Transactional

Overview

Learn about transactional emails and how Transactional helps you send reliable, trackable emails at scale.

What are Transactional Emails?

Transactional emails are automated messages triggered by user actions or system events. Unlike marketing emails, they deliver critical information that users expect and need.

Common Examples

  • Welcome emails - Sent when a user signs up
  • Password resets - Triggered when a user requests to reset their password
  • Order confirmations - Sent after a purchase is completed
  • Shipping notifications - Updates on order delivery status
  • Account alerts - Security notifications, billing reminders, etc.

Why Transactional Matters

Traditional email services like Gmail or Outlook aren't designed for automated emails. They have:

  • Rate limits that block bulk sending
  • No delivery tracking or analytics
  • Poor deliverability for automated messages
  • No API access for programmatic sending

Transactional solves these problems with infrastructure built specifically for automated emails.

Key Features

Reliable Delivery

Our email infrastructure ensures your messages reach the inbox:

  • Smart routing across multiple IP pools
  • Automatic retry on temporary failures
  • Reputation monitoring and management
  • SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication

Real-time Analytics

Track every email from send to engagement:

  • Open and click tracking
  • Bounce and complaint monitoring
  • Delivery status updates via webhooks
  • Detailed logs for debugging

Developer-First API

Send emails with a simple, well-documented API:

await client.emails.send({
  from: 'notifications@yourapp.com',
  to: 'user@example.com',
  subject: 'Your order has shipped!',
  html: '<h1>Order Shipped</h1><p>Track your package...</p>',
});

Organized Infrastructure

Keep your email sending organized with:

  • Email Servers - Logical groupings for different applications or environments
  • Message Streams - Separate transactional vs broadcast emails
  • Sender Identities - Verified sender addresses with proper authentication

Architecture Overview

Your Application
API Request
↓
Transactional API
Email Server
Email Server
SMTP Delivery
↓
Email Recipients

Next Steps