Form2Mail

Form2Mail is a customizable tool designed to handle website contact form submissions via email using FastAPI and SMTP integration. It offers secure and efficient contact form processing, automatically sending emails upon form submission, and supports API key authentication for added security. This application is ideal for developers who need a reliable backend service for contact forms with customizable email sending capabilities.

About GOROMBO

This project is brought to you by GOROMBO, a premier provider of digital storefront solutions and custom software development. We specialize in creating powerful, flexible systems for businesses, including secure contact forms, POS systems, and AI-driven storefront management tools.

Visit us at GOROMBO.com to learn more about our products and services.

Stay connected with us:

• GOROMBO on Facebook

Key Features of Form2Mail

• FastAPI Contact Form Processing: Built with FastAPI for quick and efficient handling of contact form submissions.
• SMTP Email Delivery Integration: Sends emails using your SMTP server, allowing full control over email delivery.
• Custom Reply-To Functionality: Sets the submitter's email address as the "Reply-To", ensuring replies go directly to the user.
• API Key Authentication: Secures the contact form submission endpoint to prevent unauthorized access.
• Customizable Email Sender and Recipient: Easily adjust the sender's name, email address, and recipient details through environment variables.
• Error Handling: Provides detailed JSON responses for both successful submissions and error conditions.
• Easy Deployment: Simple installation and setup process, suitable for both local development and production environments.

Project Structure and Organization

This FastAPI contact form emailer is structured to ensure easy configuration and rapid deployment for developers building websites that need a customizable and secure contact form email service.

.
├── app
│   ├── models
│   │   └── contact.py          # Defines the Pydantic model for validating contact form inputs
│   ├── routes
│   │   └── contact.py          # Handles the contact form submissions via FastAPI's POST request
│   ├── services
│   │   └── email_service.py    # Sends emails using the configured SMTP server via aiosmtplib
│   ├── middleware
│   │   └── api_key_auth.py     # Middleware to protect the endpoint with API key authentication
│   └── config
│       └── settings.py         # Configuration file for application settings (e.g., allowed CORS origins)
├── installer.sh                # Bash script for setup and starting the application
├── requirements.txt            # Python dependencies for the project
├── venv/                       # Python virtual environment directory
├── .env                        # Environment variables for SMTP and API key settings
└── main.py                     # FastAPI application entry point

Installation and Setup

Follow these steps to get the Form2Mail running on your system.

Prerequisites

To run this contact form processing tool efficiently, you'll need:

• Python 3.8+
• pip (Python package installer)
• virtualenv (recommended but optional)
• Bash shell (for running the installer script)
• uvicorn and FastAPI (will be installed via requirements.txt)

Installation Steps

1. Clone the Repository

   Clone the repository to your local machine and navigate into the project directory.

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/contact-form-emailer.git
   cd contact-form-emailer

2. Configure Environment Variables

   Before running the installer, ensure that you have a .env file with the necessary configurations. If you don't have one, you can create it by renaming the .env.example file:

   mv .env.example .env

   Edit the .env file to match your SMTP server configuration:

   # SMTP Configuration
   SMTP_SERVER=mail.privateemail.com
   SMTP_PORT=465
   EMAIL_SENDER=[email protected]
   EMAIL_RECEIVER=[email protected]
   EMAIL_PASSWORD=your-password
   
   # API Key for Authentication
   API_KEY=your-api-key

3. Run the Installation Script

   Use the installer.sh script to set up the project. This script configures a virtual environment, installs the required dependencies, and starts the FastAPI server to process contact form submissions.

   ./installer.sh

   Note: The installer script not only sets up the environment but also starts the application. It will activate the virtual environment and run the server automatically.

4. Alternative Manual Setup (Optional)

   If you prefer to set up and start the application manually:

   • Create a Virtual Environment

     python3 -m venv venv
     source venv/bin/activate

   • Install Dependencies

     pip install -r requirements.txt

   • Run the FastAPI Application

     uvicorn main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 3081

Usage

Sending a Test Request

Once the application is running, you can send a POST request to the /send-email/ endpoint to test Form2Mail.

Example API Request Using cURL

curl -X POST http://localhost:3081/send-email/ \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'x-api-key: your-api-key' \
  -d '{
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "phone": "+1234567890",
    "subject": "Inquiry",
    "message": "This is a test message."
  }'

Example API Request Using JavaScript Fetch

const contactFormData = {
  name: 'John Doe',
  email: '[email protected]',
  phone: '+1234567890',
  subject: 'Contact Us',
  message: 'Hello, I would like more information about your services.'
}

fetch('http://localhost:3081/send-email/', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'x-api-key': 'your-api-key'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify(contactFormData)
})
  .then((response) => response.json())
  .then((data) => console.log('Success:', data))
  .catch((error) => console.error('Error:', error))

Example API Request Using Postman

• Method: POST

• URL: http://localhost:3081/send-email/

• Headers:

  • Content-Type: application/json
  • x-api-key: your-api-key

• Body: Raw JSON

  {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "phone": "+1234567890",
    "subject": "Inquiry",
    "message": "This is a test message."
  }

Response Format

• Success Response (Status Code: 200)

  {
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Message sent successfully"
  }

• Error Response (Status Code: 200 with Error Content)

  {
    "error": "Server Error",
    "message": "There was an issue sending your message. Please try again later."
  }

  Note: Even in the case of errors, the application returns a 200 OK status code with error details in the response body.

Benefits of Using Form2Mail

1. FastAPI Contact Form Processing: Leverage FastAPI for efficient and high-performance handling of contact form submissions.
2. SMTP Integration for Email Delivery: Use your own SMTP server settings for complete control over email delivery.
3. Secure Contact Form Submissions: Protect your API endpoint with API key authentication to prevent unauthorized access.
4. Customizable and Extensible: Easily adjust settings and extend functionalities to fit your specific needs.
5. Seamless Deployment: Simple setup allows for quick deployment in both development and production environments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How do I change the email sender name displayed in the emails?

A: You can customize the sender name in the email_service.py file by modifying the From header:

email_message["From"] = f"Your Custom Name <{EMAIL_SENDER}>"

Q: How do I enable SSL/TLS for SMTP?

A: Ensure that you set use_tls=True and start_tls=False in the send_email function if your SMTP server requires SSL/TLS (common for port 465).

Q: Can I add additional fields to the contact form?

A: Yes, you can modify the ContactForm model in app/models/contact.py to include additional fields, and adjust the email_service.py and contact.py accordingly.

Contributing to Form2Mail

If you're interested in contributing to Form2Mail, feel free to submit issues or pull requests. All contributions are welcome, and you can help improve this tool for the entire community.

Resources

• Latest Article

• Gorombo Software Development

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.