flow.mail.getotp
Introduction
flow.mail.getotp is a Flow Command that retrieves a One-Time Password (OTP) sent to a Flowstride email address and stores it in a Flowstride variable.
Unlike traditional automation frameworks that require engineers to integrate third-party mailbox services, configure IMAP connections, or write custom email parsing logic, flow.mail.getotp is built directly into the Flowstride ecosystem.
When executed, the command securely communicates with Flowstride Cloud, which automatically retrieves the latest verification code from Flowstride's managed mail infrastructure and returns it to your running Scenario.
The Problem It Solves
Automating registration, password reset, email verification, and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) workflows is traditionally one of the most difficult parts of end-to-end testing.
Most automation frameworks require engineers to:
- Integrate external email providers
- Configure IMAP mailboxes
- Continuously poll for incoming emails
- Parse HTML email bodies
- Write regular expressions to extract verification codes
- Handle retries and timeout logic
flow.mail.getotp eliminates this complexity.
Instead of writing mailbox integration code or relying on external email services, Flowstride retrieves the verification code on your behalf and makes it immediately available as a Flowstride variable.
How flow.mail.getotp Works
flow.mail.getotp combines the Flowstride parser, runtime, Flowstride Cloud, and Flowstride's managed mail infrastructure into a single seamless workflow.
1. Syntax Parsing
The parser recognises the command and extracts:
- The target email address
- The destination variable
- Whether the variable should be stored locally or globally
The parser supports both the into and as keywords.
2. Cloud Authentication
When execution reaches the getOtp action, Flowstride first authenticates the current workspace using your Flowstride Cloud machine token.
The runtime automatically retrieves your authenticated session before sending the request to Flowstride Cloud.
3. Automatic OTP Polling
Flowstride Cloud securely proxies the request to Flowstride's managed mail infrastructure.
Rather than expecting the verification email to already exist, the runtime automatically polls for the OTP.
The polling process:
- Attempts retrieval up to 10 times
- Waits 3 seconds between attempts
- Automatically stops once the OTP is found
- Times out after approximately 30 seconds if no email arrives
No additional waiting logic or retry loops are required in your script.
4. Variable Assignment
Once the verification code is successfully retrieved, Flowstride stores it in the variable specified by your script.
The value can then be used immediately by subsequent Flow Commands such as flow.passcode or flow.type.
Syntax
Store the OTP in a local variable.
flow.mail.getotp "john.doe@flowstridemail.com" into "loginOtp";Store the OTP using the as keyword.
flow.mail.getotp "john.doe@flowstridemail.com" as "loginOtp";Store the OTP as a global variable.
flow.mail.getotp "john.doe@flowstridemail.com" into global "loginOtp";Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Email Address | ✅ | The @flowstridemail.com mailbox that receives the verification email. |
into / as | ✅ | Specifies how the extracted OTP should be assigned. |
global | Optional | Stores the OTP as a global variable instead of a local variable. |
| Variable Name | ✅ | The variable that receives the extracted OTP. |
Examples
Retrieve a verification code during login
Generate a unique Flowstride email address, retrieve the verification code, and continue the login process without integrating any external email provider.
Feature: User Login
Scenario: Login using email verification
Given "User lands on the login page"
flow.open "/";
When "User enters login credentials"
flow.type input "Email" "@randomEmail@flowstridemail.com";
flow.type input "Password" "@randomPassword";
When "User clicks the Login button"
flow.click button "Login";
When "Retrieve the verification code"
flow.mail.getotp "@randomEmail@flowstridemail.com" into "myOtp";
When "Enter the verification code"
flow.type input "Enter 6-digit OTP" "@myOtp";
When "Verify the account"
flow.click button "Verify OTP";
Then "User is successfully logged in"
flow.expect visible "Logout";Store the verification code globally
Global variables allow the OTP to be reused across multiple Scenarios or Flow files.
Feature: User Registration
Scenario: Capture the registration verification code
Given "A verification email has been sent"
flow.click button "Send Verification Email";
When "Retrieve the verification code"
flow.mail.getotp "@randomEmail@flowstridemail.com" into global "registrationOtp";
Then "The verification screen is displayed"
flow.expect visible "Enter your verification code";When to Use flow.mail.getotp
Use flow.mail.getotp whenever your application sends verification codes by email, including:
- User registration
- Email verification
- Password reset
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Secure login workflows
Important Notes
Flowstride Cloud
flow.mail.getotp is a Flowstride Cloud feature.
Before using this command, authenticate your workspace by signing in to Flowstride Cloud.
The runtime securely communicates with Flowstride Cloud to retrieve the verification code on your behalf.
Automatic polling
Flowstride automatically waits for the verification email to arrive.
The runtime polls Flowstride Cloud until the verification code becomes available or the timeout is reached.
You do not need to add manual delays or retry loops to your Scenario.
Use a Flowstride email address
flow.mail.getotp only retrieves verification codes sent to email addresses ending with the @flowstridemail.com domain.
For example:
flow.mail.getotp "john.doe@flowstridemail.com" into "otp";Using any other email domain is not supported.
Variable assignment
The retrieved OTP can be assigned to either:
- a local variable
- a global variable
using either the into or as keywords.
Common Mistakes
Don't use personal email providers
The following will not work:
flow.mail.getotp "john@gmail.com" into "otp";Instead, use a Flowstride mailbox:
flow.mail.getotp "@randomEmail@flowstridemail.com" into "otp";Every mailbox used with flow.mail.getotp must end with the @flowstridemail.com domain.
Don't add manual waiting logic
The runtime already performs automatic polling for incoming verification emails.
Avoid adding commands such as long waits before calling flow.mail.getotp.
Instead, retrieve the OTP immediately after triggering the email.
Use the returned variable
Avoid hardcoding verification codes.
Instead of:
flow.type input "Enter 6-digit OTP" "123456";use:
flow.type input "Enter 6-digit OTP" "@myOtp";This allows your Scenario to work with live verification codes generated by your application.