Setting up Email notifications

VisitorRego is able to send real-time notifications to staff members to let them know when a visitor has signed in to meet with them. Notifications can be delivered via email, SMS, or a combination of both, depending on your setup.

This article focuses on setting up email notifications within your VisitorRego system. It explains the key requirements, walks through configuration options using either VisitorRego’s Mail Server or your own SMTP server, and provides guidance on how email notifications work during sign-in.

In addition to notifying staff when a visitor signs in, VisitorRego can also send email notifications when a visitor signs out, providing confirmation that their guest has left the site. This feature, along with other system functions that utilise email, is explained in more detail later in this article.

Requirements for Email Notifications

To use email notifications in VisitorRego, there are a few key requirements you’ll need to meet:

Mail Server
An SMTP mail server is required to send email notifications. You can either use your own SMTP server or VisitorRego’s built-in email server, VRF Mail.

An SMTP mail server, is used to send outbound email messages. In the context of VisitorRego, the SMTP server handles the transmission of notification emails from the system to the recipient’s mail server for delivery.

VisitorRego includes its own integrated SMTP server, referred to as VRF Mail, so you don’t need to set up or manage your own SMTP server unless you prefer to. Using VisitorRego’s built-in mail server simplifies setup and management by handling email delivery for you.

Internet Connectivity
Your VisitorRego unit must have internet connectivity to use VisitorRego’s mail server. If using your own SMTP server, internet connectivity is typically still required, although in some setups, local network access may be sufficient.

Staff Email Addresses
Ensure the staff list in VisitorRego includes valid email addresses for all staff members who should receive notifications. For help with this, see our Overview of Loading Staff article.

Accessing Email Settings in VisitorRego

From VisitorRego’s Admin mode, select Options > Email tab, then expand the Email section.

This will display all the available email configuration settings.

Configuring Email Notifications Using VisitorRego’s Mail Server

1. In email settings, tick the checkbox Send Email to enable email notifications to staff members.

2. Tick the checkbox Use VRF Mail to use VisitorRego’s integrated mail server.

3. Close the System Setup window to save your changes.

When using VRF Mail, emails are sent from notifications@visitorrego.com. This is an unmonitored address, so replies will not be seen. The Reply Address setting only applies when using your own SMTP server.

Connectivity Requirements for VRF Mail

To use VRF Mail, the VisitorRego unit must be able to communicate with the VRF server over the internet.
If firewall or network restrictions are in place, the following addresses should be added to the allow list:

data.visitorrego.com  
photos.visitorrego.com  
app.visitorrego.com  
facilities.visitorrego.com

You can also allow access to all VisitorRego subdomains using a wildcard:

*.visitorrego.com

All connections are secured via HTTPS and use TCP port 443.

 

Configuring Email Notifications Using Your Own SMTP Server

1. In email settings, tick the checkbox Send Email to enable email notifications for staff members.

(Leave Use VRF Mail unticked when using your own mail server.)

2. Enter your SMTP server address into the Email Server field.

(This is the address of your mail server, for example: smtp.yourdomain.com.)

3. Enter the mail server port number into the Email Server Port field.

(Common ports include 25, 465, or 587 depending on your server setup.)

4. In the Email Reply Address field, enter the sender address that email notifications will appear to come from.

(For example: notifications@yourdomain.com.)

If your SMTP server requires separate SSL authentication credentials:
• Tick the checkbox SSL Required.
• Enter your username in the SSL Userid field.
• Enter the corresponding password in the SSL Userid Password field.

5. Close the System Setup window to save your changes.

Depending on your SMTP server’s security settings, you may need to add the VisitorRego unit’s IP address to your server’s allow list or firewall whitelist to permit outgoing email.

Configuring Email Notifications Using SQL Database Mail

VisitorRego can send email notifications using SQL Database Mail, provided it is enabled and configured on the SQL Server instance used by your VisitorRego database.

To enable SQL Database Mail:

1. In email settings, tick the checkbox Use SQL DB Mail.

This method is typically reserved for advanced setups and may require assistance from your database administrator. Before enabling SQL Database Mail in VisitorRego, ensure it is configured and functioning correctly on your SQL Server instance. While VisitorRego can send notifications through this service, it does not control the mail setup itself. If you're unsure whether SQL Database Mail is configured, check the configuration within SQL Server Management Studio or contact your database administrator.

How to Change the Email Subject and Message to Staff

You can customise the email subject line and email template that are sent to staff when a visitor signs in. This lets you tailor notifications to include information specific to your site or staff needs.

To change the email subject:

1. In email settings, edit the existing subject text found in the Email Subject field.
You can use database fields (listed below) to automatically include visitor and sign-in details.

2. Close the System Setup window to save your changes.

List of Supported Database Fields

Use the following fields to change the subject message content:

[VISITORNAME]
[VISITORCOMPANY]
[VISITORPHONE]
[VISITORVEHICLE]
[MEETINGWITH]
[TIMEIN]
[FIELD1] to [FIELD10]
[REQUIRESASSISTANCE]
[REGISTERNOTE]
[SITE]
[WORKSTATIONNAME]

You can include any combination of these fields in your subject message. For example:

Visitor [VISITORNAME] has arrived at [SITE] [WORKSTATIONNAME]

To change the email template:

The email message sent to staff is based on an HTML file, referred to as the email template. You can replace this with a custom HTML file to control the layout and content of the email.

1. In email settings, select the Email Template field. A button with three dots (...) will appear on the right.

2. Select the three dots (...) button to open the file browser.

3. Browse to the folder where your email templates are stored (typically: C:\ProgramData\VisitorRegoLtd\VisitorRego\Res) and choose the desired HTML file.

4. Select Open to confirm the file selection.

5. Close the System Setup window to save your changes.

For guidance on how to edit the HTML email template file itself, please refer to our knowledge base article: Editing the Email Template.

Overview of Email Settings

The following settings are available in the Email section of the Email tab in System Setup. Each one controls a specific aspect of how email notifications are sent

Email Server	The address of the mail server used to send email notifications. For example: smtp.yourdomain.com.
Email Server Port	The port number used by the email server. Common values include 25, 465, or 587.
Email Reply Address	The email address that notification emails are sent from. If someone replies to the email, the reply will also go to this address.
Send Email	If ticked, the system will send email notifications to staff when visitors sign in.
Use VRF Mail	If ticked, email notifications will be sent using the VisitorRego mail server.
Use SQL DB Mail	If ticked, SQL Database Mail will be used instead of SMTP to send email notifications.
SSL Required	If ticked, the system will use SSL encryption when connecting to the email server.
SSL Userid	The username used to log in to your SMTP server if SSL is required.
SSL Userid Password	The password used to log in to your SMTP server if SSL is required.
Email Subject	The subject line of the email sent to staff. Database fields can be included in [brackets], e.g. [VISITORNAME].
Email Template	The HTML template file used for visitor arrival email notifications sent to staff.
Email Staff Template	The HTML email template used for notifications sent to staff when manual registrations are made via Admin Mode.
Email Hazard Template	The HTML email template used for hazard report notifications sent to site administrators when a hazard is reported on site.
Email Generic Template	The HTML email template used for other system-generated email notifications, such as low label alerts and reception bell notifications.

Additional Email Notification Options

Visitor Sign-Out Email Notifications

VisitorRego can send email notifications to staff when a visitor signs out, providing confirmation that their guest has left the site. To enable this feature:

1. From VisitorRego’s Admin mode, select Options > Email tab, then expand the Sign Out section.

2. Tick the checkbox Send Email to enable email notifications to staff upon visitor sign-out.

3. Close the System Setup window to save your changes.

You can customise the subject line of the email by editing the Email Subject field. By default, the subject reads:
Visitor [VISITORNAME] has signed out

You can also customise the body of the email by selecting an HTML file in the Email SignOut Template field. This works the same way as the template used for visitor sign-in emails.

If you’d like to include database fields (e.g. [VISITORCOMPANY]) in the subject or template, refer to the How to Change the Email Subject and Message to Staff section earlier in this article for guidance.

Other System-Generated Email Notifications

VisitorRego also sends email notifications for other important system features, including:

• Low label alerts

• Reception bell notifications

• Hazard report submissions

• Other system-driven notifications where email is required

These system-generated notifications rely on email being configured correctly under the main Email settings. If email isn’t set up or the settings are incorrect, these notifications will not be sent.

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