Automation send email action throws AWS Error

[Deleted user]

When using my email adress "stephan.roeder@xxxxxx.com" the error is

Local address contains illegal character (Service: AmazonSimpleEmailService; Status Code: 400; Error Code: InvalidParameterValue; Request ID: 49b54b63-7f0e-4296-8a59-b9195a50060f)

[Dario B · Accepted solution]

Hello @[deleted] ,

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

If I understand correctly, you have created a Jira Automation rule that, on specific conditions, uses the "send email" automation action to send an email to your address, but this is failing.

If my understanding is correct, please let me know if I can try to reproduce the issue by setting a rule that will send an email to your address, using my test instance. Otherwise, if it is not, please provide more details.

Also, I have edited your post to hide your email address since this is a public forum.

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi Dario,

thanks for your reply.

Yes, this is exactly what im trying to do.

Feel free to test this.

Thanks!

Cheers,
Stephan

[Deleted user]

Id like to add something:

sometimes this action sucessfully sends an email. But sometimes it doesnt.

[Dario B]

Hi @[deleted] ,

I have just tested this and it looks like everything worked fine. I have also sent myself a test email that I have correctly received.

Can you kindly confirm you received the email?

Also, you mentioned this is working intermittently for you, can you kindly provide more details? Specifically:

1. Is this failing intermittently for you only, or also for other email addresses?
2. How often is the rule failing?
3. Is there any condition that seems to trigger the issue?
4. The exact steps you followed to configure the rule (conditions added, etc)
5. A screenshot showing how you are filling-up the email form (hiding sensitive data, if any)
6. A screenshot of the error message returned
7. Confirmation you are running the test on the instance axxxxx.atlassian.net

Have a nice weekend.

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi Dario,

yes I've received your mail. Thank you.

To answer your questions:

1. It is failing for every adress im using.
2. It is failing reliably. Except for one time today
3. Cant make out any triggering condition
4. https://www.dropbox.com/s/1h3w6061r2e2rvx/4.png?dl=0
5. https://www.dropbox.com/s/xz33f2072oty6hk/5.png?dl=0
6. https://www.dropbox.com/s/3vq9iigcpz37jvg/6.png?dl=0
7. Confirmed

I hope this helps. Thank you very much and have a nice weekend as well!

Cheers
Stephan

[Dario B]

Hello @[deleted] ,

Thanks for providing the required information.

Looking at answers and at the complete error message, it looks like the problem could actually be with the sender email address:

Local address contains illegal character

That's why it seems to be failing for every destination address you are using.

According to below threads from AWS multiple things could be causing this issue (accented letters, spaces, misplaced quotes, etc):

• https://forums.aws.amazon.com/thread.jspa?threadID=85370
• https://forums.aws.amazon.com/thread.jspa?threadID=59220
• https://forums.aws.amazon.com/thread.jspa?threadID=101287

Now, in order to confirm or deny this is the case, can you kindly check what is configured for the sender address, sender name and 'in reply to' fields?

Please check if anything is configured in the above fields for you and let me know.

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi Dario,

it seems you have solved my problem.
I changed the 'From name' field and now its working.

I tried to emulate the usual JIRA notification style of sender by putting
[JIRA] {{reporter.displayName}}
But the system didnt use the square brackets so I tried [[JIRA]] which somehow caused the error.

Do you know how i can use square Brackets inside the From name field?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Cheers
Stephan

[Dario B]

Hi @[deleted] ,

As mentioned in one of the threads in the AWS forums pasted in my previous reply, if there is any special character in the 'from' name, this has to be surrounded by quotes.

Something like:

"[JIRA] {{reporter.displayName}}"

I have configured the sender address to be "[JIRA]" in my test instance and it worked fine. Can you kindly perform the same test and confirm it works for you as well?

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi @Dario B ,

Yes, quotes do work. Thank you very much!

When i put

"[JIRA] {{reporter.displayName}}"

It literallly puts quotes at the beginning and end.
Is there also a way to only make [JIRA] visible without seeing quotes itself?

Cheers
Stephan

[Dario B]

Hi @[deleted] ,

That's odd! On my side if use quotes then, as expected, they don't show up in the from field of the received email.

See below screenshots for details:

However, the quotes are indeed in the text only email:

From: "[JIRA] Dario Bonotto" <noreply@automationforjira.com>

Can you confirm this is the same behavior you experience? 

Also, what email client are you using?

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi @Dario B ,

I am using Outlook.
Also I am using the HTML email.
The quotes still show up for me.

Heres a screen of my settings

https://www.dropbox.com/s/foes97499jg1yob/Screenshot%202020-04-22%20at%2013.33.56.png?dl=0

Thanks!

[Dario B]

Hi @[deleted] ,

On my side I have done it slightly different:

"[JIRA] {{reporter.displayName}}"

While I can see on your side you have:

"[JIRA]" {{reporter.displayName}}

Can you kindly try to use my same configuration (put everything among quotes, not only [JIRA]) and see if this way you get the same behavior as me?

For the rest, I have been testing other possibilities but nothing works:

1. Using [JIRA] returns JIRA in the Friendly-From field of the received email
2. Trying to use the escape character \ returns \[JIRA\] in the the Friendly-From field of the received email
3. Using double square brackets [[JIRA]] returns an exception

I am discussing this issue with the developers of Project Automation and they say that there are chances that is AWS removing the square brackets when doing as described in point #1 but they are still looking into this. I will keep you updated on this.

In the meanwhile please try to put everything among quotes as suggested and let me know the result.

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi @Dario B ,

thank you for your patience.

I also tried

"[JIRA] {{reporter.displayName}}"

and it gives me the undesired result https://www.dropbox.com/s/g970bhto7e3b3y4/Screenshot%202020-04-23%20at%2019.38.26.png?dl=0

Thanks for keeping me updated with what the devs say!

Cheers
Stephan

[Deleted user]

Hi @Dario B ,

I just noticed that the From Field is behaving as expected when someone else reports the issue. When im doing it myself i still get the quotes, when someone else does is, they dont show up.

This might be useful for the devs.

Cheers!
Stephan

[Dario B]

@[deleted] ,

Just to make sure I have a correct understanding, before forwarding something wrong to DEV:

• The automation sends you an email on issue creation
• With the same automation rule, same project, if you create an issue you see the quotes in the Friendly-From of the received email, while if any other of your colleagues does to, the quotes are not shown?

Can you kindly confirm this is correct and, if it is, let me know if you can see any difference in the email source between the email where the quotes are shown and where the quotes are not (a screenshot or copy-paste of both from fields would be best) .

Cheers,
Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi @Dario B ,

i think i got it now.

When the reporter of an issue has an "Umlaut" (ä ö ü) in its name, the quotes are shown.
If the reporter has no "Umlaut" in its name, the quotes are not shown, as it should be.

I hope this is useful information for DEV.

Cheers
Stephan

[Dario B]

Hello @[deleted] ,

After further testing I have proceeded creating the below bug ticket in order to have this issue addressed:

• [JRACLOUD-74342] Square brackets removed from friendly-from of received emails when using smart values in the send email automation action 

Please review above bug ticket and let me know if I forgot anything. 

Also, vote for it and set yourself as a watcher so that you will be notified in case of any update/progress. The bug will be addressed according to the Atlassian Cloud bug fixing policy.

Have a nice weekend!

Dario

[Deleted user]

Hi @Dario B

thank you for creating that bug ticket. It seems to be described corretly.

Thanks!
Stephan

[Dario B]

You are very welcome @[deleted] , hopefully the bug will be addressed soon. Please follow it for updates.

Cheers,
Dario