✉️ What is AWS SES?

✉️ What is AWS SES?

Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) is a cloud-based email service designed to:

  • Send transactional and marketing emails
  • Receive and process incoming emails
  • Verify domains and addresses for trusted sending

✅ Cost-effective and highly scalable email solution for apps, SaaS platforms, and marketing teams.

📦 Common Use Cases

Use Case Example
Transactional Emails Signup confirmation, password reset
Marketing Emails Newsletters, promotions
Inbound Email Processing Contact forms, support tickets
Email Notifications Billing alerts, system updates

⚙️ Key Features

Feature Description
SMTP & API support Send via standard SMTP or AWS SDK/REST API
Email receiving Automatically route incoming emails to S3, Lambda, SNS
DKIM & SPF Authentication protocols to prevent spoofing
Monitoring Track bounces, complaints, opens, and clicks
Dedicated IPs Optional feature for email deliverability control
Domain Verification Required before sending from your custom domain

🛠️ Sending Email – Basic Example (Using AWS SDK for Java)

AmazonSimpleEmailService client = AmazonSimpleEmailServiceClientBuilder.standard()
    .withRegion(Regions.US_EAST_1)
    .build();

SendEmailRequest request = new SendEmailRequest()
    .withDestination(new Destination().withToAddresses("user@example.com"))
    .withMessage(new Message()
        .withSubject(new Content("Hello from SES"))
        .withBody(new Body().withText(new Content("This is a test email."))))
    .withSource("your-verified-email@yourdomain.com");

client.sendEmail(request);

✅ Step-by-Step Setup

1. Verify Email or Domain

  • Go to AWS SES Console → Verified Identities
  • Add and verify sender email or domain

2. Request Production Access

  • By default, you're in sandbox mode (can send only to verified addresses)
  • Request access to move to production

3. Send via SMTP or SDK

  • Use AWS credentials + SMTP endpoint (like email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com)
  • Or use AWS SDK (Java, Python, etc.)

🔍 Monitoring and Analytics

  • Bounce and complaint tracking
  • Integration with Amazon CloudWatch, SNS
  • Logs: Open rates, delivery, and failure diagnostics

💸 Pricing Overview

Item Pricing
Email Sending 62,000 emails/month free (if using EC2), else $0.10/1,000
Attachments/Size Billed per payload
Incoming Emails $0.10 per 1,000 emails received

 

✅ Pay-as-you-go — no upfront fees

🧠 When to Use SES?

✔️ You want:

  • Reliable, scalable, secure email sending
  • Full control over sender reputation
  • Seamless integration with AWS Lambda, SNS, S3
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