feat: implemented email tracking

backend/src/controllers/emailController.js

@@ -1,28 +1,55 @@
 const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');
-const { sendEmail, transporter } = require('../utils/sendEmail');
+const { sendEmail } = require('../utils/SendEmail');
 const logger = require('../utils/logger');
+const mongoose = require('mongoose');
+const EmailEvent = require('../models/EmailEvent');
 
-//POST /api/emails/send
-//Body: {to,subject,text,html,from}
+// POST /api/emails/send
+// Body: { to, subject, text, html, from }
 exports.send = async (req, res) => {
   try {
     const { to, subject, text, html, from } = req.body;
-    if (!to) return res.status(400).json({ success: false, error: 'Recipient "to" is required' });
+    if (!to) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ success: false, error: 'Recipient "to" is required' });
+    }
+
+    // create unique emailId for tracking
+    const emailId = new mongoose.Types.ObjectId();
+
+    // ensure base URL is defined
+    const baseUrl = process.env.BASE_URL || 'http://localhost:5000';
+
+    // inject tracking pixel and link into HTML body
+    const trackedHtml = `
+      ${html || ''}
+      <img src="${baseUrl}/api/track/open/${emailId}.png" width="1" height="1" style="display:none;" />
+      <p><a href="${baseUrl}/api/track/click/${emailId}?redirect=https://mailmern.vercel.app">Click here</a></p>
+    `;
+
+    // send email through configured transporter
+    const info = await sendEmail({ to, subject, text, html: trackedHtml, from });
 
-    const info = await sendEmail({ to, subject, text, html, from });
+    // store initial record in database
+    await EmailEvent.create({
+      _id: emailId,
+      recipient: to,
+      subject,
+      status: 'sent',
+      createdAt: new Date()
+    });
 
     return res.status(200).json({
       success: true,
-      message: 'Email sent',
+      message: 'Email sent (with tracking)',
       info: {
         messageId: info.messageId,
         accepted: info.accepted,
         rejected: info.rejected,
         response: info.response
-      }
+      },
+      emailId
     });
   } catch (error) {
-    //full error.message for debugging
     logger.error('Error in send email controller:', error && (error.stack || error));
     return res.status(500).json({
       success: false,
@@ -31,33 +58,49 @@ exports.send = async (req, res) => {
   }
 };
 
-//POST /api/emails/test
-//Body optional: {to} provide in body or in .env
+// POST /api/emails/test
 exports.test = async (req, res) => {
   try {
-    const to = req.body?.to || process.env.EMAIL_TEST_TO || process.env.SMTP_USER || process.env.EMAIL_USER;
+    const to =
+      req.body?.to ||
+      process.env.EMAIL_TEST_TO ||
+      process.env.SMTP_USER ||
+      process.env.EMAIL_USER;
     if (!to) {
       return res.status(400).json({
         success: false,
-        error: 'No test recipient configured. Provide "to" in body or set EMAIL_TEST_TO/SMTP_USER/EMAIL_USER in env.'
+        error:
+          'No test recipient configured. Provide "to" in body or set EMAIL_TEST_TO/SMTP_USER/EMAIL_USER in env.'
       });
     }
 
-    const subject = 'MailMERN — Test Email';
-    const text = `MailMERN test email sent at ${new Date().toISOString()}`;
-    const html = `<p>MailMERN test email sent at <strong>${new Date().toISOString()}</strong></p>`;
+    const subject = 'MailMERN — Test Email (Tracked)';
+    const html = `<p>Hello! This is a MailMERN tracking test email.</p>`;
+
+    const emailId = new mongoose.Types.ObjectId();
+    const baseUrl = process.env.BASE_URL || 'http://localhost:5000';
+
+    const trackedHtml = `
+      ${html}
+      <img src="${baseUrl}/api/track/open/${emailId}.png" width="1" height="1" style="display:none;" />
+      <p><a href="${baseUrl}/api/track/click/${emailId}?redirect=https://mailmern.vercel.app">Click here</a></p>
+    `;
 
-    const info = await sendEmail({ to, subject, text, html });
+    const info = await sendEmail({ to, subject, html: trackedHtml });
+
+    await EmailEvent.create({
+      _id: emailId,
+      recipient: to,
+      subject,
+      status: 'sent',
+      createdAt: new Date()
+    });
 
     return res.status(200).json({
       success: true,
-      message: `Test email sent to ${to}`,
-      info: {
-        messageId: info.messageId,
-        accepted: info.accepted,
-        rejected: info.rejected,
-        response: info.response
-      }
+      message: `Test tracked email sent to ${to}`,
+      info,
+      emailId
     });
   } catch (error) {
     logger.error('Error in email test controller:', error && (error.stack || error));
@@ -68,9 +111,7 @@ exports.test = async (req, res) => {
   }
 };
 
-
- //POST /api/emails/test-ethereal
- //Creates a temporary Ethereal account and sends a test email there.useful to check sending code path without real SMTP credentials
+// POST /api/emails/test-ethereal
 exports.testEthereal = async (req, res) => {
   try {
     const testAccount = await nodemailer.createTestAccount();
@@ -87,14 +128,12 @@ exports.testEthereal = async (req, res) => {
 
     const to = req.body?.to || process.env.EMAIL_TEST_TO || '[email protected]';
     const subject = 'MailMERN — Ethereal Test Email';
-    const text = `Ethereal test email sent at ${new Date().toISOString()}`;
     const html = `<p>Ethereal test email sent at <strong>${new Date().toISOString()}</strong></p>`;
 
     const info = await ethTransport.sendMail({
       from: process.env.EMAIL_FROM || `MailMERN <${testAccount.user}>`,
       to,
       subject,
-      text,
       html
     });
 
@@ -122,4 +161,4 @@ exports.testEthereal = async (req, res) => {
       error: error && (error.message || error)
     });
   }
-};
+};

backend/src/controllers/trackController.js

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// controllers/trackingController.js
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const EmailEvent = require('../models/EmailEvent');
+const logger = require('../utils/logger');
+
+exports.trackOpen = async (req, res) => {
+    const { emailId } = req.params;
+    try {
+        await EmailEvent.create({
+            email: emailId,             // ✅ required field
+            eventType: 'opened',
+            timestamp: new Date()
+        });
+        logger.info(`Open event logged for ${emailId}`);
+    } catch (err) {
+        logger.error('Error logging open event:', err);
+    }
+
+    const pixelPath = path.join(__dirname, '../assets/pixel.png');
+    if (fs.existsSync(pixelPath)) {
+        res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'image/png');
+        fs.createReadStream(pixelPath).pipe(res);
+    } else {
+        const img = Buffer.from(
+            'iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mP8z8BQDwAFxgJ/2fT8ZgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==',
+            'base64'
+        );
+        res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'image/png');
+        res.end(img);
+    }
+};
+
+exports.trackClick = async (req, res) => {
+    const { emailId } = req.params;
+    const redirect = req.query.redirect;
+
+    try {
+        await EmailEvent.create({
+            email: emailId,             // ✅ required field
+            eventType: 'clicked',
+            timestamp: new Date(),
+            metadata: { redirect }
+        });
+        logger.info(`Click event logged for ${emailId}`);
+    } catch (err) {
+        logger.error('Error logging click event:', err);
+    }
+
+    if (redirect) return res.redirect(redirect);
+    res.status(400).send('Missing redirect URL');
+};

backend/src/middlewares/errorMiddleware.js

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-export function errorMiddleware(err, req, res, next) { 
+export function errorMiddleware(err, req, res, next) {
     const statusCode = err.statusCode || 500;
     const message = err.message || 'Internal Server Error';
-    res.status(statusCode).json({ 
+    res.status(statusCode).json({
         success: false,
         message,
         stack: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' ? null : err.stack
-     });
-     next();
+    });
+    next();
 }

backend/src/models/EmailEvent.js

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+const mongoose = require('mongoose');
+
+const emailEventSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
+    email: { type: String, required: true },
+    subject: { type: String },
+    messageId: { type: String },
+    status: { type: String, enum: ['sent', 'opened', 'clicked'], default: 'sent' },
+    eventType: { type: String },
+    createdAt: { type: Date, default: Date.now }
+});
+
+module.exports = mongoose.model('EmailEvent', emailEventSchema);

backend/src/routes/trackRoutes.js

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+const express = require('express');
+const router = express.Router();
+const { trackOpen, trackClick } = require('../controllers/trackController');
+router.get('/open/:emailId.png', trackOpen);
+router.get('/click/:emailId', trackClick);
+
+module.exports = router;

backend/src/server.js

@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 require('dotenv').config();
-
 const express = require('express');
 const cors = require('cors');
 const connectDB = require('./config/db');
 const userRoutes = require('./routes/userRoutes');
 const { errorMiddleware } = require('./middlewares/errorMiddleware');
 const chatbotRoutes = require('./routes/chatbotRoutes');
 const emailRoutes = require('./routes/emailRoutes');
+const trackRoutes = require('./routes/trackRoutes');
+const { configDotenv } = require('dotenv');
 const contactRoutes = require('./routes/contactRoutes');
 const app = express();
 app.use(
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ app.use('/api/users', userRoutes);
 app.use('/api/chatbot', chatbotRoutes);
 app.use('/api/auth', userRoutes);
 app.use('/api/emails', emailRoutes);
+app.use('/api/track', trackRoutes);
 app.use('/api/contacts',contactRoutes);
 
 const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5000;

package.json

@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
     "nodemon": "^3.1.10",
     "react-hot-toast": "^2.6.0"
   }
-}
+}