1 · Google app keys
Your site talks to Gmail through a small Google Cloud app that belongs to you. Paste its two keys here — they are stored on your site and never shown again. (First time? The one-time setup steps are at the bottom of this page.)
2 · Gmail account
“Connect Gmail” takes you to Google’s own sign-in page — your Gmail password is typed on Google’s page only, never here. The site is only ever allowed to send mail as that account and to see that account’s own email address; it cannot read your inbox. To switch accounts, disconnect, then connect again signed in as the other account.
3 · Payment alerts (Square)
Payment alerts let Square tell your site the moment a deposit or the balance is paid (including an e-transfer you record by hand in Square), so the customer’s paid email and your notice go out right away. Needs Square connected first (the Square page).
First-time setup — the Google app keys (about 5 minutes, once)
- Go to console.cloud.google.com, signed in as [email protected], and create a project (any name, e.g. “Concepts site email”).
- In that project: APIs & Services → Library → enable the Gmail API.
- APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen: choose External, fill in the app name and your email, save — then set the publishing status to In production (important: left on “Testing”, the connection expires after 7 days). On the Data Access step, add the scopes openid, email, and Send email on your behalf (gmail.send) — the first two only let the site learn the connected account’s address; it still cannot read the inbox.
- APIs & Services → Credentials → Create credentials → OAuth client ID: type Web application. Under “Authorized redirect URIs” add exactly this:
- Create it, then copy the Client ID and Client secret into step 1 above and save.
- Then press Connect Gmail in step 2. Google may warn the app is unverified — that is expected for your own private app: choose Advanced → Go to project and allow. You only do that once.
- Finally press Connect payment alerts in step 3. Done — the site sends its own email from now on.