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Send Email

Trigger templated emails in your Automations.

This automation step triggers a Template email to be sent to the contact.

How it works

Section titled “How it works”

After adding a trigger, create a new step to Send an email.

Add Send Email Action

Select a published template, then configure the sender address.

Send Email Action Sender Settings

The subject always comes from the Template. To send a different subject, set subject when creating the step via the API.

Add a send_email step to your Automation's steps array.

Node.js
import { Resend } from 'resend';const resend = new Resend('re_xxxxxxxxx');const { data, error } = await resend.automations.create({  name: 'Welcome series',  steps: [    {      key: 'start',      type: 'trigger',      config: { eventName: 'user.created' },    },    {      key: 'welcome',      type: 'send_email',      config: {        template: {          id: '044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7',        },      },    },  ],  connections: [{ from: 'start', to: 'welcome' }],});
PHP
$resend = Resend::client('re_xxxxxxxxx');$resend->automations->create([  'name' => 'Welcome series',  'steps' => [    [      'key' => 'start',      'type' => 'trigger',      'config' => ['event_name' => 'user.created'],    ],    [      'key' => 'welcome',      'type' => 'send_email',      'config' => [        'template' => [          'id' => '044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7',        ],      ],    ],  ],  'connections' => [['from' => 'start', 'to' => 'welcome']],]);
Python
import resendresend.api_key = "re_xxxxxxxxx"params: resend.Automations.CreateParams = {  "name": "Welcome series",  "steps": [    {      "key": "start",      "type": "trigger",      "config": {"event_name": "user.created"},    },    {      "key": "welcome",      "type": "send_email",      "config": {        "template": {          "id": "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7",        },      },    },  ],  "connections": [{"from": "start", "to": "welcome"}],}resend.Automations.create(params)
Ruby
require "resend"Resend.api_key = "re_xxxxxxxxx"params = {  name: "Welcome series",  steps: [    {      key: "start",      type: "trigger",      config: { event_name: "user.created" },    },    {      key: "welcome",      type: "send_email",      config: {        template: {          id: "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7",        },      },    },  ],  connections: [{ from: "start", to: "welcome" }],}Resend::Automations.create(params)
Go
package mainimport "github.com/resend/resend-go/v4"func main() {	client := resend.NewClient("re_xxxxxxxxx")	params := &resend.CreateAutomationRequest{		Name: "Welcome series",		Steps: []resend.AutomationStep{			{				Key:  "start",				Type: resend.AutomationStepTypeTrigger,				Config: map[string]any{					"event_name": "user.created",				},			},			{				Key:  "welcome",				Type: resend.AutomationStepTypeSendEmail,				Config: map[string]any{					"template": map[string]any{						"id": "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7",					},				},			},		},		Connections: []resend.AutomationConnection{			{From: "start", To: "welcome"},		},	}	client.Automations.Create(params)}
Rust
use resend_rs::{  types::{    AutomationStatus, AutomationTemplate, Connection, CreateAutomationOptions, SendEmailStepConfig,    Step, TriggerStepConfig,  },  Resend, Result,};#[tokio::main]async fn main() -> Result<()> {  let resend = Resend::new("re_xxxxxxxxx");  let opts = CreateAutomationOptions {    name: "Welcome series".to_owned(),    steps: vec![      Step::Trigger {        key: "start".to_owned(),        config: TriggerStepConfig {          event_name: "user.created".to_owned(),        },      },      Step::SendEmail {        key: "welcome".to_owned(),        config: SendEmailStepConfig::new(AutomationTemplate::new(          "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7",        )),      },    ],    connections: vec![Connection::new("start", "welcome")],    status: AutomationStatus::Disabled,  };  let _automation = resend.automations.create(opts).await?;  Ok(())}
Java
import com.resend.*;import com.resend.core.exception.ResendException;import com.resend.services.automations.model.AutomationConnection;import com.resend.services.automations.model.AutomationStep;import com.resend.services.automations.model.CreateAutomationOptions;import com.resend.services.automations.model.CreateAutomationResponseSuccess;import java.util.Map;public class Main {    public static void main(String[] args) throws ResendException {        Resend resend = new Resend("re_xxxxxxxxx");        CreateAutomationOptions options = CreateAutomationOptions.builder()                .name("Welcome series")                .steps(                    AutomationStep.trigger("start")                        .eventName("user.created")                        .build(),                    AutomationStep.sendEmail("welcome")                        .template("044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7")                        .templateVariable("name", Map.of("var", "event.firstName"))                        .build()                )                .connections(                    AutomationConnection.builder()                        .from("start")                        .to("welcome")                        .build()                )                .build();        CreateAutomationResponseSuccess data = resend.automations().create(options);    }}
.NET
using Resend;using System.Text.Json;IResend resend = ResendClient.Create( "re_xxxxxxxxx" );var startConfig = JsonSerializer.SerializeToElement( new { event_name = "user.created" } );var welcomeConfig = JsonSerializer.SerializeToElement( new{    template = new    {        id = "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7",        variables = new { name = new { @var = "event.firstName" } },    },    subject = "Welcome to Acme!",    from = "Acme <hello@example.com>",    reply_to = "support@example.com",} );var resp = await resend.AutomationCreateAsync( new AutomationCreateData(){    Name = "Welcome series",    Steps = new List<AutomationStepData>    {        new AutomationStepData { Ref = "start", Type = "trigger", Config = startConfig },        new AutomationStepData { Ref = "welcome", Type = "send_email", Config = welcomeConfig },    },    Connections = new List<AutomationEdge>    {        new AutomationEdge { From = "start", To = "welcome", EdgeType = "default" },    },} );
cURL
curl -X POST 'https://api.resend.com/automations' \     -H 'Authorization: Bearer re_xxxxxxxxx' \     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \     -d '{  "name": "Welcome series",  "steps": [{    "key": "start",    "type": "trigger",    "config": { "event_name": "user.created" }  }, {    "key": "welcome",    "type": "send_email",    "config": {      "template": {        "id": "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7"      }    }  }],  "connections": [    { "from": "start", "to": "welcome" }  ]}'
CLI
resend automations create --name "Welcome series" --file ./automation.json

Template variables

Section titled “Template variables”

Use the variables field to pass data into your template. Each value is a static string, passed as-is, or a reference with { "var": "<path>" }:

  • event.* is a field from the event that triggered the Automation, such as event.firstName.
  • contact.* is a field from the contact, such as contact.properties.company.
  • wait_events.<event_name>.* is a field from an event a previous wait for event step received, such as wait_events.feedback.received.response. If the Automation waited for that event more than once, this is the most recent one before this step.
JSON
{  "key": "welcome",  "type": "send_email",  "config": {    "template": {      "id": "044db673-fff6-420f-a566-f6aba05d60e7",      "variables": {        "firstName": { "var": "event.firstName" },        "orderNumber": { "var": "event.orderId" },        "total": { "var": "event.amount" },        "company": { "var": "contact.properties.company" },        "feedback": { "var": "wait_events.feedback.received.response" },        "supportEmail": "help@example.com"      }    }  }}

Template variables must be present in your referenced template and the key names must match exactly with the template variable names.

For more help working with variables, see the Template documentation.

Unsubscribe behavior

Section titled “Unsubscribe behavior”

Resend does not automatically add an unsubscribe link to emails sent from a send_email step. To let contacts opt out, add {{{RESEND_UNSUBSCRIBE_URL}}} to the Template used by the step.

See when to use an unsubscribe link to decide whether your Automation emails need one.

Configuration

Section titled “Configuration”

  • config.template (object, required) — The published template to send. Provide id and optionally variables.

    properties
    • config.template.id (string, required) — The ID or alias of the template to send.
    • config.template.variables (object) — A key-value map of template variables. Each value can be a static string or a variable reference object ({ "var": "event.fieldName" }) that resolves dynamically from the event.*, contact.*, or wait_events.* namespaces.

  • config.from (string) — The sender email address.

    If provided, this value will override the template's default value.

  • config.subject (string) — The email subject line.

    If provided, this value will override the template's default value.

  • config.reply_to (string) — Reply-to email address.

    If provided, this value will override the template's default value.

JSON
{
  "key": "welcome",
  "type": "send_email",
  "config": {
    "template": {
      "id": "062f8ef4-fbfa-44f1-b5e0-ff8e1e8ffa96",
      "variables": {
        "name": { "var": "event.firstName" }
      }
    },
    "from": "hello@example.com",
    "subject": "Welcome!",
    "reply_to": "support@example.com"
  }
}
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