTP service. You can explicitly specify the content type to
                    ensure that the type is set correctly in the email in case
                    the response does not specify the content type or it's specified
                    incorrectly. Optional.
| `inline`        | Configures as an attachment to sent with disposition `inline`. This
                    allows the use of embedded images in HTML bodies, which are displayed
                    in certain email clients. Optional. Defaults to `false`.
| `request`       | Contains the HTTP request attributes. At a minimum, you must
                    specify the `url` attribute to configure the host and path to
                    the service endpoint. See <<webhook-action-attributes>> for
                    the full list of HTTP request attributes. Required.
|=====

.`data` attachment type attributes
[options="header"]
|======
| Name        | Description
| `format`    | Attaches the watch data, equivalent to specifying `attach_data`
                in the watch configuration. Possible values are `json` or `yaml`.
                Defaults to `json` if not specified.
|======


.`reporting` attachment type attributes
[options="header"]
|======
| Name            | Description
| `url`           | The URL to trigger the dashboard creation
| `inline`        | Configures as an attachment to sent with disposition `inline`. This
                    allows the use of embedded images in HTML bodies, which are displayed
                    in certain email clients. Optional. Defaults to `false`.
| `retries`       | The reporting attachment type tries to poll regularly to receive the
                    created PDF. This configures the number of retries. Defaults to `40`.
                    The setting `xpack.notification.reporting.retries` can be configured
                    globally to change the default.
| `interval`      | The time to wait between two polling tries. Defaults to `15s` (this
                    means, by default watcher tries to download a dashboard for 10 minutes,
                    forty times fifteen seconds). The setting `xpack.notification.reporting.interval`
                    can be configured globally to change the default.
| `request.auth`  | Additional auth configuration for the request
| `request.proxy` | Additional proxy configuration for the request
|======


[[email-action-reports]]
===== Attaching reports to an email

You can use the `reporting` attachment type in an `email` action to automatically
generate a Kibana report and distribute it via email.

See {kibana-ref}/automating-report-generation.html[Automating report generation].

[[email-action-attributes]]
==== Email action attributes

[cols=",^,,", options="header"]
|======
| Name                  |Required   | Default             | Description

| `account`             | no        | the default account | The <<configuring-email, email account>> to use to send the email.

| `from`                | no        | -                   | The email <<email-address,address>> from which the email
                                                            will be sent. The `from` field can contain Mustache
                                                            <<templates, templates>> as long as it resolves to a
                                                            valid email address.

| `to`                  | yes       | -                   | The email <<email-address,addresses>> of the `to` recipients.
                                                            The `to` field can contain Mustache <<templates, templates>>
                                                            as long as it resolves to a valid email address.

| `cc`                  | no        | -                   | The email <<email-address,addresses>> of the `cc` recipients.
                                                            The `cc` field can contain Mustache <<templates, templates>>
                                                            as long as it resolves to a valid email address.

| `bcc`                 | no        | -                   | The email <<email-address,addresses>> of the `bcc` recipients.
                                                            The `bcc` field can contain Mustache <<templates, templates>>
                                                            as long as it resolves to a valid email address.

| `reply_to`            | no        | -                   | The email <<email-address,addresses>> that will be set on the
                                                            message's `Reply-To` header. The `reply_to` field can contain
                                                            Mustache <<templates, templates>> as long as it resolves to
                                                            a valid email address.

| `subject`             | no        | -                   | The subject of the email. The subject can be static text or
                                                            contain Mustache <<templates, templates>>.

| `body`                | no        | -                   | The body of the email. When this field holds a string, it
                                                            will default to the text body of the email. Set as an object
                                                            to specify either the text or the html body or both (using
                                                            the fields below)

| `body.text`           | no       | -                   | The plain text body of the email. The body can be static text
                                                            or contain Mustache <<templates, templates>>.

| `body.html`           | no       | -                   | The html body of the email. The body can be static text or
                                                            contain Mustache <<templates, templates>>. This body will be
                                                            sanitized to remove dangerous content such as scripts. This
                                                            behavior can be disabled by setting
                                                            `xpack.notification.email.html.sanitization.enabled: false` in
                                                            `elasticsearch.yaml`.

| `priority`            | no        | -                   | The priority of this email. Valid values are: `lowest`, `low`,
                                                            `normal`, `high` and `highest`. The priority can contain a
                                                            Mustache <<templates, template>> as long as it resolves to
                                                            one of the valid values.

| `attachments`         | no        | -                   | Attaches the watch payload (`data` attachment) or a file
                                                            retrieved from an HTTP service (`http` attachment) to the
                                                            email. For more information, see
                                                            <<configuring-email-attachments, Configuring Email Attachments>>.

| `attach_data`         | no        | false               | Indicates whether the watch execution data should be attached
                                                            to the email. You can specify a Boolean value or an object.
                                                            If `attach_data` is set to  `true`, the data is attached as a
                                                            YAML file. This attribute is deprecated, use the `attachments`
                                                            attribute to add a `data` attachment to attach the watch payload.

| `attach_data.format`  | no        | yaml                | When `attach_data` is specified as an object, this field
                                                            controls the format of the attached data. The supported formats
                                                            are `json` and `yaml`. This attribute is deprecated, use the
                                                            `attachments` attribute to add a `data` attachment to attach
                                                            the watch payload.
|======

[[email-address]]
Email Address::
An email address can contain two possible parts--the address itself and an
optional personal name as described in http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc822.txt[RFC 822].
The address can be represented either as a string of the form `user@host.domain`
or `Personal Name <user@host.domain>`. You can also specify an email address as
an object that contains `name` and `address` fields.

[[address-list]]
Address List::
A list of addresses can be specified as a an
array: `[ 'Personal Name <user1@host.domain>', 'user2@host.domain' ]`.

[[configuring-email]]
==== Configuring email accounts

{watcher} can send email using any SMTP email service. Email
messages can contain basic HTML tags. You can control which groups of tags are
allowed by <<email-html-sanitization, Configuring HTML Sanitization Options>>.

You configure the accounts {watcher} can use to send email in the
`xpack.notification.email` namespace in `elasticsearch.yml`. 
The password for the specified SMTP user is stored securely in the
<<secure-settings, {es} keystore>>.

If your email account is configured to require two step verification, you need
to generate and use a unique App Password to send email from {watcher}.
Authentication will fail if you use your primary password.

[[email-profile]]
{watcher} provides three email profiles that control how MIME messages are
structured: `standard` (default), `gmail`, and `outlook`. These profiles
accommodate differences in how various email systems interpret the MIME
standard. If you are using Gmail or Outlook, we recommend using the
corresponding profile. Use the `standard` profile if you are using another
email system.

For more information about configuring {watcher} to work with different email
systems, see:

* <<gmail>>
* <<outlook>>
* <<exchange>>
* <<amazon-ses>>

If you configure multiple email accounts, you must either configure a default
account or specify which account the email should be sent with in the
<<actions-email,`email`>> action.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email:
  default_account: team1
  account:
    team1:
      ...
    team2:
      ...
--------------------------------------------------

[discrete]
[[gmail]]
===== Sending email from Gmail

Use the following email account settings to send email from the
https://mail.google.com[Gmail] SMTP service:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email.account:
    gmail_account:
        profile: gmail
        smtp:
            auth: true
            starttls.enable: true
            host: smtp.gmail.com
            port: 587
            user: <username>
--------------------------------------------------

To store the account SMTP password, use the keystore command
(see {ref}/secure-settings.html[secure settings])

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
bin/elasticsearch-keystore add xpack.notification.email.account.gmail_account.smtp.secure_password
--------------------------------------------------

If you get an authentication error that indicates that you need to continue the
sign-in process from a web browser when {watcher} attempts to send email, you need
to configure Gmail to https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255?hl=en[Allow
Less Secure Apps to access your account].

If two-step verification is enabled for your account, you must generate and use
a unique App Password to send email from {watcher}. See
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en[Sign in using App Passwords]
for more information.

[discrete]
[[outlook]]
===== Sending email from Outlook.com

Use the following email account settings to send email action from the
https://www.outlook.com/[Outlook.com] SMTP service:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email.account:
    outlook_account:
        profile: outlook
        smtp:
            auth: true
            starttls.enable: true
            host: smtp-mail.outlook.com
            port: 587
            user: <email.address>
--------------------------------------------------

To store the account SMTP password, use the keystore command
(see {ref}/secure-settings.html[secure settings])

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
bin/elasticsearch-keystore add xpack.notification.email.account.outlook_account.smtp.secure_password
--------------------------------------------------


When sending emails, you have to provide a from address, either a default one
in your account configuration or as part of the email action in the watch.

NOTE:   You need to use a unique App Password if two-step verification is enabled.
        See http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/app-passwords-two-step-verification[App
        passwords and two-step verification] for more information.

[discrete]
[[amazon-ses]]
===== Sending email from Amazon SES (Simple Email Service)

Use the following email account settings to send email from the
http://aws.amazon.com/ses[Amazon Simple Email Service] (SES) SMTP service:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email.account:
    ses_account:
        smtp:
            auth: true
            starttls.enable: true
            starttls.required: true
            host: email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com <1>
            port: 587
            user: <username>
--------------------------------------------------
<1> `smtp.host` varies depending on the region

To store the account SMTP password, use the keystore command
(see {ref}/secure-settings.html[secure settings])

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
bin/elasticsearch-keystore add xpack.notification.email.account.ses_account.smtp.secure_password
--------------------------------------------------

NOTE:   You need to use your Amazon SES SMTP credentials to send email through
        Amazon SES. For more information, see
        http://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/smtp-credentials.html[Obtaining
        Your Amazon SES SMTP Credentials]. You might also need to verify
        https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/verify-email-addresses.html[your email address]
        or https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/verify-domains.html[your whole domain]
        at AWS.

[discrete]
[[exchange]]
===== Sending email from Microsoft Exchange

Use the following email account settings to send email action from Microsoft
Exchange:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email.account:
    exchange_account:
        profile: outlook
        email_defaults:
            from: <email address of service account> <1>
        smtp:
            auth: true
            starttls.enable: true
            host: <your exchange server>
            port: 587
            user: <email address of service account> <2>
--------------------------------------------------
<1> Some organizations configure Exchange to validate that the `from` field is a
    valid local email account.
<2> Many organizations support use of your email address as your username, though
    it is a good idea to check with your system administrator if you receive
    authentication-related failures.

To store the account SMTP password, use the keystore command
(see {ref}/secure-settings.html[secure settings])

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
bin/elasticsearch-keystore add xpack.notification.email.account.exchange_account.smtp.secure_password
--------------------------------------------------

[discrete]
[[email-html-sanitization]]
===== Configuring HTML sanitization options

The `email` action supports sending messages with an HTML body. However, for
security reasons, {watcher} {wikipedia}/HTML_sanitization[sanitizes]
the HTML.

You can control which HTML features are allowed or disallowed by configuring the
`xpack.notification.email.html.sanitization.allow` and
`xpack.notification.email.html.sanitization.disallow` settings in
`elasticsearch.yml`. You can specify individual HTML elements and
{ref}/notification-settings.html#html-feature-groups[HTML feature groups]. By default, {watcher} allows the following
features: `body`, `head`, `_tables`, `_links`, `_blocks`, `_formatting` and
`img:embedded`.

For example, the following settings allow the HTML to contain tables and block
elements, but disallow  `<h4>`, `<h5>` and `<h6>` tags.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email.html.sanitization:
    allow: _tables, _blocks
    disallow: h4, h5, h6
--------------------------------------------------

To disable sanitization entirely, add the following setting to
`elasticsearch.yml`:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------
xpack.notification.email.html.sanitization.enabled: false
--------------------------------------------------
