SendGrid Automation via Rube MCP
Automate SendGrid email delivery workflows including marketing campaigns (Single Sends), contact and list management, sender identity setup, and email analytics through Composio's SendGrid toolkit.
Prerequisites
- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
- Active SendGrid connection via with toolkit
- Always call first to get current tool schemas
Setup
Get Rube MCP: Add
as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
- Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming responds
- Call with toolkit
- If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete SendGrid API key authentication
- Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
Core Workflows
1. Create and Send Marketing Campaigns (Single Sends)
When to use: User wants to create and send a marketing email campaign to a contact list or segment.
Tool sequence:
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
- List available marketing lists to target [Prerequisite]
- - Create a new list if needed [Optional]
SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT
- Add contacts to the list [Optional]
SENDGRID_GET_ALL_SENDER_IDENTITIES
- Get verified sender ID [Prerequisite]
SENDGRID_CREATE_SINGLE_SEND
- Create the campaign with content, sender, and recipients [Required]
Key parameters for SENDGRID_CREATE_SINGLE_SEND:
- : Campaign name (required)
- : Email subject line
email__config__html__content
: HTML body content
email__config__plain__content
: Plain text version
email__config__sender__id
: Verified sender identity ID
email__config__design__id
: Use instead of html_content for pre-built designs
- : Array of list UUIDs to send to
- : Array of segment UUIDs
- : true to send to all contacts
email__config__suppression__group__id
or email__config__custom__unsubscribe__url
: One required for compliance
Pitfalls:
- Setting on CREATE does NOT schedule the send; it only prepopulates the UI date; use the Schedule endpoint separately
- is only valid with the Schedule endpoint, not CREATE
- Must provide either or for unsubscribe compliance
- Sender must be verified before use; check with
SENDGRID_GET_ALL_SENDER_IDENTITIES
- Nested params use double-underscore notation (e.g., )
2. Manage Contacts and Lists
When to use: User wants to create contact lists, add/update contacts, search for contacts, or remove contacts from lists.
Tool sequence:
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
- List all marketing lists [Required]
- - Create a new contact list [Optional]
SENDGRID_GET_A_LIST_BY_ID
- Get list details and sample contacts [Optional]
SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT
- Upsert contacts with list association [Required]
SENDGRID_GET_CONTACTS_BY_EMAILS
- Look up contacts by email [Optional]
SENDGRID_GET_CONTACTS_BY_IDENTIFIERS
- Look up contacts by email, phone, or external ID [Optional]
SENDGRID_GET_LIST_CONTACT_COUNT
- Verify contact count after operations [Optional]
SENDGRID_REMOVE_CONTACTS_FROM_A_LIST
- Remove contacts from a list without deleting [Optional]
SENDGRID_REMOVE_LIST_AND_OPTIONAL_CONTACTS
- Delete an entire list [Optional]
- - Bulk import from CSV [Optional]
Key parameters for SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT:
- : Array of contact objects (max 30,000 or 6MB), each with at least one identifier: , , , or (required)
- : Array of list UUID strings to associate contacts with
Pitfalls:
SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT
is asynchronous; returns 202 with ; contacts may take 10-30 seconds to appear
- List IDs are UUIDs (e.g., "ca7a3796-e8a8-4029-9ccb-df8937940562"), not integers
- List names must be unique; duplicate names cause 400 errors
SENDGRID_ADD_A_SINGLE_RECIPIENT_TO_A_LIST
uses the legacy API; prefer SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT
with
SENDGRID_REMOVE_LIST_AND_OPTIONAL_CONTACTS
is irreversible; require explicit user confirmation
- Email addresses are automatically lowercased by SendGrid
3. Manage Sender Identities
When to use: User wants to set up or view sender identities (From addresses) for sending emails.
Tool sequence:
SENDGRID_GET_ALL_SENDER_IDENTITIES
- List all existing sender identities [Required]
SENDGRID_CREATE_A_SENDER_IDENTITY
- Create a new sender identity [Optional]
SENDGRID_VIEW_A_SENDER_IDENTITY
- View details for a specific sender [Optional]
SENDGRID_UPDATE_A_SENDER_IDENTITY
- Update sender details [Optional]
SENDGRID_CREATE_VERIFIED_SENDER_REQUEST
- Create and verify a new sender [Optional]
SENDGRID_AUTHENTICATE_A_DOMAIN
- Set up domain authentication for auto-verification [Optional]
Key parameters for SENDGRID_CREATE_A_SENDER_IDENTITY:
- : From email address (required)
- : Display name (required)
- : Reply-to address (required)
- : Internal identifier (required)
- , , : Physical address for CAN-SPAM compliance (required)
Pitfalls:
- New senders must be verified before use; if domain is not authenticated, a verification email is sent
- Up to 100 unique sender identities per account
- Avoid using domains with strict DMARC policies (gmail.com, yahoo.com) as from addresses
SENDGRID_CREATE_VERIFIED_SENDER_REQUEST
sends a verification email; sender is unusable until verified
4. View Email Statistics and Activity
When to use: User wants to review email delivery stats, bounce rates, open/click metrics, or message activity.
Tool sequence:
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_GLOBAL_EMAIL_STATISTICS
- Get account-wide delivery metrics [Required]
SENDGRID_GET_ALL_CATEGORIES
- Discover available categories for filtering [Optional]
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_EMAIL_STATISTICS_FOR_CATEGORIES
- Get stats broken down by category [Optional]
SENDGRID_FILTER_ALL_MESSAGES
- Search email activity feed by recipient, status, or date [Optional]
SENDGRID_FILTER_MESSAGES_BY_MESSAGE_ID
- Get detailed events for a specific message [Optional]
- - Export activity data as CSV for large datasets [Optional]
- - Download the exported CSV file [Optional]
Key parameters for SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_GLOBAL_EMAIL_STATISTICS:
- : Start date YYYY-MM-DD (required)
- : End date YYYY-MM-DD
- : "day", "week", or "month"
- / : Pagination (default 500)
Key parameters for SENDGRID_FILTER_ALL_MESSAGES:
- : SQL-like query string, e.g., ,
to_email="user@example.com"
, date ranges with
- : 1-1000 (default 10)
Pitfalls:
SENDGRID_FILTER_ALL_MESSAGES
requires the "30 Days Additional Email Activity History" paid add-on; returns 403 without it
- Global statistics are nested under
details[].stats[0].metrics
, not a flat structure
- Category statistics are only available for the previous 13 months
- Maximum 10 categories per request in
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_EMAIL_STATISTICS_FOR_CATEGORIES
- CSV export is limited to one request per 12 hours; link expires after 3 days
5. Manage Suppressions
When to use: User wants to check or manage unsubscribe groups for email compliance.
Tool sequence:
SENDGRID_GET_SUPPRESSION_GROUPS
- List all suppression groups [Required]
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_SUPPRESSION_GROUPS_FOR_AN_EMAIL_ADDRESS
- Check suppression status for a specific email [Optional]
Pitfalls:
- Suppressed addresses remain undeliverable even if present on marketing lists
- Campaign send counts may be lower than list counts due to suppressions
Common Patterns
ID Resolution
Always resolve names to IDs before operations:
- List name -> list_id:
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
and match by name
- Sender name -> sender_id:
SENDGRID_GET_ALL_SENDER_IDENTITIES
and match
- Contact email -> contact_id:
SENDGRID_GET_CONTACTS_BY_EMAILS
with email array
- Template name -> template_id: Use the SendGrid UI or template endpoints
Pagination
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
: Token-based with and (max 1000)
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_GLOBAL_EMAIL_STATISTICS
: Offset-based with (max 500) and
- Always paginate list retrieval to avoid missing existing lists
Async Operations
Contact operations (
,
) are asynchronous:
- Returns 202 with a
- Wait 10-30 seconds before verifying with
- Use to confirm list growth
Known Pitfalls
ID Formats
- Marketing list IDs are UUIDs (e.g., "ca7a3796-e8a8-4029-9ccb-df8937940562")
- Legacy list IDs are integers; do not mix with Marketing API endpoints
- Sender identity IDs are integers
- Template IDs: Dynamic templates start with "d-", legacy templates are UUIDs
- Contact IDs are UUIDs
Rate Limits
- SendGrid may return HTTP 429; respect headers
- CSV export limited to one request per 12 hours
- Bulk contact upsert max: 30,000 contacts or 6MB per request
Parameter Quirks
- Nested params use double-underscore: ,
- on CREATE_SINGLE_SEND only sets a UI default, does NOT schedule
SENDGRID_ADD_A_SINGLE_RECIPIENT_TO_A_LIST
uses legacy API; is Base64-encoded lowercase email
SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
and both exist; prefer RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS for Marketing API
- Contact adds are async (202); always verify after a delay
Legacy vs Marketing API
- Some tools use the legacy Contact Database API () which may return 403 on newer accounts
- Prefer Marketing API tools:
SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT
, SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
, SENDGRID_CREATE_SINGLE_SEND
Quick Reference
| Task | Tool Slug | Key Params |
|---|
| List marketing lists | SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_ALL_LISTS
| , |
| Create list | | |
| Get list by ID | SENDGRID_GET_A_LIST_BY_ID
| |
| Get list count | SENDGRID_GET_LIST_CONTACT_COUNT
| |
| Add/update contacts | SENDGRID_ADD_OR_UPDATE_A_CONTACT
| , |
| Search contacts by email | SENDGRID_GET_CONTACTS_BY_EMAILS
| |
| Search by identifiers | SENDGRID_GET_CONTACTS_BY_IDENTIFIERS
| , |
| Remove from list | SENDGRID_REMOVE_CONTACTS_FROM_A_LIST
| , |
| Delete list | SENDGRID_REMOVE_LIST_AND_OPTIONAL_CONTACTS
| , |
| Import contacts CSV | | field mappings |
| Create Single Send | SENDGRID_CREATE_SINGLE_SEND
| , , |
| List sender identities | SENDGRID_GET_ALL_SENDER_IDENTITIES
| (none) |
| Create sender | SENDGRID_CREATE_A_SENDER_IDENTITY
| , , |
| Verify sender | SENDGRID_CREATE_VERIFIED_SENDER_REQUEST
| , , |
| Authenticate domain | SENDGRID_AUTHENTICATE_A_DOMAIN
| |
| Global email stats | SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_GLOBAL_EMAIL_STATISTICS
| , |
| Category stats | SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_EMAIL_STATISTICS_FOR_CATEGORIES
| , |
| Filter email activity | SENDGRID_FILTER_ALL_MESSAGES
| , |
| Message details | SENDGRID_FILTER_MESSAGES_BY_MESSAGE_ID
| |
| Export CSV | | |
| Download CSV | | |
| List categories | SENDGRID_GET_ALL_CATEGORIES
| (none) |
| Suppression groups | SENDGRID_GET_SUPPRESSION_GROUPS
| (none) |
| Get template | SENDGRID_RETRIEVE_A_SINGLE_TRANSACTIONAL_TEMPLATE
| |
| Duplicate template | SENDGRID_DUPLICATE_A_TRANSACTIONAL_TEMPLATE
| , |
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.