Amazon SES API Essential Guide

What type of API does Amazon SES provide?

Amazon API Types

Amazon Web Services (AWS) supports multiple types of APIs, including:

1. REST APIs
2. GraphQL APIs
3. SOAP APIs (less common)

REST APIs

REST (Representational State Transfer) is widely supported by AWS services:

• Amazon API Gateway allows you to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure REST APIs at any scale.
• REST APIs are good for simple data sources where resources are well defined.
• They use multiple endpoints in the form of URLs to define resources.

GraphQL APIs

AWS also supports GraphQL:

• AWS AppSync creates serverless GraphQL and publish-subscribe (pub/sub) APIs.
• GraphQL is good for large, complex, and interrelated data sources.
• It uses a single URL endpoint and allows clients to request exactly the data they need.

SOAP APIs

While less common, SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is still supported:

• SOAP APIs are still used in some industries like healthcare, finance, and enterprise applications.
• They are useful for legacy applications and private APIs that require complex data structures and high security.

Amazon SES API

While not explicitly mentioned in the search results, based on my knowledge, Amazon SES primarily uses a REST API. However, to provide a definitive answer about Amazon SES specifically, it would be best to consult the official AWS documentation for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Does the Amazon SES API have webhooks?

The official Amazon SES API does not have native webhook functionality. However, Amazon SES offers event publishing capabilities that can be used to achieve similar functionality.

Amazon SES can notify you of bounce or complaint events in three ways:

• Sending a notification email
• Notifying an Amazon SNS topic
• Publishing sending events

Amazon SES allows you to publish email sending events to various AWS services, including:

• Amazon CloudWatch
• Amazon Data Firehose
• Amazon Pinpoint
• Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS)

Amazon SES can track several types of email sending events, including:

• Sends
• Deliveries
• Opens
• Clicks
• Bounces
• Complaints
• Rejections
• Rendering failures
• Delivery delays

When using event publishing, Amazon SES provides detailed event records, such as complaint records and open records.

While not native to Amazon SES, you can use third-party services like Pipedream to create webhook-like functionality with Amazon SES.

Best practices include:

1. Set up a system for managing bounces and complaints when using Amazon SES.
2. Use event publishing for granular tracking of email sending activities.
3. Leverage the detailed event data provided by Amazon SES for operational and analytical purposes.
4. Consider using Amazon SNS in combination with SES for notification-style functionality similar to webhooks.

In conclusion, while Amazon SES doesn't offer native webhook functionality, its event publishing capabilities provide a robust alternative for tracking and responding to email-related events.

Rate Limits and other limitations

The Amazon SES API has several rate limits and quotas that regulate the number of emails you can send and the rate at which you can send them. Here are the key points regarding the API rate limits of Amazon SES:

Sending Quota

• The sending quota is the maximum number of emails you can send in a 24-hour period [1].
• This quota is calculated on a rolling time period [1].
• If sending a message would exceed the daily maximum for your account, your call to Amazon SES is rejected [1].

Sending Rate

• The sending rate is the maximum number of emails that Amazon SES can accept from your account each second [1].
• You can exceed this quota for short bursts, but not for sustained periods of time [1].
• The actual rate at which Amazon SES accepts your messages can be less than the maximum send rate for your account [1].

API Action Rate Limits

• All actions (except for SendEmail, SendRawEmail, and SendTemplatedEmail) are throttled at one request per second [2].
• The rate limits for SendEmail, SendRawEmail, and SendTemplatedEmail are not explicitly specified in the provided information [2].

Maximum Message Size

• Using the SES v2 API or SMTP: The maximum message size (including attachments) is 40 MB per message [2].
• Using the SES v1 API: The maximum message size (including attachments) is 10 MB per message [2].

Other Limits

• MIME parts: Limited to 500 (not adjustable) [2].
• The number of destinations you can contact in a single call to the API may be limited by your account's maximum sending rate [2].

Key Considerations

1. These quotas are separate for each AWS Region [1].
2. When your account is in the Amazon SES sandbox, you can only send 200 messages per 24-hour period, and your maximum sending rate is one message per second [1].
3. You can request quota increases after your account is removed from the sandbox [1].
4. You can retrieve your current sending limits using the GetSendQuota API [3][4].

Best Practices

1. Consider using persistent HTTP connections for multiple API requests.
2. Use multiple threads or processes to increase throughput.
3. Consider using a local mail relay to buffer messages.
4. Host your application closer to the Amazon SES API endpoint to reduce latency.
5. Use the Amazon SES mailbox simulator to test your maximum throughput without affecting your daily sending quota.

Remember that these limits are subject to change, and it's always best to check the official AWS documentation or your AWS account for the most up-to-date information on your specific rate limits and quotas.

Latest API Version

The most recent version of the Amazon SES API is SESv2 (Amazon SES API version 2). Here are the key points about the latest Amazon SES API:

SESv2 API

• Released in 2020, the SESv2 API is the latest version of the Amazon Simple Email Service API.

• It provides an enhanced experience compared to the original SESv1 API, offering a more modern interface and flexible options for building scalable, high-volume email applications.

Key Features and Improvements

• New and enhanced features, including:

  • Increased maximum message size from 10MB to 40MB for both sending and receiving.
  • Access to key actions for the SES Virtual Deliverability Manager (VDM).
  • Support for meeting Google & Yahoo's June 2024 unsubscribe requirements.

• Improved usability and developer experience:

  • More user-friendly and consistent with other AWS services.
  • Better error handling, making it easier to develop, maintain, and troubleshoot email sending applications.

• Consolidated API calls:

  • Merged several SESv1 APIs into single commands, resulting in more concise code.

Migration Considerations

• While SESv1 API continues to be supported, AWS is focused on advancing functionality through the SESv2 API.

• New email sending capabilities will only be available through the SESv2 API.

• Customers using SESv1 API are encouraged to migrate to SESv2 API to access new optimizations and enhancements.

Best Practices

• Review and update IAM policies to include new and modified API actions introduced in SESv2 before migrating.

• Use the latest version of the AWS CLI (aws-cli/2.15.27 or greater) when working with SESv2 API.

• Consider using AWS SDKs for easier integration with the SESv2 API, as they handle authentication, request signing, and other low-level functions.

In summary, while the SESv1 API is still supported, the SESv2 API is the most recent and recommended version for Amazon SES, offering improved functionality, usability, and future-proofing for email sending applications.

How to get a Amazon SES developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Amazon SES and create an API integration, you need to follow these steps:

Create an AWS Account

1. If you don't already have an AWS account, you'll need to create one. This is the primary account you'll use to access Amazon SES and other AWS services.

2. Go to the AWS Console (https://aws.amazon.com/) and click on "Create an AWS Account".

3. Follow the prompts to set up your account, providing the necessary information and payment details.

Set up Amazon SES

1. Once you have an AWS account, sign in to the AWS Management Console.

2. Navigate to the Amazon SES service.

3. If you're new to SES, you'll start in sandbox mode, which has some limitations but allows you to test the service.

Verify Your Email Address or Domain

1. Before you can send emails through SES, you need to verify your email address or domain.

2. In the SES console, go to "Verified Identities" and follow the steps to verify your email or domain.

Create API Credentials

1. To use the Amazon SES API, you'll need to create API credentials.

2. Go to the AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management) console.

3. Create a new IAM user or use an existing one.

4. Attach the necessary SES permissions to this user.

5. Generate access keys (Access Key ID and Secret Access Key) for this user.

By following these steps, you can set up a developer account for Amazon SES and create an API integration to send emails programmatically.

What can you do with the Amazon SES API?

Based on the search results provided, here is a list of data models you can interact with using the Amazon SES API, along with what is possible for each:

Email Identity

• Create an email identity
• Delete an email identity
• Get information about an email identity

Contact

• Create a contact

Contact List

• Create a contact list
• Delete a contact list
• List contact lists
• List contacts within a contact list

Email Template

• Create an email template
• Delete an email template

Email Sending

• Send an email

Newsletter Workflow

• Implement a newsletter workflow scenario

Key Points:

• The Amazon SES API allows you to manage various aspects of email sending and identity management.
• You can perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on different data models such as email identities, contacts, contact lists, and email templates.
• The API supports sending emails and implementing more complex scenarios like newsletter workflows.

Best Practices:

• Use the appropriate data model for your specific use case (e.g., email templates for reusable email content, contact lists for managing groups of recipients).
• Implement proper error handling when interacting with the API.
• Follow AWS best practices for security and access management when using the SES API.

It's important to note that the search results provided limited information about the specific data models and their capabilities. For more detailed information about each data model and the full range of operations possible, it would be best to consult the official Amazon SES API documentation.