apache/airflow

Improve default task failure email template for readability and operational clarity

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#61667 opened on Feb 9, 2026

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 (4 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (44,809 stars) (16,781 forks)batch import
area:providersgood first issuekind:featureprovider:smtp

Description

Description

The default Airflow task failure email is difficult to read and not optimized for operators.

Currently the subject and body contain a raw Python object dump (UUIDs, repr(), internal fields), which makes it hard to quickly understand:

  • which DAG failed
  • which task failed
  • when it failed
  • where to click for logs

This is noisy and not human-friendly for production operations.

What is proposed

Replace the current default task failure email with a cleaner, human-readable template.

Instead of exposing a raw Python object dump (UUIDs, internal fields, repr()), the email should present structured, actionable information: DAG, task, run ID, attempt, timestamps, host, and a direct link to logs.

Provide a simple, modern HTML + text layout optimized for quick scanning and mobile readability, while keeping advanced/debug details optional.

This change improves the out-of-the-box operator experience without requiring users to create custom templates, and remains fully backward compatible since templates can still be overridden.

I’ve attached the template files I created. Feel free to reuse or adapt them if helpful.

Use case/motivation

In real deployments:

  • alerts are read quickly on mobile
  • operators need key info at a glance
  • long debug metadata is rarely useful in email
  • links to logs are more important than internal fields

Today this requires fully custom templates to get a usable format.

A better default template would improve UX out-of-the-box and reduce customization overhead.

Related issues

No response

Are you willing to submit a PR?

  • Yes I am willing to submit a PR!

Code of Conduct

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
developer experience
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Basic PythonHTML/CSSUnderstanding of Airflow email notifications
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75
Research direction
Investigate the current email template in the Airflow source code, likely in airflow/utils/email.py or related template files. Review the attached template files for reference. Implement a new HTML and plaintext template that presents structured information like DAG name, task ID, run ID, timestamps, and log link. Ensure backward compatibility by allowing user overrides. Test the output with a local Airflow instance.