How To Send Emails In Node.js + With Attachments

Sending Emails with Attachments in Node.js using Nodemailer

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to send emails programmatically in Node.js using the Nodemailer library, including sending emails with attachments.

Step 1: Set Up a Node.js Project

First, make sure you have Node.js installed. Then, create a new directory and initialize a new Node.js project:

mkdir node-send-emails
cd node-send-emails
npm init -y

Step 2: Generate a Google App Password for Gmail SMTP

To send emails via Gmail’s SMTP server, you need to generate an app password. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Google App Passwords (ensure 2FA is enabled).
2. Select an app (e.g., “Mail”) and click Generate.
3. Copy the generated password (e.g., tnxeizcecpwljdnt) and save it.

Step 3: Install Nodemailer

Install the Nodemailer package:

npm install nodemailer

Step 4: Configure the Transporter

Create an index.js file and set up a transporter with Gmail’s SMTP details:

const nodemailer = require("nodemailer");

// Create transporter
const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
  service: "gmail",
  auth: {
    user: "[email protected]", // Your Gmail address
    pass: "your_app_password", // The app password you generated
  },
});

Step 5: Construct the Email Message

Define the email details such as sender, recipient, subject, and message content:

const mailOptions = {
  from: "[email protected]", // Sender's email
  to: "[email protected]", // Recipient's email
  subject: "Hello from Node.js", // Email subject
  text: "This is the plain text content.", // Plain text content
  html: "<p>This is the <strong>HTML content</strong>.</p>", // HTML content
};

Step 6: Send the Email

Send the email using the transporter:

transporter
  .sendMail(mailOptions)
  .then((info) => console.log("Email sent:", info.response))
  .catch((error) => console.error("Error:", error));

Run your script:

node index.js

Sending Emails to Multiple Recipients

You can send emails to multiple recipients by using an array in the to or bcc field:

const mailOptions = {
  from: "[email protected]",
  to: ["[email protected]", "[email protected]"],
  subject: "Hello from Node.js",
  text: "Test email sent to multiple recipients!",
};

Adding Attachments to Emails

To send attachments, add an attachments property to your email options. You can attach files either by providing their content or file paths:

const mailOptions = {
  from: "[email protected]",
  to: "[email protected]",
  subject: "Email with Attachment",
  text: "Here is an attachment for you.",
  attachments: [
    {
      filename: "file.txt",
      content: "Attachment content as a string or Buffer",
    },
    {
      path: "path/to/file.pdf", // Or provide a file path
    },
  ],
};

Example Code: Sending an Email with an Attachment

Here’s the full example of sending an email with an attachment:

const nodemailer = require("nodemailer");

// Create transporter
const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
  service: "gmail",
  auth: {
    user: "[email protected]",
    pass: "your_app_password", // Your generated app password
  },
});

// Email options with attachment
const mailOptions = {
  from: "[email protected]",
  to: "[email protected]",
  subject: "Email with Attachment",
  text: "Here is an attachment.",
  attachments: [
    {
      filename: "file.txt",
      content: "Attachment content as a string or Buffer",
    },
    {
      path: "path/to/file.pdf", // Attach a file by path
    },
  ],
};

// Send email
transporter
  .sendMail(mailOptions)
  .then((info) => console.log("Email sent:", info.response))
  .catch((error) => console.error("Error:", error));

👏 Congratulations, you’ve now learned how to send emails using Nodemailer in Node.js, including handling attachments and sending to multiple recipients.