---
layout: post
title: "Send your first email, SMS or push with Appwrite Messaging"
description: Connect an email provider and send your first email to one of your users from the Appwrite Console, then add SMS and push when your app needs them.
date: 2026-11-03
cover: /images/blog/send-your-first-message-with-appwrite-messaging/cover.avif
timeToRead: 3
author: atharva
category: tutorials
featured: false
faqs:
  - question: "Which providers does Appwrite Messaging support?"
    answer: "For email: Mailgun, Resend, SendGrid, Amazon SES and any SMTP server. For SMS: Twilio, MSG91, Telesign, Textmagic and Vonage. For push: Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notification service. See the [providers docs](/docs/products/messaging/providers)."
  - question: "Do my users need to do anything to receive email?"
    answer: "No. Every user who signs up with an email address, or who you create with one in the Console or the Users API, can receive email from Messaging right away."
  - question: "Can I send messages from my backend?"
    answer: "Yes. Call `messaging.createEmail`, `createSms` or `createPush` from a server SDK or an [Appwrite Function](/docs/products/functions), with an API key that has the `messages.write` scope. [Send email messages](/docs/products/messaging/send-email-messages) shows the code."
  - question: "Can I schedule a message for later?"
    answer: "Yes. In the Console, save your draft, click **Schedule** and pick a time. From a server SDK, pass `scheduledAt` with a future date when you create the message."
---

Appwrite Messaging sends email, SMS and push notifications to your users through one API. You connect the service that delivers them, called a **provider**, and Appwrite takes care of sending.

This guide starts with email. In a few minutes you'll have an email provider connected and your first email delivered to one of your users, all from the Console and without changing your app.

**Building with an AI coding agent?**

Your agent can do every step in this guide for you through the Appwrite MCP server. [Connect your AI coding agent to Appwrite](/blog/post/connect-ai-coding-assistant-to-appwrite), then describe what you want in the chat.

You need an Appwrite project and an account with an email service, such as Resend, SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES or any SMTP server, with a domain you verified there. If you don't have a project yet, [create one in the Console](/sign-in).

# Step 1: Add an email provider

![SMTP provider form with the name, host, credentials, sender name and sender email filled in above the Create provider button](/images/blog/send-your-first-message-with-appwrite-messaging/provider-form.avif)

1. In the Console, open **Messaging** > **Providers** and click **Create provider**.
2. Under **Email**, pick your service.
3. Give the provider a name and fill in your service's credentials.
4. Set **Sender name** to your app's name and **Sender email** to an address on the domain you verified.
5. Click **Create provider**.

Your provider now shows **Enabled** in the **Providers** tab. The [provider docs](/docs/products/messaging/providers) list the fields for each service.

**Using Resend?**

On Appwrite Cloud, Resend has a **One-click setup**. Click **Connect with Resend**, pick your verified domain and click **Generate API key**. Appwrite creates a sending-only key for that domain and fills in the form for you.

# Step 2: Send your first email

![Email draft with one user added under Users, below the Schedule, Update draft and Send message buttons](/images/blog/send-your-first-message-with-appwrite-messaging/message-draft.avif)

Every user who signs up with an email address can get email from Messaging. To try it on yourself first, create a user with your own email address in **Auth** > **Users**.

1. Open **Messaging** > **Messages**, click **Create message** and choose **Email**. The Console opens a new draft.
2. Write a subject and a body.
3. Under **Users**, click **Add** and pick the user to send to.
4. Click **Update draft** to save it.
5. Click **Send message**, then **Send**.

# Step 3: See it delivered

![Messages list with two emails marked Sent, one scheduled email and one draft](/images/blog/send-your-first-message-with-appwrite-messaging/messages-list.avif)

Go back to **Messaging** > **Messages**. Your email shows **Sent**, and **Delivered at** tells you when it went out.

**Sent** means your provider accepted the email. Check your inbox for your first Appwrite email.

# Step 4: Send to a group

When the same email goes to many users, such as product updates or a weekly digest, send it to a **topic**: a named list of subscribers you reach in one send.

1. Open **Messaging** > **Topics**, click **Create topic** and give it a name.
2. On the topic's **Subscribers** tab, click **Add subscriber**, select your users' email addresses and click **Save selection**.
3. In your next message, click **Add** under **Topics** and pick the topic.

Your app can also let users subscribe themselves. The [topics docs](/docs/products/messaging/topics#subscribe-targets-to-topics) show how.

# Keep building

Your email provider now works for every user in your project. SMS works the same way: add an SMS provider, then send to users who have a phone number. Push also needs your app to register each device, and the push guide shows how.

When your app needs more channels, or you want to send from your own code, these guides walk you through each one:

- [Send SMS messages](/docs/products/messaging/send-sms-messages)
- [Send push notifications](/docs/products/messaging/send-push-notifications)
- [Send email from your backend](/docs/products/messaging/send-email-messages)
- [Messaging explained](/blog/post/messaging-explained)