In this tutorial, we’ll discuss about how to send emails using Django – Python.
Send Email in Django: Django is a free and open source, Python based web framework that follows the model rout/template views architectural pattern. It is maintained by the Django Software Foundation. Developed in July 21, 2005
When you register on some websites, you get mail from that company or institution? The email would be, a verification email or welcome email, account creation successful email or thanks-regard email, etc. Most web applications use email to manage crucial operations, such as resetting passwords, account activation, receiving customer feedback, sending newsletters and marketing campaigns. Email sender applications send messages usually over the internet and can be used for a variety of uses like customer service, businesses, and your general use also. There is a variety of email senders with unique features.
How to send simple emails to the registered users of your Django application
1. Setting up Django Project:
- Install Django using pip:
pip install django. - Create a new Django project:
django-admin startproject projectname. - Create a Django app within the project:
python manage.py startapp appname. - Configure your project’s settings, including database configuration and email settings.
2. Configure Email Settings:
In your project’s settings (usually settings.py), configure the email backend and SMTP server settings. Here’s an example using Gmail’s SMTP server:
EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend'
EMAIL_HOST = 'smtp.gmail.com'
EMAIL_PORT = 587
EMAIL_USE_TLS = True
EMAIL_HOST_USER = 'your_email@gmail.com'
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = 'your_email_password'Make sure to replace 'your_email@gmail.com' and 'your_email_password' with your actual Gmail credentials. Alternatively, you can use other email services or your own SMTP server.
3. Create Email Templates:
Create HTML templates for your email messages using Django’s template system. You can use the built-in render_to_string function to render these templates.
4. Create Django Views:
Create Django views for composing and sending emails. These views should render the email composition form and handle email sending. For example:
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from django.core.mail import send_mail
from django.template.loader import render_to_string
from django.contrib import messages
def compose_email(request):
if request.method == 'POST':
subject = request.POST['subject']
message = render_to_string('email_template.html', {'context_var': 'value'})
from_email = 'your_email@gmail.com'
recipient_list = [request.POST['recipient_email']]
try:
send_mail(subject, message, from_email, recipient_list)
messages.success(request, 'Email sent successfully.')
except Exception as e:
messages.error(request, f'Error sending email: {e}')
return render(request, 'compose_email.html')5. Create HTML Templates for Email Composition:
Create HTML templates for composing emails. These templates should include input fields for the subject, recipient email address, and the email message body.
6. Create URLs:
Define URLs for your views in the project’s urls.py file.
7. Create Django Forms (Optional):
You can create Django forms to validate and handle user input for composing emails.
8. Implement Email Sending Logic:
In the view function that handles email sending, use Django’s send_mail or send_mass_mail functions to send emails.
9. Implement User Authentication (Optional):
You can add user authentication to restrict email sending to authenticated users.
10. Styling and Design (Optional):
Style your email templates using CSS to make them visually appealing.
11. Testing:
Test your email sending functionality thoroughly, both in development and production environments.
12. Deploy the Application:
Deploy your Django application to a web server of your choice (e.g., Heroku, AWS, or a traditional web hosting provider).
13. Monitor and Maintain:
Monitor your email sending system, handle exceptions gracefully, and ensure that email delivery is reliable.
Useful links: