SEND MAIL

Send email messages with optional attachments and HTML formatting.

Syntax

SEND MAIL to, subject, body

Parameters

Description

The SEND MAIL keyword sends emails using the SMTP configuration defined in config.csv. It supports:

• Plain text and HTML emails
• Multiple recipients
• CC and BCC (via extended syntax)
• File attachments
• Email templates
• Delivery tracking

Configuration

Email settings in config.csv:

name,value
email-from,noreply@example.com
email-server,smtp.example.com
email-port,587
email-user,smtp-user@example.com
email-pass,smtp-password

Examples

Simple Text Email

SEND MAIL "user@example.com", "Welcome!", "Thank you for signing up."

Multiple Recipients

recipients = "john@example.com, jane@example.com, bob@example.com"
SEND MAIL recipients, "Team Update", "Meeting tomorrow at 3 PM"

HTML Email

body = "<h1>Welcome!</h1><p>Thank you for joining us.</p>"
body = body + "<ul><li>Step 1: Complete profile</li>"
body = body + "<li>Step 2: Verify email</li></ul>"
SEND MAIL "user@example.com", "Getting Started", body

Dynamic Content

order_id = GET "order_id"
subject = "Order #" + order_id + " Confirmation"
body = "Hello " + user_name + ", your order has been confirmed."
SEND MAIL user_email, subject, body

With Error Handling

email = HEAR "Enter your email address:"
IF email CONTAINS "@" AND email CONTAINS "." THEN
    SEND MAIL email, "Verification Code", "Your code is: 123456"
    TALK "Email sent successfully!"
ELSE
    TALK "Invalid email address"
END IF

Notification System

' Send notification to admin when issue detected
admin_email = GET BOT MEMORY "admin_email"
IF error_detected THEN
    subject = "Bot Alert"
    body = "Issue detected at " + NOW()
    SEND MAIL admin_email, subject, body
END IF

Bulk Email with Personalization

subscribers = GET "subscribers.list"
FOR EACH email IN subscribers
    body = "Dear " + username + ", here's your weekly update..."
    SEND MAIL email, "Weekly Newsletter", body
    WAIT 1  ' Rate limiting
NEXT

Extended Syntax

With CC and BCC

' Using structured format
email_data = {
    "to": "primary@example.com",
    "cc": "copy@example.com",
    "bcc": "hidden@example.com",
    "subject": "Report",
    "body": "Please review attached report."
}
SEND MAIL email_data

With Attachments

' Attach file from drive
email_data = {
    "to": "user@example.com",
    "subject": "Invoice",
    "body": "Please find invoice attached.",
    "attachments": ["invoice.pdf"]
}
SEND MAIL email_data

Using Templates

' Load and fill template
template = LOAD_TEMPLATE "welcome_email"
template = REPLACE(template, "{{name}}", user_name)
template = REPLACE(template, "{{date}}", TODAY())
SEND MAIL user_email, "Welcome!", template

Email Validation

Always validate email addresses before sending:

email = HEAR "Your email:"
IF email CONTAINS "@" AND email CONTAINS "." THEN
    parts = SPLIT(email, "@")
    IF LENGTH(parts) = 2 THEN
        domain = parts[1]
        IF domain CONTAINS "." THEN
            SEND MAIL email, "Test", "This is a test"
        ELSE
            TALK "Please enter a valid email"
        END IF
    ELSE
        TALK "Please enter a valid email"
    END IF
ELSE
    TALK "Please enter a valid email"
END IF

Delivery Status

Check email delivery status:

status = SEND MAIL "user@example.com", "Test", "Message"
IF status = "sent" THEN
    TALK "Email delivered successfully"
ELSE IF status = "queued" THEN
    TALK "Email queued for delivery"
ELSE
    TALK "Email delivery failed: " + status
END IF

Rate Limiting

Implement rate limiting to avoid spam:

last_sent = GET BOT MEMORY "last_email_time"
IF TIME_DIFF(NOW(), last_sent) < 60 THEN
    TALK "Please wait before sending another email"
ELSE
    SEND MAIL email, subject, body
    SET BOT MEMORY "last_email_time", NOW()
END IF

Error Handling

Common error scenarios:

' Check email format before sending
IF recipient CONTAINS "@" AND recipient CONTAINS "." THEN
    status = SEND MAIL recipient, subject, body
    IF status = "sent" THEN
        TALK "Email sent successfully"
    ELSE IF status = "smtp_error" THEN
        TALK "Email server is unavailable"
    ELSE IF status = "auth_error" THEN
        TALK "Email authentication failed"
        LOG "Check SMTP credentials in config.csv"
    ELSE
        TALK "Failed to send email: " + status
    END IF
ELSE
    TALK "The email address is invalid"
END IF

Best Practices

1. Validate Recipients: Always validate email addresses
2. Rate Limit: Implement delays for bulk emails
3. Handle Failures: Use try-catch for error handling
4. Log Attempts: Keep records of sent emails
5. Test Configuration: Verify SMTP settings before production
6. Use Templates: Maintain consistent formatting
7. Respect Privacy: Use BCC for multiple recipients
8. Include Unsubscribe: Add opt-out links for marketing emails

Security Considerations

• Never log email passwords
• Use environment variables for sensitive data
• Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for deliverability
• Sanitize user input in email bodies
• Use TLS/SSL for SMTP connections

Troubleshooting

Email Not Sending

1. Check SMTP configuration in config.csv
2. Verify firewall allows port 587/465
3. Test credentials manually
4. Check email server logs

Authentication Failed

Check SMTP configuration:

1. Verify credentials in config.csv
2. Ensure SMTP server allows your connection
3. Check if port 587/465 is open
4. Verify TLS/SSL settings match server requirements

Emails Going to Spam

• Set proper FROM address
• Include text version with HTML
• Avoid spam trigger words
• Configure domain authentication (SPF/DKIM)

Related Keywords

• GET - Retrieve user data for emails
• FORMAT - Format email content
• WAIT - Rate limiting between emails
• SET SCHEDULE - Schedule email sending

Implementation

Located in src/basic/keywords/send_mail.rs

The implementation uses:

• lettre crate for SMTP
• Async email sending
• Connection pooling for performance
• Retry logic for failed attempts
• HTML sanitization for security