Development Standards
Checklist

Gmail Integration Checklist

App Passwords, Django config per environment, daily limits, when to switch to SendGrid.

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Run this checklist when using Gmail SMTP for sending email (dev/internal/low-volume tools).

Standard: Gmail Standard

1. Decision — Is Gmail Appropriate?

[ ] Confirmed this is NOT a production app sending to real users at scale [ ] Confirmed daily volume is well within Gmail limits (< 500/day personal, < 2000/day Workspace) [ ] Confirmed this is for: development, internal tool, admin notifications, or staging only [ ] If any of the above are not true — switch to SendGrid before proceeding

2. Gmail Account

[ ] Using a dedicated Gmail/Workspace account for the app — not a personal email [ ] 2-Step Verification is enabled on the account (required for App Passwords)

3. Authentication

[ ] App Password generated (if using SMTP): 16-character password from Google Security settings [ ] App Password stored in environment variable: GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD [ ] App Password NOT committed to version control [ ] Main account password NOT used as EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD anywhere in code

4. Django Configuration

[ ] EMAIL_BACKEND set correctly per environment:

  • Local: console.EmailBackend or filebased.EmailBackend (no real sending)
  • Staging: MailHog/MailPit (catches emails without sending)
  • Internal production: smtp.EmailBackend with Gmail SMTP credentials

[ ] EMAIL_HOST = 'smtp.gmail.com' [ ] EMAIL_PORT = 587 [ ] EMAIL_USE_TLS = True [ ] EMAIL_HOST_USER set from environment variable [ ] EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD set from environment variable (App Password, not main password)

5. Environment Variables

[ ] GMAIL_USER set in environment [ ] GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD set in environment [ ] No credentials in settings files, config files, or source code

6. Limits and Monitoring

[ ] Current daily email volume tracked (stay under limit) [ ] If volume grows close to limit: SendGrid migration planned

7. When to Switch

[ ] Team knows the trigger to switch to SendGrid:

  • Approaching 500/day limit
  • Sending to external/real users
  • Need email analytics or deliverability tracking
  • Emails landing in spam

Standard: Gmail Standard