8 Replies Latest reply on Jan 14, 2009 1:54 PM by rayshaus

    SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient

    rayshaus
    rayshaus Jan 12, 2009 12:17 PM

      Summary

      SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient

      Description of the issue

      I have Filemaker Pro 10 (trial version).  When I send emails to a group of people, every recipient receives about as many emails as the number of email addresses in the list.  For example if I have 20 emails in the list, every recipient receives at least 20 emails.  I set up small database with names, telephone numbers and email addresses.  In the Send Mail Dialog Box, I entered the following: Send via:  SMTP Server Create: (*)Multiple emails (one for each record in found set) TO: TABLENAME::FIELDNAME (where values are picked from the appropriate table name and fieldname). (checked) Collect addresses across found set.OK When I click OK, there is never any message that indicates the progress or how many emails are actually sent. Many of the emails in my list are my own emails or those of associates.  So for those, we know how many are received.  All email recipients receive at least as many emails as there were email addresses in the found set. Further, the first email to each recipient only show a single email to the one recipient.  All additional emails show the addresses of all recipients (which was not desirable). Does anyone else have this issue?  When I called tech support, they only directed me to Knowledge Base article 6991, which only states the obvious instructions.  It is not the solution to the problem.  Any help would be greatly appreciated as this was one feature that I needed in the package. TksRay  

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        • 1. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
          disabled_menno Jan 13, 2009 9:02 AM (in response to rayshaus)
            
          rayshaus wrote:

          TABLENAME::FIELDNAME (where values are picked from the appropriate table name and fieldname).

          should result in only one emailaddress per record and not all 20 in your list. Otherwise it should be fine:)


          • 2. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
            rayshaus
            rayshaus Jan 14, 2009 6:20 AM (in response to rayshaus)
               I do understand that it "should" only send one email to each address.  But it doesn't.  It sends hundreds (100's).  And I reported a bug, but Filemaker support doesn't want to spend enough energy to respond.  And when I call support, they can only direct me to the Knowledgebase article that shows the simple steps (that I have already followed).  There is a BIG problem here.  Surely it is not only happening to me.  Is anyone else successfully sending individual emails to a found list of addresses?
            • 3. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
              BruceR
              BruceR Jan 14, 2009 10:28 AM (in response to rayshaus)
                

              "Is anyone else successfully sending individual emails to a found list of addresses?"

               

              Probably not; because nobody is using it because of the garbage content problem. 

              • 4. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
                ssmith_1
                ssmith_1 Jan 14, 2009 10:59 AM (in response to rayshaus)
                  

                Unmark this checkbox:

                "(checked) Collect addresses across found set." 

                • 5. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
                  Tammy
                  Tammy Jan 14, 2009 11:04 AM (in response to rayshaus)
                     I am using this script in the purchased version of FileMaker Pro 10 and have no problem at all using the exact same setup for the script except one thing.  Do not check the box called "collect addresses across found set".  Having selected Multiple emails for each record should accomplish what you are trying to do.  Mine works great.  The only real bug so far is that it does not keep your BCC addresses actually blind.  I have reported that bug on this site.  Good Luck.
                  • 6. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
                    rayshaus
                    rayshaus Jan 14, 2009 12:30 PM (in response to rayshaus)
                      

                    I have tried unchecking the checkbox (use records across found set) already. 

                     

                    And I just opened Filemaker fresh again and did it.  If I leave the checkbox unchecked, I get an error window that says: "Email(s) could not be sent successfully."

                     

                    If I leave the field where I browse for the table and field names and check the check box, I also get the error "Email(s) could not be sent successfully." 

                     

                    I am only able to send emails when both the field for the table::fieldname has data AND the check box is checked to use records across the found set.  Then I get all the multiple emails to every recipient.

                     

                    I've read many online reviews of this new Filemaker 10 and they all state positive comments about Filemaker's use of its new internal SMTP component.  But apparently they are only reading the advertisement on the label.  From everything that I have seen, it doesn't work! 

                     

                     

                    • 7. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
                      Tammy
                      Tammy Jan 14, 2009 12:43 PM (in response to rayshaus)
                         It does work for several of my solutions and I use it daily without incident (Mac Leopard).  I do have data in the email address field across the entire found set.  However just a thought.  Are there any fields in the found set that do not have data in the field that contains the email address?  In that case it may be failing when it gets to an empty field.   I think I saw something about that somewhere.  If so, you can narrow your found set to not include the blanks and then try it.  Still I would not check the box that says "collect across found set".  FileMaker evens warns of this in their help section.  I hope this helps.  This is a great new function for my solutions and I have not had to purchase a plugin so I wish you luck.
                      • 8. Re: SMTP sends dozens of emails to each recipient
                        rayshaus
                        rayshaus Jan 14, 2009 1:54 PM (in response to rayshaus)
                          

                        OK, it does seem to work.  The error noted before appeared to be due to some "email" fields being blank.  So it did appear to send emails to the records with valid email addresses, even though we got the immediate error message indicated that email(s) could not be sent.

                         

                        I also quantified my data and found that the number of emails that everyone had received was equal to the number of records in the found set.  Thus we had set up a table with 5 records for which only 3 had email addresses (within our group).  All 3 email recipients received 5 emails (with the "TO" addresses of all 3 emails found).

                         

                        When the checkbox is unchecked, it did in fact send a single email to each email address found.  I guess the single email that was successful was just lost in the multitude of emails that were already coming from the same source.

                         

                        So appears the problem is fixed.  Just wish there were more warnings on this script screen about the pitfalls.

                         

                        Thanks to everyone.