Send Email

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

How it works

Using the dashboard
Using the API

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

Select a published template, then configure the sender address.

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.

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' }],
});

$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']],
]);

import resend

resend.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)

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)

package main

import "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)
}

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(())
}

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);
    }
}

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 -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" }
  ]
}'

resend automations create --name "Welcome series" --file ./automation.json

Only published templates are available to be used in an Automation.

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.

{
  "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

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.

{{{RESEND_UNSUBSCRIBE_URL}}} must be added to the Template itself, not the step’s config. If the Template doesn’t include this variable, contacts have no way to unsubscribe from within the email.

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

Configuration

object

required

The published template to send. Provide id and optionally variables.

Hide properties

string

required

The ID or alias of the template to send.

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.

string

The sender email address.If provided, this value will override the template’s default value.

string

The email subject line.If provided, this value will override the template’s default value.

string

Reply-to email address.If provided, this value will override the template’s default value.

{
  "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"
  }
}

Get started

Learn

Resources

How it works

Template variables

Unsubscribe behavior

Configuration