Help · Alerts
Email me when a project nears its budget
owntime already warns you on screen at 75, 80, 90 and 100% of a project’s hours budget. Turn this on and the same warning also lands in your inbox.
You bring the mailbox. We run no relay and no alerting service, so there is nothing of ours in the middle and no third party holding your address.
1. What you need
The outgoing mail settings for an address you already own. Three values are required: the SMTP server, the From address, and the To address. Almost every provider also wants a username and password, in which case all five matter.
2. Fill the form
Settings → Budget email alerts. Everything below is explained in the app as you go.
- SMTP host the provider’s outgoing server, e.g.
smtp.fastmail.com. - Port usually 587. Use 465 if you pick SSL/TLS.
- Username usually your full email address.
- Password an app password, not your login password. See below.
- From must match the mailbox, or the provider will refuse to send.
- To where the alerts go. Often the same address.
- Security STARTTLS for 587, SSL/TLS for 465, None only for a local relay.
3. Test it before you trust it
Press Send test email. It saves what you typed and sends one message right away. If something is wrong, the toast shows the mail server’s own error, which is usually specific enough to fix in one try.
Common providers
Starting points. Providers change their rules, so if one of these is rejected, check their current documentation.
| Provider | Host | Port | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail / Workspace | smtp.gmail.com | 587 | App password required, and 2 step verification has to be on |
| Microsoft 365 / Outlook | smtp.office365.com | 587 | The mailbox needs SMTP AUTH switched on, often by an admin |
| Fastmail | smtp.fastmail.com | 587 | Create an app specific password |
| iCloud | smtp.mail.me.com | 587 | App specific password, 2 step verification on |
| Resend / SendGrid / Postmark | provider’s host | 587 | Username is often the literal word apikey and the password is your API key |
| ProtonMail | 127.0.0.1 | 1025 | Needs ProtonMail Bridge running on your Mac. Security: None |
| Your own domain | from your host’s docs | 587 | Usually the mailbox address and password |
The three things that trip people up
- App password, not account password. Gmail, Fastmail and iCloud reject your normal login. Generate a one off password for owntime first.
- Microsoft tenants often block SMTP AUTH by default. If sends fail with a 5.7.x error, an admin has to enable it for that mailbox.
- From has to match the account. A mismatch is refused or quietly rewritten.
What it will and will not do
- Alerts fire at 75, 80, 90 and 100%, at most once each. They re arm when usage drops back below 75%, or when you change the budget.
- Alerts only send while owntime is running. It is a desktop app, not a server, so there is no background watchdog.
- Your SMTP password is stored locally in owntime’s own data file, the same way your backup keys are. It is not encrypted, and it never leaves your Mac.
- Sending limits are your provider’s. Gmail allows roughly 500 messages a day, which is far more than this will ever need.
- Every alert sent is recorded in Settings → Activity log, so you can see what went out.
Stuck? contact@owntime.click. Include your provider name and the exact toast text, and skip the password.