Mail: Add send only SMTP account

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Question: How do I add a SMTP only e-mail account?

The Basics

  • Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x):

    • 31.0.9

  • Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):

    • Ubuntu

  • Web server and version (e.g, Apache 2.4.25):

    • ?

  • Reverse proxy and version _(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)

    • nginx 2.12.6

    PHP version (e.g, 8.3):

    • 8.3.26

  • Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):

    • now

  • When did this problem seem to first start?

    • now

  • Installation method (e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)

    • AIO (dockerized)

    Are you using CloudfIare, mod_security, or similar? (Yes / No)

    • Access only via Tailnet (with "pretty" subdomains managed by nginx).

Summary of the issue you are facing:

We have one user that requires a send only email account, that only requires the SMTP data to be supplied. I created a such with my email provider that also issued a specific token to add in the field password instead of the password. However, NC Mail “manual” requires IMAP to be set as well. I have tried adding the proper credentials username and “normal” password and the other imap data to the fields and also tried it with username and token for imap. None worked. Leaving the Imap fields entry greys out the button to add the account.

I have also tried using the “automatic” way of adding a mail account. Again, without luck.
Question: How do I add a SMTP only e-mail account?

Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):

  1. Authenticate with the user credentials for which the email account has to be added on login screen of Nextcloud

  2. Click on Mail icon, go to “Manual.”

  3. Enter credentials supplied by provider.

2

I would try to connect to an existing mail account, and then use this other smtp for the outgoing mail. Downside is, that you get the mails from this other account.

I don’t know if there are perhaps better work-arounds, or if you could easily modify this in the code…