alumni_lookup

Email Testing Guide — QA Checklist

Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 2026
Purpose: Comprehensive guide for testing all emails in the Alumni Lookup and Champion Portal applications

Development Email Setup
Champion Portal Emails
Lookup Portal Emails
Devise/Authentication Emails
Testing Checklist
Troubleshooting

1. Development Email Setup

Letter Opener (Development)

All emails in development are captured by Letter Opener and opened in your browser automatically.

View past emails:

tmp/letter_opener/

Clear all development emails:

rm -rf tmp/letter_opener/*

Staging/Production Email Delivery

Environment	Delivery Method	View Sent Emails
Development	Letter Opener (browser)	`tmp/letter_opener/`
Staging	Postmark	Postmark Dashboard
Production	Postmark	Postmark Dashboard

2. Champion Portal Emails

2.1 Notification Mailer (`Cp::NotificationMailer`)

These emails are triggered by the notification system (Phase 8.3).

Immediate Notification

Purpose: Send critical notifications immediately (e.g., messages, mentions, new events)

Trigger:

# Happens automatically when notification is created with digest_preference: :immediate
# Or manually:
notification = Cp::Notification.last
Cp::NotificationMailer.immediate_notification(notification).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Log in as a Champion with digest_preference: "immediate"
Have another user send them a message
Verify email is sent immediately with:
- Correct notification content
- Working “View” button link
- “Manage notification preferences” link in footer

Daily Digest

Purpose: Bundle multiple notifications into a single daily email (sent at 7am)

Trigger:

# Rails console - simulate daily digest
champion = Cp::Champion.find_by(email: "test@example.com")
notifications = champion.notifications.pending_email.limit(10)
Cp::NotificationMailer.daily_digest(champion, notifications, unread_threads: champion.unread_message_threads).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Create 3+ notifications for a Champion with digest_preference: "daily"
Run the rake task or console command above
Verify email contains:
- Grouped notifications by category
- Unread messages count (if any)
- Links to each notification source

Rake Tasks:

# Preview what would be sent (doesn't send email)
bin/rake "notifications:digests:preview_daily[email@example.com]"

# Send to a specific champion
bin/rake "notifications:digests:send_daily_to[email@example.com]"

# Send to all eligible champions
bin/rake notifications:digests:send_daily

Weekly Digest

Purpose: Weekly summary email with notifications, events, and stats (sent Monday 7am)

Trigger:

champion = Cp::Champion.find_by(email: "test@example.com")
notifications = champion.notifications.where("created_at > ?", 7.days.ago)
upcoming_events = Cp::Event.upcoming.limit(5)
week_stats = { new_champions: 5, messages_received: 3, posts_created: 2 }
Cp::NotificationMailer.weekly_digest(champion, notifications, upcoming_events: upcoming_events, week_stats: week_stats).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Champion must have digest_preference: "weekly"
Run the command above
Verify email shows:
- Weekly notification summary
- Upcoming events section
- Community stats

Rake Tasks:

# Preview what would be sent (doesn't send email)
bin/rake "notifications:digests:preview_weekly[email@example.com]"

# Send to a specific champion
bin/rake "notifications:digests:send_weekly_to[email@example.com]"

# Send to all eligible champions (bypasses Monday check)
bin/rake notifications:digests:send_weekly

Verification Pending Notification

Purpose: Notify Champion their verification is being processed

Trigger:

champion = Cp::Champion.find(id)
notification = champion.notifications.create!(
  notifiable_type: "Cp::Champion",
  notifiable_id: champion.id,
  category: "account",
  title: "Verification in Progress"
)
Cp::NotificationMailer.verification_pending_notification(notification).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

This is auto-sent when Champion completes signup
Verify email contains:
- “We’re reviewing your account”
- Expected timeline
- What to expect next

Verification Approved Notification

Purpose: Welcome email when Champion is verified

Trigger:

# Happens automatically when admin verifies a Champion
# Or manually:
champion = Cp::Champion.find(id)
notification = champion.notifications.where(category: "account").last
Cp::NotificationMailer.verification_approved_notification(notification).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

In Admin: Verify a pending Champion
Verify welcome email contains:
- Celebratory message 🎉
- Link to directory
- Getting started tips

Support Reply Notification

Purpose: Notify Champion when staff replies to their support thread

Trigger:

notification = Cp::Notification.where(category: "support").last
Cp::NotificationMailer.support_reply_notification(notification).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Create a support thread as a CL
Have staff reply from Lookup Portal
Verify Champion receives email with:
- Reply preview
- Link to thread

Community Leader Assigned Notification

Purpose: Notify Champion when they’re assigned as a Community Leader

Trigger:

notification = Cp::Notification.where(category: "community_leader").last
Cp::NotificationMailer.community_leader_assigned_notification(notification).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

In Admin: Assign a Champion as CL for a community
Verify they receive email with:
- Community name
- CL responsibilities
- Link to CL dashboard

2.2 Community Mailer (`Cp::CommunityMailer`)

Join Request Submitted (to Engagement Team)

Purpose: Notify staff when a Champion requests to join a community

Trigger:

join_request = Cp::JoinRequest.last
Cp::CommunityMailer.join_request_submitted(join_request).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Log in as Champion
Request to join a private community
Verify Engagement Team receives email with:
- Champion name and community
- One-click approve/deny links

Join Request Approved

Purpose: Notify Champion their join request was approved

Trigger:

join_request = Cp::JoinRequest.last
Cp::CommunityMailer.join_request_approved(join_request).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Approve a pending join request
Verify Champion receives email with:
- Welcome message
- Link to community

Join Request Denied

Purpose: Notify Champion their join request was denied

Trigger:

join_request = Cp::JoinRequest.where(status: "denied").last
Cp::CommunityMailer.join_request_denied(join_request).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Deny a pending join request
Verify Champion receives polite denial email

Member Removed

Purpose: Notify Champion when removed from a community

Trigger:

membership = Cp::CommunityMembership.last
Cp::CommunityMailer.member_removed(membership).deliver_now

2.3 Moderation Mailer (`Cp::ModerationMailer`)

Content Auto-Hidden

Purpose: Notify Community Leader when content is auto-hidden due to flags

Trigger:

leader = Cp::Champion.community_leaders.first
content = Cp::BoardPost.hidden.last
community = content.board.community
Cp::ModerationMailer.content_auto_hidden(leader: leader, content: content, community: community, flag_count: 3).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Flag a post/comment multiple times until auto-hidden
Verify CL receives email with:
- Content preview
- Flag summary
- Link to moderation queue

Content Escalated

Purpose: Notify Engagement Team when CL escalates content

Trigger:

content = Cp::BoardPost.last
community = content.board.community
escalated_by = Cp::Champion.community_leaders.first
Cp::ModerationMailer.content_escalated(content: content, community: community, escalated_by: escalated_by, notes: "Needs review").deliver_now

Testing Steps:

As CL, escalate flagged content
Verify Engagement Team receives email with:
- CL notes
- Content preview
- Link to content

2.4 Support Thread Mailer (`Cp::SupportThreadMailer`)

New Thread Notification (to Staff)

Purpose: Notify support responders when CL creates support thread

Trigger:

support_thread = Cp::SupportThread.last
Cp::SupportThreadMailer.new_thread_notification(support_thread).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

As CL, create a support thread
Verify staff with can_support_respond: true receive email

Staff Reply Notification (to Champion)

Purpose: Notify CL when staff replies to their support thread

Trigger:

thread = Cp::SupportThread.last
message = thread.messages.last
Cp::SupportThreadMailer.staff_reply_notification(thread, message).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Staff replies to support thread in Lookup Portal
Verify CL receives notification email

2.5 Admin Notification Mailer (`Cp::AdminNotificationMailer`)

Purpose: Notify admins when new Champion signs up

Trigger:

champion = Cp::Champion.last
Cp::AdminNotificationMailer.new_champion_signup(champion).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Complete Champion signup flow
Verify admins receive notification with:
- Champion details
- Link to verification queue

Weekly Admin Digest

Purpose: Weekly summary of Champion Portal activity for staff

Trigger:

user = User.admin.first
Cp::AdminNotificationMailer.weekly_digest(user, period_start: 1.week.ago, period_end: Time.current).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Run digest command
Verify email shows:
- New signups count
- Verification stats
- Activity metrics

2.6 Champion Mailer (`Cp::ChampionMailer`)

Champion Invite

Purpose: Invite someone to become a Champion

Trigger:

inviter = Cp::Champion.verified.first
Cp::ChampionMailer.invite(inviter: inviter, recipient_email: "friend@example.com", personal_note: "Join us!").deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Use “Invite a Champion” feature
Verify invite email contains:
- Inviter’s name
- Personal note
- Signup link

2.7 Message Mailer (`MessageMailer`)

New Message Notification

Purpose: Notify Champion of new direct message

Trigger:

message = Cp::Message.last
recipient = message.thread.participants.where.not(champion_id: message.sender_id).first.champion
MessageMailer.new_message_notification(message: message, recipient: recipient).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Send a message to another Champion
Verify recipient receives email with:
- Sender name
- Message preview
- Reply link

2.8 Feedback Mailer (`Cp::FeedbackMailer`)

Beta Feedback

Purpose: Send user feedback to the team

Trigger:

champion = Cp::Champion.first
Cp::FeedbackMailer.beta_feedback(champion: champion, feedback_type: "bug", message: "Test feedback", page_url: "/dashboard").deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Use the feedback widget in Champion Portal
Submit bug/feature/question feedback
Verify team receives email with:
- Feedback type
- User message
- Page URL
- Champion info

2.9 Champion Signup Mailer (`ChampionSignupMailer`)

Welcome Email

Purpose: Welcome new Champion after signup (legacy flow)

Trigger:

signup = ChampionSignup.last
ChampionSignupMailer.welcome_email(signup).deliver_now

Admin Notification

Purpose: Notify admins of new signup (legacy flow)

Trigger:

signup = ChampionSignup.last
ChampionSignupMailer.admin_notification(signup).deliver_now

3. Lookup Portal Emails

User Mailer (`UserMailer`)

OTP Email

Purpose: Send one-time verification code

Trigger:

user = User.first
UserMailer.otp_email(user).deliver_now

Testing Steps:

Trigger OTP verification flow
Verify email contains:
- 6-digit code
- Expiration info

4. Devise/Authentication Emails

Password Reset

Trigger: Click “Forgot Password” on login page

Confirmation Email

Trigger: New user signup (if confirmable enabled)

Unlock Instructions

Trigger: Account locked after failed attempts

5. Testing Checklist

Pre-Release Email QA

For each email type, verify:

Check	Description
☐ Subject Line	Clear, correct, includes relevant context
☐ From Address	Correct domain (alumnichampions.com vs alumnilookup.com)
☐ Reply-To	Set correctly (usually alumni@belmont.edu)
☐ Recipient	Correct person receives the email
☐ Content	All personalization tokens render correctly
☐ Links	All links work and go to correct domain
☐ Mobile	Email renders well on mobile
☐ Footer	Includes unsubscribe/preferences link

Quick Smoke Test

Run this in console to test all mailers compile:

# Test all mailers can be instantiated (doesn't send)
[
  -> { Cp::NotificationMailer },
  -> { Cp::CommunityMailer },
  -> { Cp::ModerationMailer },
  -> { Cp::SupportThreadMailer },
  -> { Cp::AdminNotificationMailer },
  -> { Cp::ChampionMailer },
  -> { Cp::FeedbackMailer },
  -> { MessageMailer },
  -> { ChampionSignupMailer },
  -> { UserMailer }
].each { |m| puts "#{m.call.name}: OK" }

6. Troubleshooting

Email Not Sending

Check delivery method:

Rails.application.config.action_mailer.delivery_method
# Should be :letter_opener in dev, :postmark in prod

Check Postmark API key:
```
ENV['POSTMARK_API_TOKEN'].present?
```

Check logs:

tail -f log/development.log | grep -i mail

Links Going to Wrong Domain

Check default_url_options in the mailer. Champion Portal mailers should use:

{ host: "alumnichampions.com", protocol: "https" }

Missing Environment Variables

Required for production:

POSTMARK_API_TOKEN
MAILER_FROM_ADDRESS
CHAMPION_PORTAL_HOST
LOOKUP_PORTAL_HOST

Quick Reference: Console Commands

# Find recent emails by type
Cp::Notification.where(category: "message").order(created_at: :desc).limit(5)

# Check Champion's notification preferences
champion = Cp::Champion.find_by(email: "...")
champion.notification_settings

# Preview an email in console
mail = Cp::NotificationMailer.immediate_notification(Cp::Notification.last)
puts mail.body.encoded

Quick Reference: Rake Tasks

Note: In zsh, you must quote rake tasks with brackets to avoid glob expansion errors.

# List all champions with digest notifications configured
bin/rake notifications:digest_recipients

# Preview digests (doesn't send email)
bin/rake "notifications:digests:preview_daily[email@example.com]"
bin/rake "notifications:digests:preview_weekly[email@example.com]"

# Send digests to specific champion
bin/rake "notifications:digests:send_daily_to[email@example.com]"
bin/rake "notifications:digests:send_weekly_to[email@example.com]"

# Send digests to all eligible champions
bin/rake notifications:digests:send_daily
bin/rake notifications:digests:send_weekly

Document maintained by Engineering team. Update when new mailers are added.

alumni_lookup

Email Testing Guide — QA Checklist

Table of Contents

1. Development Email Setup

Letter Opener (Development)

Staging/Production Email Delivery

2. Champion Portal Emails

2.1 Notification Mailer (Cp::NotificationMailer)

Immediate Notification

Daily Digest

Weekly Digest

Verification Pending Notification

Verification Approved Notification

Support Reply Notification

Community Leader Assigned Notification

2.2 Community Mailer (Cp::CommunityMailer)

Join Request Submitted (to Engagement Team)

Join Request Approved

Join Request Denied

Member Removed

2.3 Moderation Mailer (Cp::ModerationMailer)

Content Auto-Hidden

Content Escalated

2.4 Support Thread Mailer (Cp::SupportThreadMailer)

New Thread Notification (to Staff)

Staff Reply Notification (to Champion)

2.5 Admin Notification Mailer (Cp::AdminNotificationMailer)

New Champion Signup

Weekly Admin Digest

2.6 Champion Mailer (Cp::ChampionMailer)

Champion Invite

2.7 Message Mailer (MessageMailer)

New Message Notification

2.8 Feedback Mailer (Cp::FeedbackMailer)

Beta Feedback

2.9 Champion Signup Mailer (ChampionSignupMailer)

Welcome Email

Admin Notification

3. Lookup Portal Emails

User Mailer (UserMailer)

OTP Email

4. Devise/Authentication Emails

Password Reset

Confirmation Email

Unlock Instructions

5. Testing Checklist

Pre-Release Email QA

Quick Smoke Test

6. Troubleshooting

Email Not Sending

Links Going to Wrong Domain

Missing Environment Variables

Quick Reference: Console Commands

Quick Reference: Rake Tasks

2.1 Notification Mailer (`Cp::NotificationMailer`)

2.2 Community Mailer (`Cp::CommunityMailer`)

2.3 Moderation Mailer (`Cp::ModerationMailer`)

2.4 Support Thread Mailer (`Cp::SupportThreadMailer`)

2.5 Admin Notification Mailer (`Cp::AdminNotificationMailer`)

2.6 Champion Mailer (`Cp::ChampionMailer`)

2.7 Message Mailer (`MessageMailer`)

2.8 Feedback Mailer (`Cp::FeedbackMailer`)

2.9 Champion Signup Mailer (`ChampionSignupMailer`)

User Mailer (`UserMailer`)