# Email Configuration

> Learn how to configure the mailer provider to start sending emails from your SaaS application.

*Canonical: https://makerkit.dev/docs/tanstack-prisma/emails/configuration*

---

{% sequence title="Sending Emails" description="Learn how to configure the mailer provider to start sending emails." %}

[Configuring the mailer provider](#configuring-the-mailer-provider)

[Nodemailer](#nodemailer)

[Resend](#resend)

{% /sequence %}

## Configuring the mailer provider

The kit offers the `@kit/mailers` package to configure and send emails, providing a straightforward API for email operations.

There are two mailer implementations provided by the kit:

1. `nodemailer`: This is the default mailer that leverages the `nodemailer` library. It's ideal for Node.js environments as it's compatible with any SMTP server, ensuring you're not tied to a specific provider.
2. `resend`: This mailer uses the [Resend](https://resend.com) API via HTTP. It's a suitable choice if you opt for Resend or are using a runtime that doesn't support Node.js.

The following sections will guide you on configuring the mailer provider to start sending emails from your application.

## Nodemailer

To specify the mailer provider, set the `MAILER_PROVIDER` environment variable in the `apps/web/.env` file. 

For instance, to use the `nodemailer` mailer, set `MAILER_PROVIDER` to `nodemailer`:

```bash
MAILER_PROVIDER=nodemailer
```

By default, `nodemailer` is used, so you don't need to set the `MAILER_PROVIDER` environment variable by yourself.

### SMTP Configuration

If you're using the `nodemailer` mailer, you'll need to set the SMTP configuration in your environment variables. Here's an example of the SMTP configuration:

```bash
EMAIL_USER=User # refer to your email provider's documentation
EMAIL_PASSWORD=your-password # refer to your email provider's documentation
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.your-email-provider.com # refer to your email provider's documentation
EMAIL_PORT=587 # or 465 for SSL
EMAIL_TLS=true # or false for SSL (see provider documentation)
EMAIL_SENDER=Makerkit <your-email@app.com> # refer to your email provider's documentation
```

The variables are:

1. `EMAIL_USER`: The email address username. This is provider-specific, so refer to your email provider's documentation.
2. `EMAIL_PASSWORD`: The email address password. This is provider-specific, so refer to your email provider's documentation.
3. `EMAIL_HOST`: The SMTP server host. This is provider-specific, so refer to your email provider's documentation.
4. `EMAIL_PORT`: The SMTP server port. This is provider-specific, so refer to your email provider's documentation.
5. `EMAIL_TLS`: The TLS configuration. This is provider-specific, so refer to your email provider's documentation. Generally, you can set it to `true`.
6. `EMAIL_SENDER`: The sender of the emails. This is usually the email address of your application. It's usually in the format `Sender Name <email@app.com>`.

### EMAIL_SENDER format

Sometimes, `EMAIL_SENDER` should be written in the format `Sender Name <email@app.com>` so that the email provider can identify the sender of the email. This setting can be different for different email providers, so please refer to your email provider's documentation.

{% alert type="warn" title="Double check the settings" %}
Please double check the settings above and confirm them with your email provider. If the settings are not correct, you won't be able to send emails.
{% /alert %}

## Resend

As an alternative, you can use [Resend](https://resend.com), a modern email service that provides a simple API for sending emails.

Set the `MAILER_PROVIDER` environment variable to `resend` in the `apps/web/.env` file:

```bash
MAILER_PROVIDER=resend
```

And provide the Resend API key:

```bash
RESEND_API_KEY=your-api-key
EMAIL_SENDER=your-email
```

That's it! You're now ready to send emails from your application using the configured mailer provider.

This email configuration is part of the [TanStack Start Prisma SaaS Kit](/prisma).