Spray mail problem in python
The infamous spray mail
problem!
The spray mail problem is a common issue in Python where a large number of emails are sent in a short period of time, causing the email server to become overwhelmed and potentially block your IP address. This can happen when you're using a Python script to send emails programmatically.
Here are some common causes of the spray mail problem:
- Unlimited email sending: If your script is designed to send an unlimited number of emails without any delay or throttling, it can quickly overwhelm the email server.
- Lack of email server throttling: Some email servers have built-in throttling mechanisms to prevent abuse. If your script doesn't respect these limits, it can trigger the spray mail problem.
- Poor email sending implementation: If your script is not designed to handle email sending efficiently, it can lead to a high volume of emails being sent in a short period, causing the spray mail problem.
To avoid the spray mail problem in Python, follow these best practices:
- Implement email server throttling: Use a library like
python-email-throttler
to throttle the number of emails sent per minute or hour. - Use a delay between email sends: Add a delay between each email send using
time.sleep()
or a similar function to prevent sending too many emails too quickly. - Limit the number of concurrent email sends: Use a library like
concurrent.futures
to limit the number of concurrent email sends to prevent overwhelming the email server. - Use a reputable email sending library: Choose a reputable email sending library like
smtplib
oryagmail
that is designed to handle email sending efficiently and respectfully. - Monitor your email sending activity: Keep an eye on your email sending activity to ensure you're not overwhelming the email server.
Here's an example of how you can implement email server throttling using python-email-throttler
:
import email_throttler
throttler = email_throttler.Throttler(
max_emails_per_minute=100,
max_emails_per_hour=1000
)
def send_email(to, subject, body):
if throttler.is_allowed():
# Send the email
pass
else:
print("Email sending throttled. Waiting...")
time.sleep(60) # Wait for 1 minute before trying again
Remember to always follow the email server's terms of service and guidelines for sending emails programmatically.