Use when building HTML email templates with React components, adding a visual email editor to an application using the React Email visual editor, rendering emails to HTML, or sending emails with Resend. Covers welcome emails, password resets, notifications, order confirmations, newsletters, transactional emails, and the embeddable email editor component.
Build and send HTML emails using React components - a modern, component-based approach to email development that works across all major email clients.
npm i react-email
Or scaffold a new project:
npx create-email@latest
cd react-email-starter
npm install
npm run dev
This works with any package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm, bun) — substitute accordingly.
The dev server runs at localhost:3000 with a preview interface for templates in the emails folder.
Install the packages and add a script to your package.json:
{
"scripts": {
"email": "email dev --dir emails --port 3000"
}
}
Make sure the path to the emails folder is relative to the base project directory. Ensure tsconfig.json includes proper support for JSX.
Create an email component with proper structure using the Tailwind component for styling:
import {
Html,
Head,
Preview,
Body,
Container,
Heading,
Text,
Button,
Tailwind,
pixelBasedPreset
} from 'react-email';
interface WelcomeEmailProps {
name: string;
verificationUrl: string;
}
export default function WelcomeEmail({ name, verificationUrl }: WelcomeEmailProps) {
return (
<Html lang="en">
<Tailwind
config={{
presets: [pixelBasedPreset],
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
brand: '#007bff',
},
},
},
}}
>
<Head />
<Body className="bg-gray-100 font-sans">
<Preview>Welcome - Verify your email</Preview>
<Container className="max-w-xl mx-auto p-5">
<Heading className="text-2xl text-gray-800">
Welcome!
</Heading>
<Text className="text-base text-gray-800">
Hi {name}, thanks for signing up!
</Text>
<Button
href={verificationUrl}
className="bg-brand text-white px-5 py-3 rounded block text-center no-underline box-border"
>
Verify Email
</Button>
</Container>
</Body>
</Tailwind>
</Html>
);
}
// Preview props for testing
WelcomeEmail.PreviewProps = {
name: 'John Doe',
verificationUrl: 'https://example.com/verify/abc123'
} satisfies WelcomeEmailProps;
export { WelcomeEmail };
{{name}}) directly in TypeScript code. Instead, reference the underlying properties directly. If the user explicitly asks for {{variableName}}, place the mustache string only in PreviewProps, never in the component JSX:const EmailTemplate = (props) => {
return (
<h1>Hello, {props.variableName}!</h1>
);
}
EmailTemplate.PreviewProps = {
variableName: "{{variableName}}",
};
export default EmailTemplate;
{{variableName}} pattern directly in the component structure. If the user insists, explain that this would make the template invalid.See references/COMPONENTS.md for complete component documentation.
Core Structure:
Html - Root wrapper with lang attributeHead - Meta elements, styles, fontsBody - Main content wrapperContainer - Outermost centering wrapper (has built-in max-width: 37.5em). Use only once per email.Section - Interior content blocks (no built-in max-width). Use for grouping content inside Container.Row & Column - Multi-column layoutsTailwind - Enables Tailwind CSS utility classesContent:
Preview - Inbox preview text, always first inside <Body>Heading - h1-h6 headingsText - ParagraphsButton - Styled link buttons (always include box-border)Link - HyperlinksImg - Images (see Static Files section below)Hr - Horizontal dividersSpecialized:
CodeBlock - Syntax-highlighted codeCodeInline - Inline codeMarkdown - Render markdownFont - Custom web fontsWhen a user requests an email template, ask clarifying questions FIRST if they haven't provided:
Local images must be placed in the static folder inside your emails directory:
project/
├── emails/
│ ├── welcome.tsx
│ └── static/ <-- Images go here
│ └── logo.png
Use this pattern for images that work in both dev preview and production:
const baseURL = process.env.NODE_ENV === "production"
? "https://cdn.example.com" // User's production CDN
: "";
export default function Email() {
return (
<Img
src={`${baseURL}/static/logo.png`}
alt="Logo"
width="150"
height="50"
/>
);
}
How it works:
baseURL is empty, so URL is /static/logo.png - served by React Email's dev serverbaseURL is the CDN domain, so URL is https://cdn.example.com/static/logo.pngImportant: Always ask the user for their production hosting URL. Do not hardcode localhost:3000.
See references/STYLING.md for comprehensive styling documentation including typography, layout patterns, dark mode, and brand consistency.
Tailwind with pixelBasedPreset (email clients don't support rem). Import pixelBasedPreset from react-email.Row/Column components or tables for layouts.sm:, md:, lg:, xl:) — limited email client support.dark:, light:) — not supported.border-solid, border-dashed, etc.) — email clients don't inherit it.border-none border-l border-solid).| Component | Required Class | Why |
|---|---|---|
Button | box-border | Prevents padding from overflowing the button width |
Hr / any border | border-solid (or border-dashed, etc.) | Email clients don't inherit border type |
| Single-side borders | border-none + the side | Resets default borders on other sides |
<Head /> inside <Tailwind> when using Tailwind CSS<Preview> should always be the first element inside <Body>PreviewProps that the component actually usesw-full, h-auto) for content imagesimport { render } from 'react-email';
import { WelcomeEmail } from './emails/welcome';
const html = await render(
<WelcomeEmail name="John" verificationUrl="https://example.com/verify" />
);
const text = await render(<WelcomeEmail name="John" verificationUrl="https://example.com/verify" />, { plainText: true });
React Email supports sending with any email service provider. See references/SENDING.md for complete sending documentation including Resend, Nodemailer, and SendGrid examples.
Quick example using the Resend SDK:
import { Resend } from 'resend';
import { WelcomeEmail } from './emails/welcome';
const resend = new Resend(process.env.RESEND_API_KEY);
const { data, error } = await resend.emails.send({
from: 'Acme <[email protected]>',
to: ['[email protected]'],
subject: 'Welcome to Acme',
react: <WelcomeEmail name="John" verificationUrl="https://example.com/verify" />
});
The Resend Node SDK automatically handles both HTML and plain-text rendering.
The react-email package provides a CLI accessible via the email command:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
email dev --dir <path> --port <port> | Start the preview development server (default: ./emails, port 3000) |
email build --dir <path> | Build the preview app for production deployment |
email start | Run the built preview app |
email export --outDir <path> --pretty --plainText --dir <path> | Export templates to static HTML files |
email resend setup | Connect the CLI to your Resend account via API key |
email resend reset | Remove the stored Resend API key |
See references/I18N.md for complete i18n documentation. React Email supports three libraries: next-intl, react-i18next, and react-intl.
React Email includes a visual editor (@react-email/editor) that can be embedded in your app. It's built on TipTap/ProseMirror and produces email-ready HTML.
See references/EDITOR.md for complete documentation including:
EmailEditor — batteries-included component with bubble menus, slash commands, and themingStarterKit — 35+ email-aware extensions (headings, lists, tables, columns, buttons, etc.)Inspector — contextual sidebar for editing stylesEmailTheming — built-in themes (basic, minimal) with customizable CSS propertiescomposeReactEmail — export editor content to email-ready HTML and plain textEmailNode and EmailMarkQuick example:
import { EmailEditor, type EmailEditorRef } from '@react-email/editor';
import '@react-email/editor/themes/default.css';
import { useRef } from 'react';
export function MyEditor() {
const ref = useRef<EmailEditorRef>(null);
return (
<EmailEditor
ref={ref}
content="<p>Start typing...</p>"
theme="basic"
/>
);
}
See references/PATTERNS.md for complete examples including:
alt text.PreviewProps for development testingfrom addresses