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Inbox Mail System Usage (Beta Mode)

The Inbox Mail System feature allows users to automatically access and interact with test emails generated during automated trace runs or manual testing.


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Written by Georgij Lazarevski
Updated today

It is currently available in beta mode and is accessible through the Navigate URL step within the Usetrace editor.


​Note: Using this system enables you to perform parallel runs with the same email recipient on multiple traces. The legacy email step requires you to work with consecutive runs in sequence.
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Accessing the Inbox

Navigate URL

To open the inbox for a specific test email user, use the Navigate URL step in your trace with the following format:

https://mail.qa.usetrace.com/public/inbox.html?to=emailUser

Important:
Example: for accessing an email sent to testuser@mail.usetrace.com, use
​https://mail.qa.usetrace.com/public/inbox.html?to=testuser
​
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Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Add a Wait Step

Before navigating to the inbox or refreshing the inbox page, add a Wait Step to ensure the email is delivered before checking.

  • Recommended duration: 30 seconds

  • Purpose: Allows time for new emails to arrive before interacting with the inbox.

Step 2: Open the Inbox with a Navigate URL step

  • Enter the URL address format provided above the step-by-step instructions that matches your email recipient's username.

  • After the Navigate URL step, if you don't see emails yet, make sure to add a wait step (10-30seconds) & Click Step to press the “Refresh” button on the inbox page to fetch and list the latest emails in the inbox page from the email system.

Step 3: Define Manual Locator (XPath) for the Latest Email with a Click step

To open the most recent email, you’ll need to use a Click Step that targets the latest email subject.
This step requires manual locator definition using XPath.

Example XPath:

(//div[contains(@class, 'email-content') and contains(., 'Test email 1')])[1]

  • Replace "Test email 1" with a substring of the latest email subject.

  • The [1] ensures that it selects the topmost matching email (the latest one).

Step 4: Open Email Details

Once the email is clicked, you are navigated to:

email-viewer.html

In this view, you can:

  • Use Check Steps to validate the email content.

  • Click links inside the email (for verification or navigation).

  • Switch between Plain Text and HTML views.

  • Delete the email.

  • Download attachments (if available).
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Example Flow Summary

  1. Wait Step: Wait 30 seconds before inbox interaction.

  2. Navigate URL: Go to https://mail.qa.usetrace.com/public/inbox.html?to=testuser

  3. Click Step: Define a manual XPath to open the latest email by subject name.

  4. Check/Click Steps: Validate content or perform actions in email-viewer.html.

Info: If you don't delete the emails after usage from the email-viewer page via the delete button, then the email system purges all emails automatically if the emails are older than 1 hour.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Always include a wait step before interacting with the inbox to avoid missing recent emails, or use the wait step after the Navigate url, then a wait step for 30 seconds, and a click step on the "Refresh" button to fetch the latest inbox emails.

  • Keep your XPath flexible — use partial text that uniquely identifies the latest email subject.

  • When validating content, combine check steps (for text presence) with click steps (for navigation actions).

  • Avoid using CSS selectors — stick with XPath for reliability with dynamic email content.

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