Python Program For Sending Email (With Complete Code)

In this tutorial, you will learn about python program for sending email.

Sending emails programmatically can be a powerful tool for automating communication.

With Python’s built-in smtplib library, you can easily write a program to send emails without the need for any external software.

In this article, we will explore how to write a Python program for sending emails, step by step.

To send an email, we need to connect to an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server.

Most email providers have their own SMTP servers, which we can use to send emails.

For example, Gmail’s SMTP server address is smtp.gmail.com.

We’ll need to set up the server address and port number in our program.

Python Program For Sending Email

import smtplib

server = smtplib.SMTP("smtp.example.com", 587)

To ensure the security of our email communication, it’s important to establish a secure connection.

We can use the starttls() method provided by smtplib to enable a secure connection.

Python Program For Sending Email

server.starttls()

To send an email through an SMTP server, we usually need to provide credentials for authentication.

This ensures that only authorized users can send emails on behalf of an account.

We’ll need to provide the sender’s email address and password in our program.

server.login("[email protected]", "password")

You can add your email and password that you wanna use to send email.

Before sending the email, we need to compose its content.

We can use the email library, which is a part of Python’s standard library, to create and format the email message.

This library provides various classes and methods for working with email objects.

Python Program For Sending Email

from email.message import EmailMessage

msg = EmailMessage()
msg["Subject"] = "Hello from Python"
msg["From"] = "[email protected]"
msg["To"] = "[email protected]"
msg.set_content("This is the body of the email.")

You can enter your custom message here.

To send email attachments, we can use the add_attachment() method provided by the EmailMessage class.

We’ll need to specify the file path and desired filename for each attachment.

Python Program For Sending Email

with open("path/to/attachment.pdf", "rb") as file:
    attachment_data = file.read()

msg.add_attachment(
    attachment_data,
    maintype="application",
    subtype="pdf",
    filename="attachment.pdf"
)

Once the email is composed, we can send it using the send_message() method of the smtplib.SMTP instance.

Python Program For Sending Email

server.send_message(msg)

When sending emails programmatically, it’s important to handle potential errors gracefully.

The smtplib library raises various exceptions that can occur during the email sending process.

We can use try-except blocks to catch and handle these exceptions.

try:
    server.send_message(msg)
except (smtplib.SMTPAuthenticationError, smtplib.SMTPException) as e:
    print("Failed to send email:", str(e))
finally:
    server.quit()

Here is the complete code for a python program for sending email.

Just add your Gmail username and password along with receiver’s email and the message.

import smtplib

server = smtplib.SMTP("smtp.gmail.com", 587)

server.starttls()

server.login("[email protected]", "password")

from email.message import EmailMessage

msg = EmailMessage()
msg["Subject"] = "Hello from Python Mania!"
msg["From"] = "[email protected]"
msg["To"] = "[email protected]"
msg.set_content("This is the body of the email.")

try:
    server.send_message(msg)
except (smtplib.SMTPAuthenticationError, smtplib.SMTPException) as e:
    print("Failed to send email:", str(e))
finally:
    server.quit()

Can I send an email without authentication?

Most SMTP servers require authentication to prevent unauthorized access.

However, if you have access to a local SMTP server that doesn’t require authentication, you may be able to send emails without providing credentials.

How can I send an email to multiple recipients?

In the msg["To"] field, you can specify multiple email addresses separated by commas.

For example, “[email protected], [email protected]”.

Is it possible to format the email content with HTML?

Yes, you can format the email content with HTML tags using the msg.add_alternative() method.

This allows you to include both plain text and HTML versions of the email.

Can I send emails using a custom SMTP server?

Yes, you can send emails using a custom SMTP server.

You’ll need to provide the server address and port number in your program, along with any required authentication details.

Are there any limitations on the size or number of attachments?

Yes, email providers often impose limits on the size and number of attachments.

It’s important to check the limitations set by your email provider and consider compressing large files if necessary.

How can I handle email delivery status or track if the email was opened?

The smtplib library doesn’t provide built-in features for tracking email delivery or open status.

However, you can consider using third-party email tracking services that offer such functionality.

In this article, we learned how to write a Python program for sending emails.

We explored the steps involved in setting up the SMTP server, establishing a secure connection, authenticating, composing the email, adding attachments, and handling errors.

With the knowledge gained, you can now automate your email communication using Python.

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Happy coding!