How to use mailjet transactional email service

Introduction to Mailjet Transactional Email

Mailjet is a powerful email service provider (ESP) offering both marketing and transactional email solutions. This article focuses on leveraging Mailjet for transactional emails, which are crucial for automated messages like password resets, order confirmations, and shipping notifications. Using Mailjet for these types of emails ensures reliable delivery, detailed analytics, and scalability as your business grows.

Creating a Mailjet Account and Setting Up Your Domain

Before you can start sending transactional emails with Mailjet, you need to create an account and authenticate your sending domain. Here’s how:

1. Visit the Mailjet website and sign up for a free account.
2. Choose a plan that suits your sending volume and feature requirements.
3. Once logged in, navigate to the “Sender & Domains” section.

Authenticating Your Domain

Domain authentication is essential for improving email deliverability. It involves adding DNS records to your domain’s settings to verify that you own the domain and authorize Mailjet to send emails on your behalf.

1. Add your sending domain to Mailjet.
2. Mailjet will provide you with three DNS records: a TXT record, a SPF record, and a DKIM record.
3. Access your domain registrar’s DNS settings and add these records. The exact steps will vary depending on your registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, AWS Route 53).
4. Once the DNS records are added, return to Mailjet and click the “Verify” button for each record. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, so be patient.

Understanding Mailjet’s API and Sending Methods

Mailjet provides several methods for sending transactional emails, primarily through their API (Application Programming Interface). You can use their REST API with various programming languages like Python, PHP, Node.js, and more. Alternatively, you can use their SMTP server for simpler integrations.

Using the REST API

The REST API is the recommended method for most users. It offers the most flexibility and features. Here’s a basic example using the Mailjet PHP library:

1. Install the Mailjet PHP library using Composer: composer require mailjet/mailjet-apiv3-php
2. Include the library in your PHP script.
3. Use your API key and secret key to authenticate.
4. Construct the email message data.
5. Send the email using the post() method.

Using the SMTP Server

If you prefer a simpler integration, you can use Mailjet’s SMTP server. You’ll need to configure your email client or application to use the following settings:

• Server: in-v3.mailjet.com
• Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
• Username: Your Mailjet API Key
• Password: Your Mailjet Secret Key

Most programming languages and frameworks have built-in support for sending emails via SMTP. This method is suitable for basic transactional emails but may not offer the same level of detail and control as the REST API.

Crafting Your Transactional Email Content

Creating effective transactional emails is crucial for user engagement and satisfaction. Consider the following tips:

• Personalize the email with the recipient’s name and relevant information (e.g., order details, tracking number).
• Use a clear and concise subject line that accurately reflects the email’s purpose.
• Include a prominent call to action (e.g., “View Order,” “Reset Password”).

Using Mailjet’s Template Language

Mailjet provides a powerful template language that allows you to dynamically insert data into your emails. You can use variables, conditional statements, and loops to create highly personalized and engaging content.

Here are some key features of Mailjet’s template language:

• Variables: Use double curly braces {{ var_name }} to insert data into your email.
• Conditional statements: Use {{ if condition }} ... {{ endif }} to display content based on specific conditions.
• Loops: Use {{ for item in array }} ... {{ endfor }} to iterate over arrays and display dynamic lists.

You can design visually appealing templates using Mailjet’s drag-and-drop editor or by writing your own HTML code. Make sure your templates are responsive and look good on all devices.

Implementing Transactional Email Sending in Your Application

Integrating Mailjet’s transactional email service into your application requires coding on the backend. Here’s a general outline of the steps involved:

1. Choose your preferred programming language and the corresponding Mailjet library or SMTP integration.
2. Create a function or class to handle email sending.
3. Retrieve the necessary data from your application (e.g., order details, user information).
4. Construct the email message using Mailjet’s template language or by manually creating the HTML content.
5. Send the email using the Mailjet API or SMTP server.
6. Handle any errors or exceptions that may occur during the sending process.

Example: Sending an Order Confirmation Email (PHP)

<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use MailjetClient;
use MailjetResources;

$apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
$apiSecret = 'YOUR_API_SECRET_KEY';

$mj = new Client($apiKey, $apiSecret, true, ['version' => 'v3.1']);

$orderId = '12345';
$customerName = 'John Doe';
$customerEmail = 'john.doe@example.com';

$body = [
    'Messages' => [
        [
            'From' => [
                'Email' => 'your_email@example.com',
                'Name' => 'Your Store'
            ],
            'To' => [
                [
                    'Email' => $customerEmail,
                    'Name' => $customerName
                ]
            ],
            'Subject' => 'Order Confirmation - Order #' . $orderId,
            'TemplateID' => 123456, // Replace with your Mailjet template ID
            'TemplateLanguage' => true,
            'Variables' => [
                'order_id' => $orderId,
                'customer_name' => $customerName
            ]
        ]
    ]
];

$response = $mj->post(Resources::$Email, ['body' => $body]);

if ($response->success()) {
    echo 'Email sent successfully!';
} else {
    echo 'Error sending email: ' . $response->getReasonPhrase();
}
?>

Replace YOUR_API_KEY, YOUR_API_SECRET_KEY, your_email@example.com, and 123456 with your actual Mailjet credentials and template ID.

Testing Your Transactional Emails

Before going live with your transactional email implementation, it’s crucial to thoroughly test your setup. Mailjet provides several tools and features to help you with testing:

• Send test emails to yourself and other test accounts.
• Use Mailjet’s email preview feature to see how your emails will look on different devices and email clients.
• Monitor the bounce rate and delivery statistics to identify any issues with your email sending setup.

Monitoring and Analyzing Your Transactional Email Performance

Mailjet provides comprehensive analytics and reporting tools to track the performance of your transactional emails. You can monitor key metrics such as:

• Delivery rate: The percentage of emails that were successfully delivered to the recipient’s inbox.
• Open rate: The percentage of emails that were opened by the recipient.
• Click-through rate: The percentage of emails that contained a link that was clicked by the recipient.
• Bounce rate: The percentage of emails that were not delivered due to invalid email addresses or other issues.

By analyzing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and optimize your transactional email strategy to achieve better results. For example, you might experiment with different subject lines, content, or sending times to see what works best for your audience.

Handling Bounces and Unsubscribes

It’s important to handle bounces and unsubscribes properly to maintain a good sender reputation and ensure compliance with email marketing regulations. Mailjet automatically handles hard bounces (permanent delivery failures) and unsubscribes, preventing you from sending emails to these addresses in the future. You can also use Mailjet’s API to retrieve bounce and unsubscribe data and update your own databases accordingly.

Conclusion

Mailjet offers a robust and reliable platform for sending transactional emails. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can effectively integrate Mailjet into your application and leverage its features to improve your customer communication and engagement. Remember to always prioritize email deliverability, personalization, and monitoring to maximize the effectiveness of your transactional email strategy.