SQL Server Database Mail to send email using your Windows Live Mail Account or your GMail Account

This post comes as a response to requests from many of our customers, who want to know the step by step process on how to configure SQL Server Database Mail to send emails using their Windows Live Mail Account or their Gmail Account.

If you are using SQL Server 2005 or higher, you might have noticed that there is now a "Database Mail" (DB Mail) option under "Management". This is very different from the "SQL Mail" that we had on previous versions (it still exists under Management\Legacy). Using DB Mail, you no longer have to configure a mailbox on your machine, and you certainly do not need to run the SQL Server or the SQL Server Agent under the account you want to send emails from. Moreover, you can have multiple mail profiles and you can decide which account to use under various conditions.

So, here we go on the steps to configure DB Mail:

1. Right-Click on Database Mail and choose Configure Database Mail.
   
   
   
2. This starts the Database Mail Configuration Wizard. Click Next.
3. In the Select Configuration Task screen, choose "Set up Database Mail by performing the following tasks:" and click "Next".
   
   
   
4. Now, you will be required to enter a Profile Name. This can be any Arbitrary Name that will help you identify the Profile. You might also want to add a Description. Now, click on Add.
   
   
   
5. Now, you are prompted to create a New Database Mail Account. Enter any Account Name and Description. The other parameters are as follows:
   
   • For configuring Windows Live Mail:
     
     Email address: Your Live e-mail ID
     Display name: Your name
     Reply e-mail: Any reply-to email account
     Server name: smtp.live.com
     Port number: 25
     This server requires a secure connection (SSL): Checked ON
     
     In the next section, choose Basic Authentication and enter the following information:
     User name: Your Live e-mail ID
     Password: Password for your Live e-mail ID
     Confirm password: Password for your Live e-mail ID
     
     The configuration should look like the screenshot below. Now, click OK.
     
     
     
   • For configuring Google Mail (Gmail):
     
     

     Email address: Your Gmail ID
     Display name: Your name
     Reply e-mail: Any reply-to email account
     Server name: smtp.gmail.com
     Port number: 587
     This server requires a secure connection (SSL): Checked ON
     (Settings looked up from Gmail Help)
     
     In the next section, choose Basic Authentication and enter the following information:
     User name: Your gmail ID
     Password: Password for your gmail ID
     Confirm password: Password for your gmail ID
     
     The configuration should look like the screenshot below. Now, click OK.
     
     
     

6. Back on the New Profile screen, click Next. The next Manage Profile Security screen allows you to set the Public Profiles, the Private Profiles and the Default Profiles for each of the Public and Private Profiles.
   
   
   
7. Click Next. This will move us to the Configure System Parameters screen. You may want to tweak the parameters; however, for demonstration purposes, we will keep these as default. Now, click Next.
   
   
   
8. In the Complete the Wizard screen, review the parameters and click Finish. Ensure that all the 5 Actions succeed and then click Close.
   
   
   
9. Your DB Mail should now be configured successfully and you should be all setup to send emails using DB Mail. But before we confirm success, we will like to send a test email and confirm receipt. To do that, right-click on Database Mail and choose Send Test E-Mail…
   
   
   
10. Enter a To: email id and click Send Test E-Mail.
    
    
    
11. You should receive the email in a few seconds. If you have received the email, you have been able to configure DB Mail successfully, and you can now start using DB Mail.

Hope this post will be helpful.