send-email

Original🇺🇸 English
Translated

Use when sending transactional emails (welcome messages, order confirmations, password resets, receipts), notifications, or bulk emails via Resend API.

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NPX Install

npx skill4agent add resend/resend-skills send-email

Tags

Translated version includes tags in frontmatter

Send Email with Resend

Overview

Resend provides two endpoints for sending emails:
ApproachEndpointUse Case
Single
POST /emails
Individual transactional emails, emails with attachments, scheduled sends
Batch
POST /emails/batch
Multiple distinct emails in one request (max 100), bulk notifications
Choose batch when:
  • Sending 2+ distinct emails at once
  • Reducing API calls is important (by default, rate limit is 2 requests per second)
  • No attachments or scheduling needed
Choose single when:
  • Sending one email
  • Email needs attachments
  • Email needs to be scheduled
  • Different recipients need different timing

Quick Start

  1. Detect project language from config files (package.json, requirements.txt, go.mod, etc.)
  2. Install SDK (preferred) or use cURL - See references/installation.md
  3. Choose single or batch based on the decision matrix above
  4. Implement best practices - Idempotency keys, error handling, retries

Best Practices (Critical for Production)

Always implement these for production email sending. See references/best-practices.md for complete implementations.

Idempotency Keys

Prevent duplicate emails when retrying failed requests.
Key Facts
Format (single)
<event-type>/<entity-id>
(e.g.,
welcome-email/user-123
)
Format (batch)
batch-<event-type>/<batch-id>
(e.g.,
batch-orders/batch-456
)
Expiration24 hours
Max length256 characters
Duplicate payloadReturns original response without resending
Different payloadReturns 409 error

Error Handling

CodeAction
400, 422Fix request parameters, don't retry
401, 403Check API key / verify domain, don't retry
409Idempotency conflict - use new key or fix payload
429Rate limited - retry with exponential backoff (by default, rate limit is 2 requests/second)
500Server error - retry with exponential backoff

Retry Strategy

  • Backoff: Exponential (1s, 2s, 4s...)
  • Max retries: 3-5 for most use cases
  • Only retry: 429 (rate limit) and 500 (server error)
  • Always use: Idempotency keys when retrying

Single Email

Endpoint:
POST /emails
(prefer SDK over cURL)

Required Parameters

ParameterTypeDescription
from
stringSender address. Format:
"Name <email@domain.com>"
to
string[]Recipient addresses (max 50)
subject
stringEmail subject line
html
or
text
stringEmail body content

Optional Parameters

ParameterTypeDescription
cc
string[]CC recipients
bcc
string[]BCC recipients
reply_to
*
string[]Reply-to addresses
scheduled_at
*
stringSchedule send time (ISO 8601)
attachments
arrayFile attachments (max 40MB total)
tags
arrayKey/value pairs for tracking (see Tags)
headers
objectCustom headers
*Parameter naming varies by SDK (e.g.,
replyTo
in Node.js,
reply_to
in Python).

Minimal Example (Node.js)

typescript
import { Resend } from 'resend';

const resend = new Resend(process.env.RESEND_API_KEY);

const { data, error } = await resend.emails.send(
  {
    from: 'Acme <onboarding@resend.dev>',
    to: ['delivered@resend.dev'],
    subject: 'Hello World',
    html: '<p>Email body here</p>',
  },
  { idempotencyKey: `welcome-email/${userId}` }
);

if (error) {
  console.error('Failed:', error.message);
  return;
}
console.log('Sent:', data.id);
See references/single-email-examples.md for all SDK implementations with error handling and retry logic.

Batch Email

Endpoint:
POST /emails/batch
(but prefer SDK over cURL)

Limitations

  • No attachments - Use single sends for emails with attachments
  • No scheduling - Use single sends for scheduled emails
  • Atomic - If one email fails validation, the entire batch fails
  • Max 100 emails per request
  • Max 50 recipients per individual email in the batch

Pre-validation

Since the entire batch fails on any validation error, validate all emails before sending:
  • Check required fields (from, to, subject, html/text)
  • Validate email formats
  • Ensure batch size <= 100

Minimal Example (Node.js)

typescript
import { Resend } from 'resend';

const resend = new Resend(process.env.RESEND_API_KEY);

const { data, error } = await resend.batch.send(
  [
    {
      from: 'Acme <notifications@acme.com>',
      to: ['delivered@resend.dev'],
      subject: 'Order Shipped',
      html: '<p>Your order has shipped!</p>',
    },
    {
      from: 'Acme <notifications@acme.com>',
      to: ['delivered@resend.dev'],
      subject: 'Order Confirmed',
      html: '<p>Your order is confirmed!</p>',
    },
  ],
  { idempotencyKey: `batch-orders/${batchId}` }
);

if (error) {
  console.error('Batch failed:', error.message);
  return;
}
console.log('Sent:', data.map(e => e.id));
See references/batch-email-examples.md for all SDK implementations with validation, error handling, and retry logic.

Large Batches (100+ Emails)

For sends larger than 100 emails, chunk into multiple batch requests:
  1. Split into chunks of 100 emails each
  2. Use unique idempotency keys per chunk:
    <batch-prefix>/chunk-<index>
  3. Send chunks in parallel for better throughput
  4. Track results per chunk to handle partial failures
See references/batch-email-examples.md for complete chunking implementations.

Deliverability

Follow these practices to maximize inbox placement.
For more help with deliverability, install the email-best-practices skill with
npx skills add resend/email-best-practices
.

Required

PracticeWhy
Valid SPF, DKIM, DMARC recordauthenticate the email and prevent spoofing
Links match sending domainIf sending from
@acme.com
, link to
https://acme.com
- mismatched domains trigger spam filters
Include plain text versionUse both
html
and
text
parameters for accessibility and deliverability (Resend generates a plain text version if not provided)
Avoid "no-reply" addressesUse real addresses (e.g.,
support@
) - improves trust signals
Keep body under 102KBGmail clips larger messages

Recommended

PracticeWhy
Use subdomainsSend transactional from
notifications.acme.com
, marketing from
mail.acme.com
- protects reputation
Disable tracking for transactionalOpen/click tracking can trigger spam filters for password resets, receipts, etc.

Tracking (Opens & Clicks)

Tracking is configured at the domain level in the Resend dashboard, not per-email.
SettingHow it worksRecommendation
Open trackingInserts 1x1 transparent pixelDisable for transactional emails - can hurt deliverability
Click trackingRewrites links through redirectDisable for sensitive emails (password resets, security alerts)
When to enable tracking:
  • Marketing emails where engagement metrics matter
  • Newsletters and announcements
When to disable tracking:
  • Transactional emails (receipts, confirmations, password resets)
  • Security-sensitive emails
  • When maximizing deliverability is priority
Configure via dashboard: Domain → Configuration → Click/Open Tracking

Webhooks (Event Notifications)

Track email delivery status in real-time using webhooks. Resend sends HTTP POST requests to your endpoint when events occur.
EventWhen to use
email.delivered
Confirm successful delivery
email.bounced
Remove from mailing list, alert user
email.complained
Unsubscribe user (spam complaint)
email.opened
/
email.clicked
Track engagement (marketing only)
CRITICAL: Always verify webhook signatures. Without verification, attackers can send fake events to your endpoint.
See references/webhooks.md for setup, signature verification code, and all event types.

Tags

Tags are key/value pairs that help you track and filter emails.
typescript
tags: [
  { name: 'user_id', value: 'usr_123' },
  { name: 'email_type', value: 'welcome' },
  { name: 'plan', value: 'enterprise' }
]
Use cases:
  • Associate emails with customers in your system
  • Categorize by email type (welcome, receipt, password-reset)
  • Filter emails in the Resend dashboard
  • Correlate webhook events back to your application
Constraints: Tag names and values can only contain ASCII letters, numbers, underscores, or dashes. Max 256 characters each.

Templates

Use pre-built templates instead of sending HTML with each request.
typescript
const { data, error } = await resend.emails.send({
  from: 'Acme <hello@acme.com>',
  to: ['delivered@resend.dev'],
  subject: 'Welcome!',
  template: {
    id: 'tmpl_abc123',
    variables: {
      USER_NAME: 'John',      // Case-sensitive!
      ORDER_TOTAL: '$99.00'
    }
  }
});
IMPORTANT: Variable names are case-sensitive and must match exactly as defined in the template editor.
USER_NAME
user_name
.
FactDetail
Max variables20 per template
Reserved names
FIRST_NAME
,
LAST_NAME
,
EMAIL
,
RESEND_UNSUBSCRIBE_URL
,
contact
,
this
Fallback valuesOptional - if not set and variable missing, send fails
Can't combine with
html
,
text
, or
react
parameters
Templates must be published in the dashboard before use. Draft templates won't work.

Testing

WARNING: Never test with fake addresses at real email providers.
Using addresses like
test@gmail.com
,
example@outlook.com
, or
fake@yahoo.com
will:
  • Bounce - These addresses don't exist
  • Destroy your sender reputation - High bounce rates trigger spam filters
  • Get your domain blocklisted - Providers flag domains with high bounce rates

Safe Testing Options

MethodAddressResult
Delivered
delivered@resend.dev
Simulates successful delivery
Bounced
bounced@resend.dev
Simulates hard bounce
Complained
complained@resend.dev
Simulates spam complaint
Your own emailYour actual addressReal delivery test
For development: Use the
resend.dev
test addresses to simulate different scenarios without affecting your reputation.
For staging: Send to real addresses you control (team members, test accounts you own).

Domain Warm-up

New domains must gradually increase sending volume to establish reputation.
Why it matters: Sudden high volume from a new domain triggers spam filters. ISPs expect gradual growth.

Recommended Schedule

Existing domain
DayMessages per dayMessages per hour
1Up to 1,000 emails100 Maximum
2Up to 2,500 emails300 Maximum
3Up to 5,000 emails600 Maximum
4Up to 5,000 emails800 Maximum
5Up to 7,500 emails1,000 Maximum
6Up to 7,500 emails1,500 Maximum
7Up to 10,000 emails2,000 Maximum
New domain
DayMessages per dayMessages per hour
1Up to 150 emails
2Up to 250 emails
3Up to 400 emails
4Up to 700 emails50 Maximum
5Up to 1,000 emails75 Maximum
6Up to 1,500 emails100 Maximum
7Up to 2,000 emails150 Maximum

Monitor These Metrics

MetricTargetAction if exceeded
Bounce rate< 4%Slow down, clean list
Spam complaint rate< 0.08%Slow down, review content
Don't use third-party warm-up services. Focus on sending relevant content to real, engaged recipients.

Suppression List

Resend automatically manages a suppression list of addresses that should not receive emails.
Addresses are added when:
  • Email hard bounces (address doesn't exist)
  • Recipient marks email as spam
  • You manually add them via dashboard
What happens: Resend won't attempt delivery to suppressed addresses. The
email.suppressed
webhook event fires instead.
Why this matters: Continuing to send to bounced/complained addresses destroys your reputation. The suppression list protects you automatically.
Management: View and manage suppressed addresses in the Resend dashboard under Suppressions.

Common Mistakes

MistakeFix
Retrying without idempotency keyAlways include idempotency key - prevents duplicate sends on retry
Using batch for emails with attachmentsBatch doesn't support attachments - use single sends instead
Not validating batch before sendValidate all emails first - one invalid email fails the entire batch
Retrying 400/422 errorsThese are validation errors - fix the request, don't retry
Same idempotency key, different payloadReturns 409 error - use unique key per unique email content
Tracking enabled for transactional emailsDisable open/click tracking for password resets, receipts - hurts deliverability
Using "no-reply" sender addressUse real address like
support@
- improves trust signals with email providers
Not verifying webhook signaturesAlways verify - attackers can send fake events to your endpoint
Testing with fake emails (test@gmail.com)Use
delivered@resend.dev
- fake addresses bounce and hurt reputation
Template variable name mismatchVariable names are case-sensitive -
USER_NAME
user_name
Sending high volume from new domainWarm up gradually - sudden spikes trigger spam filters

Notes

  • The
    from
    address must use a verified domain
  • If the sending address cannot receive replies, set the
    reply_to
    parameter to a valid address.
  • Store API key in
    RESEND_API_KEY
    environment variable
  • Node.js SDK supports
    react
    parameter for React Email components
  • Resend returns
    error
    ,
    data
    ,
    headers
    in the response.
  • Data returns
    { id: "email-id" }
    on success (single) or array of IDs (batch)
  • For marketing campaigns to large lists, use Resend Broadcasts instead