Start by testing delivery independently of any watched page: run urlwatch --test-reporter email. If the test fails, check that the email reporter is enabled and correctly configured, then rerun the test with --verbose for detailed logs. If the test works but scheduled notifications do not arrive, compare the scheduler’s configuration, environment, and access to credentials with your interactive shell.
1. Test email delivery directly
Run the email reporter’s built-in test from the same account and environment where you normally run urlwatch:
urlwatch --test-reporter emailThe reporter must be configured and enabled for this test. If it does not work, check the configuration and repeat with verbose logging:
urlwatch --test-reporter email --verboseThe test separates mail delivery problems from the question of whether urlwatch found a page change. A successful test points toward notification expectations or the scheduled-run environment; a failed test keeps attention on the reporter configuration, connection, or authentication.
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2. Check whether urlwatch has a reportable event
If the test succeeds but a normal run sends no email, the run may simply have nothing to report. Edit the configuration with:
urlwatch --edit-configReview the display settings. Changes, new jobs, and errors are reported by default; unchanged pages are not unless unchanged: true is set. Also check empty-diff: when it is false, a change that produces an empty filtered diff is left out of the report. (urlwatch reporter documentation: https://urlwatch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reporters.html)
3. Verify the email reporter configuration
In the configuration, email settings belong under report. Check that the email reporter is explicitly enabled: the common reporter option enabled defaults to false. Confirm the sender address, recipient address, and delivery method as well as the rest of the reporter block. urlwatch documents both SMTP and the system sendmail command as email delivery routes. (urlwatch configuration documentation: https://urlwatch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/configuration.html; reporter documentation: https://urlwatch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reporters.html)
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4. Check SMTP connection and credentials
Compare the SMTP host, port, authentication, and encryption settings in urlwatch with your mail provider’s current requirements. The urlwatch example for Gmail uses smtp.gmail.com, port 587, authentication enabled, and starttls: true; it also requires configured sender and recipient addresses. Treat this as an example, not a universal recipe: provider policies and account requirements can change. Check your provider’s current supported authentication method rather than relying on old advice to enable “less secure apps.” (urlwatch reporter documentation: https://urlwatch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reporters.html)
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To configure a stored SMTP password, urlwatch documents:
urlwatch --smtp-loginThis command queries for the password, checks the login, and stores the password in the keychain for later runs. If authentication still fails, verify the credential and provider’s SMTP access requirements; the documentation cannot establish the account status or network conditions for a particular installation.
5. Compare interactive and scheduled runs
If an interactive test sends mail but cron or another scheduler does not, compare the scheduled command and its execution context with your shell. Check:
- The scheduler runs as the expected user and can access the same urlwatch configuration.
- The working directory, command, and environment are appropriate for that account.
- The scheduled process can access the credentials it needs, including keyring access.
urlwatch notes that output under cron or another scheduler depends on how that scheduler is configured, and that keyring storage may not be suitable in cron. If keyring access is the difference, consider a delivery setup compatible with the scheduler rather than assuming the interactive success will carry over.
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Plaintext password fallback
urlwatch documents insecure_password for cases where keyring use is not possible, but warns that the plaintext password can be exposed to software or other local users and may appear in logs. The documentation says not to use it with a primary email account; it suggests a dedicated throwaway sending account or local sendmail instead. This is a documented, risky fallback—not the preferred way to fix scheduled mail. (urlwatch reporter documentation: https://urlwatch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reporters.html)
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6. Choose another delivery route only if needed
Once you have isolated the problem, choose a route that fits the infrastructure you already have:
- System sendmail: Use this if your system has a working local mail transfer agent and the scheduled account can invoke it.
- SMTP: Use this if you have a working SMTP service and credentials accessible to both interactive and scheduled runs.
- Another reporter: If email is not required, urlwatch lists Matrix, Slack, Telegram, ntfy, Pushbullet, and Pushover among its non-email reporters.
The urlwatch documentation also describes Amazon SES as an SMTP option. It does not establish that any paid service is necessary; choose based on your existing infrastructure and preferred notification channel. (urlwatch reporter documentation: https://urlwatch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reporters.html)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does urlwatch send an email every time it runs?
No. By default, unchanged pages are omitted; a normal run may have no reportable event.
Can I use sendmail instead of SMTP?
Yes. urlwatch documents email delivery through the system sendmail command as well as SMTP.
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