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Transactional emails in Brew

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What are Transactional Emails?

Transactional emails are automated messages sent to individual users based on specific actions they take - like password resets, order confirmations, or account notifications. Unlike marketing emails, they contain essential information users need regardless of their subscription preferences. Key characteristics:
  • Triggered by user actions (not promotional campaigns)
  • Always delivered, even to unsubscribed contacts
  • Don’t require unsubscribe links (CAN-SPAM compliant)
  • Focus on functionality, not marketing
When contacts unsubscribe from your marketing emails, Brew automatically skips them for campaigns and automations but still delivers transactional emails since they contain essential information needed for using your service. This approach complies with CAN-SPAM regulations, which distinguish between marketing and transactional content.

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When Should I Use Transactional Emails?

Essential for user account management:
  • Password reset emails
  • Email verification
  • Login notifications
  • Two-factor authentication codes
  • Security alerts
Always transactional - users need these to use your service.

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Quick Decision Guide

Ask yourself: “Can the user complete essential tasks without this email?”
  • No → Transactional (password reset, order receipt)
  • Yes → Marketing email (newsletter, product updates)
Legal requirement: If your email contains ANY promotional content, it must follow marketing email regulations including unsubscribe links per CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL.

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How to Create and Send Transactional Emails

1

Create your email with AI

In the Create page, select the Transactional tab above the prompt box, then describe what you need. Brew generates an on-brand transactional email with proper variables and responsive design.
2

Edit your email

Refine your email using the chat or by clicking directly on any text, link, or image to edit it manually. After each manual edit, click Save - this saves a new version and ensures the AI takes your changes into consideration for future edits.
3

Add variables

Insert dynamic content like names, URLs, or order details using triple curly brace syntax: {{{variableName}}}.
4

Publish and get your chatId

Publish your email to get a unique chatId for API calls.
5

Send via API

Use Brew’s API to send personalized emails with your data.

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Add Variables

Variables insert personalized content into each email. The syntax uses triple curly braces: Common variables:
  • {{{firstName}}} - Recipient’s name
  • {{{resetUrl}}} - Password reset link
  • {{{orderNumber}}} - Order confirmation
  • {{{verificationLink}}} - Account verification URL
Fallback values: You can provide a fallback value that renders if the variable is missing, using a pipe:
  • {{{firstName | there}}} - Renders “there” if firstName is not provided
Adding variables:
  1. Type them directly in the editor: {{{variableName}}}
  2. Add to text, links, buttons, or subject lines
  3. Brew’s AI will often insert variables automatically based on your prompt
Important requirements:
  • Variable names are case-sensitive (firstName ≠ FirstName)
  • Use only letters, numbers, underscores, and dashes
  • All required variables must be included in API calls
  • Values can be strings, numbers, or booleans

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Publish and Send

  1. Review your email - Check variables and content
  2. Click “Publish” - Gets your unique chatId for API calls
  3. Copy the API payload - Use this for your integration

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Common Issues

Error: Missing required fields: resetUrlFix: Include all required variables in your API call:
"variables": {
  "resetUrl": "https://example.com/reset",
  "firstName": "John"
}
Error: Transactional email not foundCheck:
  • Is your chatId correct?
  • Is the email published (not draft)?
  • Hasn’t been deleted?
Error: Domain not verifiedFix: Verify your sending domain in Brew settings before sending emails

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Best Practices

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Content Guidelines

  • Be clear and direct - Users expect immediate, actionable information
  • Include your branding - Build trust with consistent design
  • Explain the trigger - “You’re receiving this because you requested a password reset”
  • Provide support contact - Never use “no-reply” addresses

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Technical Best Practices

Use a dedicated subdomain for transactional emails:
  • notifications.yourdomain.com or auth.yourdomain.com
  • Isolates reputation from marketing emails
  • Signals purpose to email providers
Reputation isolation benefits:
  • Protects critical transactional emails if marketing campaigns face deliverability issues
  • Creates a “safety zone” for essential communications like password resets and account verifications
  • Allows faster recovery if problems occur with either transactional or marketing emails
  • Enables separate monitoring of deliverability metrics for each type of communication
Ensure proper authentication:
  • Verify domain in Brew settings
  • Set up DMARC for security
  • Match email URLs to your sending domain when possible
For sensitive emails (password resets, verification):
  • Keep content focused and minimal
  • Ensure immediate delivery expectations
  • Consider disabling click tracking for security
General best practices:
  • Limit email size (Gmail clips at 102KB)
  • Include plain text versions
  • Avoid excessive images
  • Use professional language

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Monitoring

Track key metrics in your Transactional dashboard:
  • Sends - Total emails sent
  • Delivered - Successfully delivered emails
  • Bounces - Failed deliveries
  • Spam complaints - Recipients marking as spam
Consider disabling open and click tracking for sensitive transactional emails like password resets to improve deliverability. Tracking pixels and link wrapping can sometimes trigger spam filters for security-critical emails.

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API Reference

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Authentication

The API accepts either of these authentication headers: 
X-API-Key: brew_YOUR_API_KEY

Authorization: Bearer brew_YOUR_API_KEY

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API Payload

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
chatIdstringYesThe ID of your published transactional email
tostring or arrayYesRecipient email address(es)
variablesobjectNoKey-value pairs for your email variables
subjectstringNoOverride the default subject line
fromstringNoOverride the default sender address
replyTostringNoSet a reply-to address
Transactional sends count toward your monthly email limit.
When you send a transactional email to a new email address, Brew automatically creates a contact record for the recipient. If the contact already exists, no changes are made.
For complete API documentation, including all parameters and error codes, see our Transactional Email API Reference.

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