Can you use JavaScript inside an email, which is sent using Python?

Question

My aim is to send a working clock inside an email.

I am trying to use Python to do so. I am using IDLE and the Python libraries stmplib, email and html2text to send emails. My code looks like the code shown below. I omitted some details (style and script) as they are unimportant.

me = "my.email@gmail.com"
you = "my.email@gmail.com"

msg = MIMEMultipart('alternative')
msg['Subject'] = "Clock"
msg['From'] = me
msg['To'] = you

html = """\
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8">
        <title>Clock</title>
        <style></style>
    </head>
    <body>
        <div class="clock">
            <p class="clockhour">HH</p>
            <p class="clocksym1">:</p>
            <p class="clockminute">MM</p>
            <p class="clocksym2">:</p>
            <p class="clocksecond">SS</p>
        </div>
        <script type="text/javascript"></script>
    </body>
</html>
"""

text = html2text(html)

part1 = MIMEText(text, 'plain')
part2 = MIMEText(html, 'html')

msg.attach(part1)
msg.attach(part2)

s = SMTP('smtp.gmail.com:587')
s.ehlo()
s.starttls()
s.login("my.email@gmail.com", "my password")

s.sendmail(me, you, msg.as_string())
s.quit()

The full version of the HTML in this code gives me a properly functioning clock, but if I attempt sending it to myself using Gmail I receive a different result.

Viewing the HTML:

In Gmail:

This shows, that parts of the CSS load, but others like the font or the font size don't. It also shows that the JavaScript does not load. (Normally viewing the HTML code in a browser gives a functioning clock, while in an email doesn't.)

Is there a way to send an email with this clock?

Majority of email clients/services do not process javascript...for obvious security reasons — charlietfl, Nov 04 '17 at 21:03
It's definitely possible to send an email with JavaScript code, but any sane email client (especially web-based clients) will ignore any contained JavaScript code. Being able to send an email with arbitrary JavaScript code to be run by the recipient's client is, to say the least, a big privacy and security issue. — Frxstrem, Nov 04 '17 at 21:03
@Frxstrem So, there is nothing I can do, considering I am sending this to somebody using Gmail to somebody using Gmail? — Ron Lauterbach, Nov 04 '17 at 21:04
@charlietfl Is there some way, maybe without Javascript to do this? — Ron Lauterbach, Nov 04 '17 at 21:08
If it is marketing oriented would be better off with a bold *"put this on your calendar"* statement/image — charlietfl, Nov 04 '17 at 21:12
@charlietfl Well, but it is possible to have something changing in an email, which is not like a gif file? — Ron Lauterbach, Nov 04 '17 at 21:13
@charlietfl Is there a different way of sending emails than by HTML which allows movement? — Ron Lauterbach, Nov 04 '17 at 21:18

Bhojendra Rauniyar · Answer 1 · 2017-11-04T21:22:02.017

2

Short Answer: No. You can't use JavaScript for email template.

Tricky way: You can work on relevant file and get the parsed value in your template file using server side language.

Example:

clock.js
// code for js

template.php
// echo the value
// The value is rendered in html and works in email template too.

But this case is not suitable for you as you're trying to implement countdown clock. This is suitable only for static value.

However, linking to external page content will help you to show the timer.

For your case, You may try using http://motionmailapp.com/

Hope, this helps!

edited Nov 04 '17 at 21:22

answered Nov 04 '17 at 21:05

Bhojendra Rauniyar

83,432
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What do you mean by server side language? – Ron Lauterbach Nov 04 '17 at 21:15
1

python in this case is generating the html – charlietfl Nov 04 '17 at 21:17
by lnking to an external page d ou meanjust or can u also use an iframe somehow? – Yaakov5777 Mar 11 '19 at 08:38

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 04 '17 at 21:08

1

javascript is unsupported in email html, but at least you can place a link to the page with clock countdown.

answered Nov 04 '17 at 21:08

Sergey Sklyar

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Can you use JavaScript inside an email, which is sent using Python?

2 Answers2