How to Send Email from AWS Lambda

To send email from AWS Lambda, create a function handler, install the SendPigeon SDK, and call pigeon.send(). No Amazon SES setup needed — SendPigeon is an HTTP API that works from any Lambda runtime.

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Node.js Lambda Handler

Create the handler

// index.ts
import type { APIGatewayProxyEventV2, APIGatewayProxyResultV2 } from "aws-lambda";
import { SendPigeon } from "sendpigeon";

const pigeon = new SendPigeon(process.env.SENDPIGEON_API_KEY!);

export async function handler(event: APIGatewayProxyEventV2): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResultV2> {
  const { to, name } = JSON.parse(event.body ?? "{}");

  const { data, error } = await pigeon.send({
    from: "hello@yourdomain.com",
    to,
    subject: `Hey ${name}!`,
    html: `<h1>Welcome</h1><p>Thanks for signing up.</p>`,
  });

  if (error) {
    return {
      statusCode: error.status ?? 500,
      body: JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }),
    };
  }

  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ emailId: data.id }),
  };
}

Package and deploy

# Install dependencies
npm init -y && npm install sendpigeon && npm install -D esbuild @types/aws-lambda

# Bundle TypeScript to a single file
npx esbuild index.ts --bundle --platform=node --format=esm --outfile=dist/index.mjs

# Zip the bundle (no node_modules needed — esbuild bundles everything)
cd dist && zip -r ../function.zip index.mjs && cd ..

# Create the function
aws lambda create-function \
  --function-name send-email \
  --runtime nodejs22.x \
  --handler index.handler \
  --role arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/your-lambda-role \
  --zip-file fileb://function.zip

# Set environment variables
aws lambda update-function-configuration \
  --function-name send-email \
  --environment "Variables={SENDPIGEON_API_KEY=sp_live_your_key_here}"

To update the function after changes:

npx esbuild index.ts --bundle --platform=node --format=esm --outfile=dist/index.mjs
cd dist && zip -r ../function.zip index.mjs && cd ..
aws lambda update-function-code \
  --function-name send-email \
  --zip-file fileb://function.zip

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Add an API Gateway Trigger

To call your Lambda from HTTP requests, add an API Gateway trigger:

1. Open your Lambda function in the AWS Console
2. Click Add trigger > select API Gateway
3. Choose Create a new API > HTTP API
4. Set security to Open (or add auth later)
5. Click Add

You get a public URL like https://abc123.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/send-email.

The handler receives API Gateway events with this shape:

// index.ts
import type { APIGatewayProxyEventV2, APIGatewayProxyResultV2 } from "aws-lambda";
import { SendPigeon } from "sendpigeon";

const pigeon = new SendPigeon(process.env.SENDPIGEON_API_KEY!);

export async function handler(event: APIGatewayProxyEventV2): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResultV2> {
  const { to, name, message } = JSON.parse(event.body ?? "{}");

  const { data, error } = await pigeon.send({
    from: "contact@yourdomain.com",
    to: "you@yourdomain.com",
    subject: `Contact form: ${name}`,
    html: `
      <p><strong>From:</strong> ${name} (${to})</p>
      <p><strong>Message:</strong></p>
      <p>${message}</p>
    `,
    replyTo: to,
  });

  if (error) {
    return {
      statusCode: error.status ?? 500,
      headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
      body: JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }),
    };
  }

  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({ emailId: data.id }),
  };
}

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Event-Driven Examples

Send Email on S3 Upload

Trigger a notification when a file is uploaded to S3:

// index.ts
import type { S3Event } from "aws-lambda";
import { SendPigeon } from "sendpigeon";

const pigeon = new SendPigeon(process.env.SENDPIGEON_API_KEY!);

export async function handler(event: S3Event) {
  const record = event.Records[0];
  const bucket = record.s3.bucket.name;
  const key = decodeURIComponent(record.s3.object.key);

  await pigeon.send({
    from: "notifications@yourdomain.com",
    to: "team@yourdomain.com",
    subject: `New file uploaded: ${key}`,
    html: `
      <h1>New Upload</h1>
      <p>A new file was uploaded to S3:</p>
      <p><strong>Bucket:</strong> ${bucket}</p>
      <p><strong>Key:</strong> ${key}</p>
      <p><strong>Size:</strong> ${record.s3.object.size} bytes</p>
    `,
  });

  return { statusCode: 200 };
}

Scheduled Email with EventBridge

Use an EventBridge (CloudWatch Events) schedule to send a daily report:

// index.ts
import { SendPigeon } from "sendpigeon";

const pigeon = new SendPigeon(process.env.SENDPIGEON_API_KEY!);

export async function handler() {
  const stats = await getStats();

  await pigeon.send({
    from: "reports@yourdomain.com",
    to: "team@yourdomain.com",
    subject: `Daily report — ${new Date().toLocaleDateString()}`,
    html: `
      <h1>Daily Report</h1>
      <p>New users: ${stats.newUsers}</p>
      <p>Revenue: $${stats.revenue}</p>
      <p>Active sessions: ${stats.sessions}</p>
    `,
  });

  return { statusCode: 200 };
}

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Python Lambda Handler

Use the SendPigeon Python SDK for Python Lambda functions:

# Install SDK into a package directory
pip install sendpigeon -t package/
cd package && zip -r ../function.zip . && cd ..
zip function.zip lambda_function.py

# lambda_function.py
import json
import os
from sendpigeon import SendPigeon

client = SendPigeon(os.environ["SENDPIGEON_API_KEY"])

def lambda_handler(event, context):
    body = json.loads(event["body"])

    result = client.send(
        from_="hello@yourdomain.com",
        to=body["to"],
        subject=f"Hey {body['name']}!",
        html="<h1>Welcome</h1><p>Thanks for signing up.</p>",
    )

    if result.error:
        return {
            "statusCode": result.error.status or 500,
            "body": json.dumps({"error": result.error.message}),
        }

    return {
        "statusCode": 200,
        "body": json.dumps({"emailId": result.data.id}),
    }

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Environment Variables

Set environment variables in the AWS Console (Configuration > Environment variables) or via CLI:

aws lambda update-function-configuration \
  --function-name send-email \
  --environment "Variables={SENDPIGEON_API_KEY=sp_live_xxx,FROM_EMAIL=hello@yourdomain.com}"

Access them in your handler:

// Node.js
const apiKey = process.env.SENDPIGEON_API_KEY;

# Python
api_key = os.environ["SENDPIGEON_API_KEY"]

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Handle Errors

The SDK returns { data, error } in Node.js and result.data / result.error in Python — no exceptions to catch:

const { data, error } = await pigeon.send({
  from: "hello@yourdomain.com",
  to: "user@example.com",
  subject: "Hello",
  html: "<p>Hello!</p>",
});

if (error) {
  console.error(`Email failed: ${error.message}`);
  return {
    statusCode: error.status ?? 500,
    body: JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }),
  };
}

console.log(`Email sent: ${data.id}`);

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Test Locally

Test your email-sending logic locally before deploying:

npx @sendpigeon-sdk/cli dev

Captured emails are viewable at localhost:4100. See the local email testing guide for full setup.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Amazon SES to send email from Lambda?

No. SendPigeon is a standalone email API — your Lambda makes a single HTTPS request. No SES configuration, no sandbox mode to deal with, no verified identity setup in AWS. Just set your API key and send.

How do I include npm packages in a Lambda function?

Use esbuild to bundle your TypeScript handler into a single file — no node_modules needed in the zip. For packages used across multiple functions, create a Lambda Layer with the dependencies in a nodejs/node_modules directory.

Which Node.js runtime should I use?

Use nodejs22.x for new functions. It has stable global fetch, native ESM support, and long-term support through April 2027. nodejs24.x is also available.

Can I send email from a Python Lambda?

Yes. Install the SendPigeon Python SDK (pip install sendpigeon), package it with your function code, and call client.send() from your handler. See the Python example above.

How do I trigger the Lambda from an HTTP request?

Add an API Gateway trigger — choose HTTP API (not REST API) for the simplest setup. This gives you a public HTTPS URL that forwards requests to your Lambda function.

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Next Steps

• Set up DKIM, SPF, and DMARC on your sending domain
• Review the email deliverability checklist
• Build templates with our free visual email builder
• Browse our email templates for ready-to-use HTML

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Other Platforms

Deploying elsewhere? We have guides for:

• Next.js
• Vercel Functions
• Supabase Edge Functions
• Node.js & Express
• Hono

See all framework guides.