MailForge

Self-hosted email desk: verify a list over SMTP, send from your own accounts, and read every reply in one inbox.

Start

docker compose -f docker-compose.full.yml up -d --build

Open http://localhost:5000 and register. That command starts MongoDB and the web app. The compose file points the app at that MongoDB service and sets INDUS_SKIP_LICENSE=1, so a local stack starts without a license file. A Windows client install still expects indus-license*.json. See client.md.

docker compose up -d starts the optional Reacher verifier from docker-compose.yml. Use the full compose file above for the app.

Why this exists

MailForge is for keeping the list, the SMTP check, and the replies on a machine you run. You upload a CSV or spreadsheet, truemail-go talks to the recipient server, valid rows can become a campaign from accounts you add, and answers come back to one inbox. MongoDB on that same machine stores the data.

What you can do

• Verify an address with syntax, MX, disposable and role checks, and a live SMTP RCPT dialog. truemail-go is the default. Set VERIFIER_ENGINE=auto to fall back to Reacher when the Go verifier is down.
• Run a bulk CSV or XLSX job, pause or resume it, and download rows before it finishes.
• Send a campaign through more than one account, with delays, warm-up fields, a suppression list, and an optional unsubscribe link.
• Start from the templates shipped in the repo, including 10 freight subjects and 10 bodies, or draft copy when a Groq, OpenRouter, or OpenAI key is set.
• Read and reply from the unified IMAP inbox. Sign-in uses JWT. The UI includes a dark theme.
• Check GET /api/health for version, database, and verifier status, and GET /api/backup/export for a JSON download of your data.

Install details, environment variables, and the Windows desktop installer are in SETUP.md and client.md.

From a source checkout: Node.js 18+, Go 1.22+, copy .env.example to .env, set JWT_SECRET and ENCRYPTION_KEY, then npm install and INDUS_SKIP_LICENSE=1 npm start.

Contributing

CONTRIBUTING.md is the fork, branch, and test flow. Run npm test before a pull request. Bug and feature forms are in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/.

Path	What it is
server.js	Express app on port 5000
public/	Browser UI
controllers/ and routes/	HTTP API
backend/go/	truemail-go SMTP verifier
tests/	node --test suite

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

If this helped, a star helps others find it.