Sending n HTML email with SQL Server with a preview - sql-server

Question

I have coded an HTML email to send out through SQL Server. It is currently working however it automatically sends out. I am wondering if there is a way for me to review the email in the default client before it gets sent out?
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail #recipients = 'test#email.com'
, #subject = 'Action Item Test', #body = #body, #body_format='HTML', #reply_to = 'noreply#myserver.com'

Answer 1

I had same request while ago and I put the e-mails to table and sent an notification to reviewer.
It is not my area but if you have e-mail security services you can put your e-mail(which you use in msdb profile) as spam, you can review it and reject/release with no any other extra process. I have used mimecast. It hold all suspected e-mail on the server until you release them.
In my opinion it is not manageable if you do it manually, but if you still want to do it I have some script to you :
Basically : Create a table and put all e-mail details to that table which you want to review. It will send notification to you. If you are happy execute the latest procedure to release the e-mail.
--Create Reviews table
IF OBJECT_ID('EMailReviews') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE EMailReviews;
CREATE TABLE EMailReviews
(
Id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY(1,1)
--ProfileName?
,Recipients VARCHAR(MAX)
--,CopyRecipients VARCHAR(MAX)
,EMailSubject NVARCHAR(255)
,Body NVARCHAR(MAX)
,BodyFormat VARCHAR(20)
,ReplyTo VARCHAR(MAX)
,DateReceived DATETIME NOT NULL DEFAULT(SYSDATETIME())
,DateReviewed DATETIME
,Processed BIT NOT NULL DEFAULT(0)
);
--Create Procedure to insert the e-mail to review table and send notification to you.
IF OBJECT_ID('P_PutEMailToReviewQueue') IS NOT NULL
DROP PROCEDURE P_PutEMailToReviewQueue;
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE P_PutEMailToReviewQueue
#Recipients VARCHAR(MAX)
--,#CopyRecipients VARCHAR(MAX)
,#EMailSubject NVARCHAR(255)
,#Body NVARCHAR(MAX)
,#BodyFormat VARCHAR(20)
,#ReplyTo VARCHAR(MAX)
AS
DECLARE #Reviewer VARCHAR(100)='revieweremail#email.com' /*!!Put your e-mail to review!!*/
DECLARE #ReviewerEMailSubject NVARCHAR(MAX)=''
DECLARE #ReviewerEMailBody NVARCHAR(MAX)=''
--Put validations if necessary
INSERT INTO EMailReviews(Recipients,EMailSubject,Body,BodyFormat,ReplyTo)
VALUES (#Recipients,#EMailSubject,#Body,#BodyFormat,#ReplyTo)
DECLARE #Id VARCHAR(100)=CAST(SCOPE_IDENTITY()AS VARCHAR)
SET #ReviewerEMailBody = 'E-Mail Information below:'
+'<br>'
+'ID='+#Id
+'<br>'
+'Subject:'+ISNULL(#EMailSubject,'')
+'<br>'
+'Body:'+ISNULL(#Body,'')
+'<br>'
+'Recipients:'+ISNULL(#Recipients,'')
+'<br>'
+'ReplyTo:'+ISNULL(#ReplyTo,'')
+'<br>'
+'<br>'
+'<br>'
+'<br>'
+'After your review if you want to release the e-mail you need to run following script:'
+'<br>'
+'P_ReleaseEmail #Id ='+#Id
SET #ReviewerEMailSubject = 'Number '+#Id+' e-mail has been recieved. Review required!'
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail
#recipients = #Reviewer
, #subject = #ReviewerEMailSubject
, #body = #ReviewerEMailBody
, #body_format ='HTML'
GO
/*
P_PutEMailToReviewQueue
#Recipients ='test#test.com'
,#EMailSubject ='Action Item Test'
,#Body ='BLA BLA'
,#BodyFormat ='HTML'
,#ReplyTo ='noreply#test.com'
*/
--Create procedure to release the e-mail.
IF OBJECT_ID('P_ReleaseEmail') IS NOT NULL
DROP PROCEDURE P_ReleaseEmail;
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE P_ReleaseEmail
#Id INT
AS
DECLARE
#Recipients VARCHAR(MAX)
--,#CopyRecipients VARCHAR(MAX)
,#EMailSubject NVARCHAR(255)
,#Body NVARCHAR(MAX)
,#BodyFormat VARCHAR(20)
,#ReplyTo VARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT #Recipients=Recipients
,#EMailSubject=EMailSubject
,#Body=Body
,#BodyFormat=BodyFormat
,#ReplyTo=ReplyTo
FROM EMailReviews
WHERE Id=#Id
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail
#recipients = #Recipients
, #subject = #EMailSubject
, #body = #Body
, #body_format = #BodyFormat
, #reply_to = #ReplyTo
UPDATE EMailReviews SET DateReviewed=GETDATE()
,Processed=1
WHERE Id=#Id
GO
/*
P_ReleaseEmail
#Id =1;
select * from EMailReviews;
*/