A Run Receipt for Disposable Email Tests

Description and use

Run receipts for disposable email tests streamline debugging by recording essential events in a concise JSON file without storing secrets.

Problem

Email tests often fail with ambiguous diagnostics, making debugging slow and error‑prone.

Outcome

The run receipt reduces debugging time by providing a concise, non‑sensitive record of email test execution, linking mailbox, logs, and CI run via run_id.

Workflow

• Create a disposable email address and record mailbox in receipt
• Submit signup or password‑reset form
• Poll for email, updating receipt with attempts and final status
• If email arrives, record message ID and link state; if not, record timeout/not‑found/provider‑error
• Upload receipt as CI artifact on failure (and optionally on success)
• Clean up mailbox after test
• Use run_id to correlate receipt with logs and traces

Evidence

Email tests often fail in the least helpful way: the browser says that verification never arrived, while the CI log only says that an assertion timed out.

Source

The receipt should be uploaded as a CI artifact on failure and, optionally, on success for a short retention period.

Source

The run_id is the important field. It connects the mailbox, application logs, browser trace, and CI job.

Source