Mailbox for Laravel: Preview & Test Rendered Email | Mohamed Said [ ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MH.png) Mohamed Said Laravel Backend Engineer ](https://www.msaied.com) [ Home ](https://www.msaied.com) [ Projects ](https://www.msaied.com/projects) [ Articles ](https://www.msaied.com/articles) [ Certificates ](https://www.msaied.com/certificates) [ Contact ](https://www.msaied.com#contact-section) [ ](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [ Home ](https://www.msaied.com) [ Projects ](https://www.msaied.com/projects) [ Articles ](https://www.msaied.com/articles) [ Certificates ](https://www.msaied.com/certificates) [ Contact ](https://www.msaied.com#contact-section) [ home ](https://www.msaied.com) [ articles ](https://www.msaied.com/articles) Mailbox for Laravel: Preview and Test Rendered Email Without a Separate Mail Service On this page 1. [ What Is Mailbox for Laravel? ](#what-is-mailbox-for-laravel) 2. [ Installing the Package ](#installing-the-package) 3. [ Browsing the Local Inbox ](#browsing-the-local-inbox) 4. [ Asserting on Rendered Messages in Tests ](#asserting-on-rendered-messages-in-tests) 5. [ Capturing and Delivering at the Same Time ](#capturing-and-delivering-at-the-same-time) 6. [ Production and Security Considerations ](#production-and-security-considerations) 7. [ Key Takeaways ](#key-takeaways) ![Mailbox for Laravel: Preview and Test Rendered Email Without a Separate Mail Service](https://cdn.msaied.com/724/4dd058c33317d4ae56d30142f381b680.png) [ Laravel ](https://www.msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) [ Composer Pacakge ](https://www.msaied.com/articles?category=composer-pacakge) #Laravel #Email Testing #Laravel Packages #Developer Tools #PHP Mailbox for Laravel: Preview and Test Rendered Email Without a Separate Mail Service ====================================================================================== 30 Sep 2026 3 min read ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) Mohamed Said Table of contents 1. [ 01 What Is Mailbox for Laravel? ](#what-is-mailbox-for-laravel) 2. [ 02 Installing the Package ](#installing-the-package) 3. [ 03 Browsing the Local Inbox ](#browsing-the-local-inbox) 4. [ 04 Asserting on Rendered Messages in Tests ](#asserting-on-rendered-messages-in-tests) 5. [ 05 Capturing and Delivering at the Same Time ](#capturing-and-delivering-at-the-same-time) 6. [ 06 Production and Security Considerations ](#production-and-security-considerations) 7. [ 07 Key Takeaways ](#key-takeaways) What Is Mailbox for Laravel? ---------------------------- Mailbox for Laravel is a package built by [Redberry](https://redberry.international/mailbox-for-laravel-email-testing/) and maintained by Nika Jorjoliani. It intercepts every outgoing email your application sends and stores it in a local inbox accessible at `/mailbox` — no separate mail service or background process required. It supports Mailables, mail notifications, and `Mail::raw()` messages. The package requires **PHP 8.3 or later** and is compatible with **Laravel 10 through 13**. --- Installing the Package ---------------------- Install Mailbox as a dev dependency, run the install command, and set the mailer: ```bash composer require redberry/mailbox-for-laravel --dev php artisan mailbox:install ``` ```env MAIL_MAILER=mailbox ``` The install command publishes assets, configuration, and runs the package migrations. By default, captured messages are stored in a dedicated SQLite database at `storage/app/mailbox/mailbox.sqlite`. You can also point it at an existing database connection or use the file store. > **Staging note:** If your staging environment runs `composer install --no-dev`, install Mailbox as a regular dependency instead. --- Browsing the Local Inbox ------------------------ Open `/mailbox` in your browser to inspect captured messages. The dashboard lets you: - Switch between **HTML**, **plain-text**, and **raw** message views - Preview or download **attachments** - **Search and filter** by recipient - See the message list update **without a manual page refresh** --- Asserting on Rendered Messages in Tests --------------------------------------- Once an email is captured, the package's test API lets you assert on the fully rendered output — not just the Mailable class. This means you can verify the actual HTML your users will see. ```php use Redberry\MailboxForLaravel\Facades\Mailbox; Mailbox::assertSentCount(1); Mailbox::firstSent() ->assertHasSubject('Order Confirmation') ->assertHasTo('buyer@example.com') ->assertSeeInHtml('Order #12345') ->assertHasAttachment('receipt.pdf', 'application/pdf'); ``` The optional `InteractsWithMailbox` trait clears captured messages before each test and exposes `$this->mailbox()` as an alternative to the facade. You can also assert on the text body, sender, headers, and attachment count. When a test captures multiple messages, pass a callback to `firstSent()` to select the right one. --- Capturing and Delivering at the Same Time ----------------------------------------- With `MAIL_MAILER=mailbox`, messages go to the dashboard only. To also deliver them through a real mailer, use the `MAILBOX_DECORATE` option: ```env MAIL_MAILER=mailbox MAILBOX_DECORATE=smtp ``` --- Production and Security Considerations -------------------------------------- - Mailbox is **disabled by default in production**. If `MAIL_MAILER=mailbox` is set while `MAILBOX_ENABLED=false`, emails will not be sent at all — keep your normal production mailer configured. - On staging, protect `/mailbox` with authentication and define a restrictive `viewMailbox` gate. Captured messages may contain password reset tokens and personal data. - Automatic pruning is off by default. Set `MAILBOX_RETENTION_SCHEDULE=true` to enable daily cleanup based on your configured retention period. --- Key Takeaways ------------- - Drop-in local inbox at `/mailbox` — no external service needed - Captures Mailables, mail notifications, and `Mail::raw()` calls - Stores messages in a dedicated SQLite file by default - Test API asserts on rendered HTML, recipients, subjects, and attachments - `MAILBOX_DECORATE` lets you capture *and* deliver through a real mailer - Disabled in production by default; secure the dashboard on staging - Automatic message pruning available via `MAILBOX_RETENTION_SCHEDULE=true` --- For full documentation, configuration options, and the complete testing API, see the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/RedberryProducts/mailbox-for-laravel). *Source: [Mailbox for Laravel: Preview and Test Rendered Email — Laravel News](https://laravel-news.com/mailbox-for-laravel)* Found this useful? [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msaied.com%2Farticles%2Fmailbox-for-laravel-preview-and-test-rendered-email-without-a-separate-mail-service&text=Mailbox+for+Laravel%3A+Preview+and+Test+Rendered+Email+Without+a+Separate+Mail+Service) [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msaied.com%2Farticles%2Fmailbox-for-laravel-preview-and-test-rendered-email-without-a-separate-mail-service) Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- 3 questions Q01 Does Mailbox for Laravel require an external mail service like Mailtrap or Mailhog? No. Mailbox for Laravel captures outgoing email internally and displays it at /mailbox inside your application. No separate mail service or background process is needed. Q02 Can I use Mailbox for Laravel on staging as well as local development? Yes. If your staging environment runs composer install --no-dev, install the package as a regular dependency rather than a dev dependency. Protect the /mailbox route with authentication and a restrictive viewMailbox gate, since captured messages may contain sensitive data like password reset tokens. Q03 How do I assert on the actual rendered HTML of an email in a Laravel test? After sending an email through the Mailbox mailer, use the Mailbox facade or the InteractsWithMailbox trait. Call Mailbox::firstSent() and chain assertions such as assertSeeInHtml(), assertHasSubject(), assertHasTo(), and assertHasAttachment() to verify the fully rendered output. Continue reading More Articles --------------- [ View all ](https://www.msaied.com/articles) [ ![Laravel AI SDK and Laravel MCP Security Fixes: Update Now](https://cdn.msaied.com/722/fbe8df92faa32e9b9cee984a18bd4411.png) security laravel-ai laravel-mcp ### Laravel AI SDK and Laravel MCP Security Fixes: Update Now Two security advisories were published for laravel/ai and laravel/mcp on September 30, 2026. 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