How do you send transactional emails with SendGrid API in Spring Boot?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Steps to Send Transactional Emails with SendGrid API in Spring Boot
  • 1. Set Up SendGrid in Spring Boot
    • a. Add SendGrid Dependency
    • b. Create a SendGrid Account and API Key
    • c. Store API Key in application.properties
  • 2. Create a Service to Send Transactional Emails
  • 3. Create a Controller to Trigger Email Sending
  • 4. Customize the Email Template (Optional)
    • a. Create a SendGrid Dynamic Template
    • b. Modify the Email Service to Use the Template
• Conclusion

Introduction

Transactional emails are essential for any web application that requires sending automated, personalized messages to users. Examples of transactional emails include password reset emails, order confirmations, and account activation emails. SendGrid provides an easy-to-integrate API for sending transactional emails in Spring Boot. This guide walks you through configuring SendGrid to send transactional emails, ensuring smooth communication with your application users.

Steps to Send Transactional Emails with SendGrid API in Spring Boot

1. Set Up SendGrid in Spring Boot

Before sending transactional emails, you need to configure SendGrid in your Spring Boot application. Follow these steps:

a. Add SendGrid Dependency

In your pom.xml, add the SendGrid Java SDK dependency:

b. Create a SendGrid Account and API Key

1. Go to SendGrid and sign up for an account.
2. Navigate to Settings > API Keys and create a new API key with the required permissions.
3. Copy the generated API key.

c. Store API Key in application.properties

For security, store the SendGrid API key in your application.properties file:

This allows you to securely access the key in your Spring Boot application.

2. Create a Service to Send Transactional Emails

Now, create a service class in your Spring Boot application to interact with the SendGrid API and send transactional emails.

TransactionalEmailService.java:

In this service:

• The sendTransactionalEmail method constructs the email with a recipient, subject, and body.
• It uses SendGrid’s Mail object to format and send the email request.

3. Create a Controller to Trigger Email Sending

You can expose an API endpoint that triggers the sending of a transactional email. This allows your application to send emails when required.

TransactionalEmailController.java:

This controller listens for POST requests at /email/send and calls the sendTransactionalEmail method to send the email.

4. Customize the Email Template (Optional)

You can also send HTML emails or use dynamic templates for a more personalized transactional email experience. SendGrid supports dynamic templates that can be used for highly customized emails.

a. Create a SendGrid Dynamic Template

1. Log in to SendGrid and navigate to Email API > Dynamic Templates.
2. Create a new template with placeholders for dynamic content (e.g., {{firstName}}, {{orderNumber}}).
3. Save the template and get the template ID.

b. Modify the Email Service to Use the Template

Modify the sendTransactionalEmail method to use the dynamic template:

In this updated version, SendGrid’s dynamic template is used, and dynamic content is passed using the addDynamicTemplateData method.

Conclusion

Sending transactional emails with SendGrid in Spring Boot is a straightforward process that involves setting up SendGrid, creating an email service, and triggering email sending through an endpoint. Whether you need to send simple text emails or more sophisticated dynamic templates, SendGrid's API offers flexibility to handle various use cases. By following this guide, you can integrate SendGrid for sending personalized and automated transactional emails in your Spring Boot application.