How to Send E-Mail Using NodeMailer and React Email in Next.js
Posted by
kamlesh paulon
Jan 3, 2025| 5 min read
Last updated on : Jan 18, 2025
Table of contents
- Introduction to NodeMailer and React Email
- Setting Up Your Next.js Project
- Installing NodeMailer and React Email
- Configuring NodeMailer
- Creating Email Templates with React Email
- Integrating React Email Components in the Frontend
- Testing Email Functionality
Introduction to NodeMailer and React Email
Sending emails is a common feature in modern web applications, and tools like NodeMailer and React Email make it simple and efficient. NodeMailer handles backend email delivery, while React Email helps you create beautiful, reusable email templates with React components. Together, they provide a powerful solution for managing emails in a Next.js application. Let’s explore how to use them!
For those specifically looking to test email functionality without sending actual emails to user inboxes, I recommend reading my detailed article on Email Testing with Mailtrap in Next.js.
Setting Up Your Next.js Project
Before we dive into email functionality, let’s get your Next.js project ready. Start by creating a new Next.js application if you don’t already have one:
Installing NodeMailer and React Email
To enable email functionality, you need to install NodeMailer for handling email delivery and React Email for creating templates. Run the following command in your project directory to install them:
- NodeMailer: Manages email transport and delivery.
- @react-email/components: Provides pre-built React components for designing and rendering email templates.
With these libraries in place, you’re ready to build email-sending logic and design templates directly in your Next.js application!
Configuring NodeMailer
To configure NodeMailer in your Next.js project, create a file named email.ts
inside the server
directory. This file will contain the logic for sending emails.
Note: You can also configure and test your SMTP credentials more efficiently using Mailtrap. Check out the Mailtrap setup guide for step-by-step instructions.
Creating the Email Configuration
Set Up Environment Variables
Add the following environment variables to your .env
file:
Replace the values with your SMTP server details.
How It Works
- The
getTransporter
function initializes and reuses a single NodeMailer transporter instance for sending emails. - The
sendEmail
function takes in the recipient’s email address, subject, and a React component to render as the email body. - It uses
render
from@react-email/components
to convert the React component into HTML for the email.
With this setup, you’re ready to send beautifully designed emails directly from your Next.js application!
Creating Email Templates with React Email
React Email simplifies building email templates with React components. Let’s create a basic template for testing purposes.
Create a Test Email Template
Create a file named TestEmail.tsx
in a components/emails
folder:
Integrating React Email Components in the Frontend
To trigger email sending via the frontend, integrate React Email with a server action.
Frontend Code
Create a simple form to send a test email.
Testing Email Functionality
Setting Up the Server Action
Create test-email.action.ts
Testing
When testing email functionality, it's important to verify that emails are sent and rendered correctly. Using Mailtrap is a safe and efficient way to test your emails without spamming real inboxes. If you're unfamiliar with Mailtrap, refer to the dedicated article: Email Testing with Mailtrap in Next.js.
- Start the Next.js development server:
npm run dev
. - Visit the page with the form and click the "Send Email" button.
- Log in to Mailtrap to inspect the sent email.
This process ensures your email-sending functionality is fully operational!
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