## Overview
This PR adds a flexible system for sending update emails to all Whisper
Money users. As the solo developer, you can now easily communicate
product updates, announcements, and news to your growing user base.
## Problem Solved
- **No easy way to send announcements**: Previously, there was no simple
way to broadcast important updates to all users
- **Manual process**: Would require writing custom scripts each time
- **No duplicate prevention**: Risk of accidentally sending the same
email multiple times
- **Version control**: Email content wasn't tracked in git
## Solution
A complete email system that lets you:
1. Write update emails as markdown templates (version controlled)
2. Send them with a single command
3. Automatic duplicate prevention (users only receive each update once)
4. Track who received what in the database
## How It Works
### 1. Create Email Template
Create a markdown file in `resources/views/mail/updates/`:
```blade
<x-mail::message>
# What's New in January 2026
Hi {{ $user->name }},
Your update content here...
<x-mail::button :url="'https://discord.gg/9UQWZECDDv'">
Join the Discord Community
</x-mail::button>
Víctor Falcón Ruíz
Founder & Solo Developer, Whisper Money
</x-mail::message>
```
### 2. Send to All Users
```bash
# Simple - one command
php artisan email:update first-update-jan-2026
# With options
php artisan email:update first-update-jan-2026 --subject="Personal Thank You" --exclude-demo
```
### 3. Automatic Tracking
- Users only receive each update once (tracked by identifier)
- Can send different updates to same users
- View history in `user_mail_logs` table
## First Email Included
The PR includes the first update email (`first-update-jan-2026`)
announcing:
- 240+ GitHub stars milestone
- First paying users
- Discord community invitation
- Canny roadmap links
- Personal message from Víctor as the solo developer
## Technical Details
### What's New
**Database:**
- Migration: Add `email_identifier` column to `user_mail_logs`
- Migration: Update unique constraint to `(user_id, email_type,
email_identifier)`
**Backend:**
- `DripEmailType` enum: Added `Update` case
- `UpdateEmail` mailable: Generic mailable accepting any view
- `SendUpdateEmailJob`: Handles sending + duplicate prevention
- `SendUpdateEmailCommand`: Artisan command with progress bar
- Updated all 6 drip email jobs to support new constraint
**Frontend:**
- Email template directory: `resources/views/mail/updates/`
- Comprehensive README with examples
**Tests:**
- Complete test suite: 11 tests covering all scenarios
- Tests duplicate prevention, filtering, queue behavior
### Command Options
```bash
php artisan email:update <view> [identifier] [options]
Arguments:
view Template name (e.g., "jan-2026-updates")
identifier Tracking ID (defaults to view name)
Options:
--subject= Custom email subject
--exclude-demo Skip demo account
--force Skip confirmation prompt
```
## Benefits
1. **Simple**: One command to send any update email
2. **Flexible**: Just create a new markdown view, no code changes needed
3. **Safe**: Confirmation prompt and duplicate prevention
4. **Fast**: Queued delivery, non-blocking
5. **Tracked**: Full audit trail in UserMailLog
6. **Consistent**: Follows existing drip email patterns
7. **Reusable**: Same command for all future update emails
8. **Version Controlled**: Email content is in git, reviewable
## Migration Path
To use in production:
```bash
# 1. Run migrations
php artisan migrate
# 2. Create your email template
vim resources/views/mail/updates/your-update.blade.php
# 3. Commit and deploy
git add resources/views/mail/updates/your-update.blade.php
git commit -m "Add update email"
git push
# 4. Send on production
php artisan email:update your-update
```
## Example Use Cases
- Product announcements
- New feature launches
- Community updates
- Milestone celebrations
- Important notifications
- Partnership announcements
## Files Changed
### Created
- `database/migrations/*_add_email_identifier_to_user_mail_logs.php`
- `database/migrations/*_update_user_mail_logs_unique_constraint.php`
- `app/Mail/UpdateEmail.php`
- `app/Jobs/SendUpdateEmailJob.php`
- `app/Console/Commands/SendUpdateEmailCommand.php`
- `resources/views/mail/updates/first-update-jan-2026.blade.php`
- `resources/views/mail/updates/README.md`
- `tests/Feature/Console/SendUpdateEmailCommandTest.php`
### Modified
- `app/Enums/DripEmailType.php` (added Update case)
- `app/Models/UserMailLog.php` (added email_identifier field)
- All 6 drip email jobs (added email_identifier support)
## Testing
All tests passing (11 tests, 27 assertions):
- ✅ Command dispatches jobs for all users
- ✅ Command excludes demo account when flag is set
- ✅ Command fails when view does not exist
- ✅ Command uses custom subject when provided
- ✅ Job is dispatched to emails queue
- ✅ Command handles empty user database gracefully
- ✅ Job skips users who already received the update
- ✅ Job creates mail log entry after sending
- ✅ Job sends email with correct view and user data
- ✅ Command requires confirmation by default
- ✅ Command skips confirmation with force flag
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