# Send emails

import { Steps } from "@astrojs/starlight/components"

**Send email** is a built-in step that sends mail from a Mindflow-owned domain. You do not create an SMTP credential.
Customize the **From** local part, set recipients and subject, write **Text** and/or **HTML**, and optionally attach
files.

## When to use

- You need a simple notification or alert from a flow without operating your own mail server.
- Prefer [Sending emails over SMTP](../sending-emails-over-smtp/) when mail must leave from your own domain, use your SMTP
  server, or support email-gateway testing.
- Prefer a native mail vendor integration when you must use that vendor’s API instead of Mindflow-hosted mail.

Before you begin, open a flow in the designer. No credential is required for this step.

## Guide

### Add a Send email step

Send email lives under **Built in** in **Add a step**.

<ol>
<li>

**Open Add a step.** In the designer, choose **Add a step**, then under **Built in** select **Send email**.
<div class="docs-screenshot-compact">

![Add a step Built in section with Send email next to HTTP Request](./assets/add-step-built-section-send-email.png)

</div>

</li>
</ol>
### Compose the message

On **Input**, set **From**, **To**, **Subject**, and the body. Use **Advanced** to show optional fields such as **Cc**,
**Bcc**, **Reply to**, and **HTML**.

<ol>
<li>

**Open Input.** Select the Send email step, then open the **Input** tab.
<div class="docs-screenshot-compact">

![Send email Input with From mindflow, To example address, Subject, Text, and Advanced fields menu](./assets/send-email-input-mindflow-example-address.png)

</div>

</li>
<li>

**Set From.** Enter only the local part (before `@`). Mindflow appends your tenant mail domain — typically
`@email-<tenant>.mindflow.dev`. Default local part is `mindflow`.

</li>
<li>

**Set To and Subject.** Add one or more **To** addresses. Fill **Subject**. Optionally enable **Cc**, **Bcc**, and
**Reply to** from **Advanced**. Without **Reply to**, replies to the message are discarded.

</li>
<li>

**Set Text and/or HTML.** Use **Text** for plain body content and **HTML** for rich markup. When both are set, both are
sent; most clients prefer HTML. There is no built-in HTML editor — paste or map HTML as a string.

</li>
</ol>
### Attach files

Under **Advanced**, enable **Attachments**. You can mix **Content attachment** and **Path attachment** items on the same
step.

<ol>
<li>

**Enable Attachments.** Open **Advanced** and turn on **Attachments**.
<div class="docs-screenshot-compact">

![Send email Advanced menu with Attachments available among optional fields](./assets/send-email-advanced-menu-attachments-available.png)

</div>

</li>
<li>

**Add a Content attachment.** Embed file bytes in the step (typical for small files or content from an upstream email
hook or private source). Set the file name with an extension (for example `.pdf`). Encoding defaults to base64 for binary
payloads.
<div class="docs-screenshot-compact">

![Send email Content attachment fields for filename and content](./assets/send-email-content-attachment-fields-filename.png)

</div>

</li>
<li>

**Or add a Path attachment.** Point to a file URI or hosted path when the file is large or already stored elsewhere.
Confirm the path is reachable for the run.
<div class="docs-screenshot-compact">

![Send email Path attachment fields including path and content disposition](./assets/send-email-path-attachment-fields-including.png)

</div>

</li>
<li>

**Optional: set Content disposition.** Use **Attachment** (default) for a downloadable file, or **Inline** when the
client should display the file in the message (for example an image).

</li>
</ol>
## Example

An on-call flow sends **Send email** with **From** `alerts`, **To** the duty address, **Subject** `High severity
finding`, and a **Text** body that maps the finding summary from an upstream step. A small PDF report is added as a
**Content attachment** with filename `finding-summary.pdf`.

## Keep in mind

- No credential is required. Mail is sent from a Mindflow-owned domain, not your corporate domain.
- Set **Reply to** when you need responses; otherwise replies are discarded.
- Prefer **Path attachment** for large files; keep filenames free of characters that break some mail clients (`@`, `#`,
  `$`, `%`).
- For wait-and-resume links in mail, see
  [Wait and resume a flow](/guides/build/control-flow-execution/wait-and-resume-playbook/).

## Related

[Sending emails over SMTP](../sending-emails-over-smtp/) ·
[Call native integrations](../call-native-integrations/) ·
[Reach out to services](../)