topic Re: Send emails via API in APIs & Integrations

Send emails via API

Richard_Wein — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 12:24:58 GMT

Hi. I've read several other threads on this subject, and suspect I know the answer, but I'd like to make absolutely sure I have the right answer for my particular use case, before I propose a solution to my client.

I'm developing an Excel/VBA application for a client which will interface with HubSpot through the REST API. Among other things they would like my application to send emails though HubSpot, using the API. These are not sales emails, and they will have attached documents which are personalized for the particular recipient using data already in HubSpot. I believe that each recipient has their own deal, and the data will consist of deal properties.

If I've understood everything correctly, I believe these emails could be sent (and only be sent) using the Transactional Email add-on. Unfortunately, the size of this job probably doesn't warrant paying for the add-on, so I'm hoping you'll say that there's another way to do it. My client would probably choose to send the emails outside of HubSpot rather than pay for the add-on.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your answer.

P.S. To clarify, I only want to do via the API what my client currently does manually in HubSpot, without needing the Transactional Email add-on.

Re: Send emails via API

jgalloway — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 14:03:35 GMT

Hi @Richard_Wein,

I'm trying to solve a similar use case and as far as I understand you are correct. I'm currently leaning towards just firing off the email from within our own system. If your client has existing email/SMTP services that's probably the easiest way to go (ugh). Of course if they want to be able to create and manage the email templates, that's a whole new discussion. And I haven't done Excel/VBA in a while so I'm not sure what fresh nightmares you'll run into trying to do SMTP from clients if there's no backend or existing API based mailing service in the mix.

I'll jot down some of my current thoughts and hopefully maybe provide some sort of inspiration. Though honestly, I highly recommend not doing any of this for a client, ha. I'm an internal guy so if one of my wacky hacks goes sideways it's just Thursday, you'll have to deal with the angry stakeholders.

One possible ~~hack~~ workaround I've found is setting up a deal based workflow that sends the mail when a custom property is set. Then when you want to send the mail, you make an API call that sets the property and triggers the workflow. I haven't dug into the mechanics of how some of the triggers work - i.e. "updated in last", "was updated after property", etc. So you might be able to leverage something there but yeah, it's scary and probably not at all recommended.

If you need to be able to repeat the operation it gets worse as then you're looking at reseting the property after.. some time? Ideally after the workflow triggers but before anyone would want to trigger it again? Yikes.

The other unknown I have for your use case is if you can set the recipients dynamically for deal-based workflows. If not, that's probably another deal breaker. It is possible to enroll contacts in workflows via API so that might be worth exploring. But I suspect you'll run into roadblocks trying to get deal specific data/attachments into the email.

Re: Send emails via API

Richard_Wein — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:25:32 GMT

Hi @jgalloway

Thanks for replying. I've just had a look at using a workflow in the way you suggested. (I hadn't used workflows before.) But the "Send Mail" action is shown as locked, and when I click on it I'm told to contact the sales team. So maybe I still need the Transactional Email add-on to do it that way.

If I don't hear of another solution I'll probably just send the emails another way (outside HubSpot), and then upload the email attachment files to HubSpot via the API, so there'll still be a record of them there. So now I'm trying to work out how to upload files!

Re: Send emails via API

jackcoldrick — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 08:18:36 GMT

Hi @Richard_Wein,

The only way to send emails from outside of HubSpot is with the transactional add-on. We offer both an SMTP and Single Send Option. I appreciate that there is a cost factor invovled with this of course and it may not necessarily make sense given the size of the project.

@jgalloways solution is also another one I've seen used - programmatically enrolling contacts into workflows and using the "Send external email" action. This would only be available if you are a Marketing Professional customer and does not support attachments Generally speaking marketing emails with attachments have implications regarding spam.

Whilst I appreciate this isn't the ideal answer I just wanted to confirm it for you from a HubSpot perspective.

Regards,

Jack

Re: Send emails via API

Richard_Wein — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:56:24 GMT

Hi @jackcoldrick

Thanks for explaining. That's clear now. The reason I couldn't use Send Email must have been because I signed up for a trial subscription of Sales Professional, not Marketing Professional.

Re: Send emails via API

jackcoldrick — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:57:33 GMT

Hi @Richard_Wein,

Not a problem at all. One point to note is our Marketing trial will cap your email sends at 5000. This generally isn't a problem though!

Regards,

Jack