Cannot find Database Mail feature in SQL Server Express 2012 SP1

Question

I need to use SQL Server Database Mail feature in my project. However Database Mail seems not available on my development instance.

There should be a 'Database Mail' node in the Object Explorer. In this screenshot I can't seem to find any. Also shown is my SQL Server version.

Is Database Mail not supported in this SQL Server version? Which SQL Server version (or edition) required to use Database Mail?

All documentation I can find online always assume the feature is already installed and just go on explaining how to configure it. If my SQL Server version supports Database Mail, how to install/enable the feature?

Answer 1

You can use SQL Mail with SQL Server Express edition.

Borrowing liberally from Sending Mail using SQL Server Express Edition

To configure SQL mail we need to follow below steps.

--Create Sysmail Account
--Use sysmail_add_account_sp stored procedure of MSDB database to configure sysmail  account.
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_account_sp
@account_name = 'MailTest',
@description = 'Sent Mail using MSDB',
@email_address = 'YourEmail@test.com',
@display_name = 'DisplayName',
--@username='umashankar@queryingsql.com',
--@password='password',
@mailserver_name = 'mail.server.com'

--Creating Database Profile
--Use sysmail_add_profile_sp stored procedure of MSDB database to configure Database Profile.
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_profile_sp
@profile_name = 'MailTest',
@description = 'Profile used to send mail'

--Add database Mail account to profile
--Use sysmail_add_profileaccount_sp stored procedure of MSDB database to map database mail account to Profile.
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_profileaccount_sp
@profile_name = 'MailTest',
@account_name = 'MailTest',
@sequence_number = 1

--Grants permission for a database user or role to use a Database Mail profile.
--To Grant permission for a database user or role to use a Database Mail profile use sysmail_add_principalprofile_sp.
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_principalprofile_sp
@profile_name = 'MailTest',
@principal_name = 'public',
@is_default = 1 ;

--Enable 'Database Mail XPs'.
sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE;
GO
sp_configure 'Database Mail XPs', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE
GO

--Send Mail using Created Profile
exec msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail @profile_name = 'MailTest', @recipients = 'receiver@queryingsql.com', @subject = 'Mail Test', @body = 'Mail Sent Successfully', @body_format = 'text'

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I will say that SQL Mail is deprecated and may be removed in a future version of SQL Server Express, but it still seems to work in the latest edition.

Answer 2

Is Database Mail not supported in this SQL Server version? Which SQL Server version (or edition) required to use Database Mail?

Database mail is not included when using SQL Server Express edition: Source

To be able to use database mail, you could opt for Web, Standard or Enterprise edition. In non production environments you could also go for developer edition.