Complete Guide to AWS SES Email Templates

Everything you need to know about creating, managing, and deploying professional email templates for AWS Simple Email Service.

AWS SES Setup Guide Try Free Template Editor for SES →

What is AWS SES?

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cloud-based email service designed for developers who need to send transactional, marketing, and notification emails reliably and cost-effectively.

Why developers choose SES: At $0.10 per 1,000 emails, it costs up to 90% less than competitors while providing enterprise-grade scalability, advanced analytics, and seamless AWS ecosystem integration.

90% Cost Savings

$10 vs $89+ for 100k emails

Auto-scaling

From hundreds to millions

Developer APIs

Rich SDKs & AWS integration

Built-in Analytics

Delivery, bounce & complaint tracking

AWS SES Setup & Configuration

Step-by-step guide to configuring AWS SES for production use

1

Domain Verification

Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to establish domain reputation and improve deliverability rates.

DNS Security
▼

Domain Verification Steps

  1. Go to SES Console → Verified identities → Create identity
  2. Select "Domain" and enter your domain (e.g., yourcompany.com)
  3. Choose "Easy DKIM" for automatic DKIM setup
  4. Add the provided DNS records to your domain registrar:
    • TXT record for domain verification
    • CNAME records for DKIM authentication
    • MX record if receiving emails
  5. Wait for verification (usually 24-72 hours)
Pro Tip: Use a subdomain like mail.yourcompany.com for better organization and easier DNS management. This keeps your main domain DNS records clean.
DNS Record Examples
_amazonses.mail.example.com TXT "abcd1234..." dkim1._domainkey.mail.example.com CNAME dkim1.example.com.amazonses.com dkim2._domainkey.mail.example.com CNAME dkim2.example.com.amazonses.com
2

Exit Sandbox Mode

Move from sandbox to production mode to send emails to any recipient, not just verified addresses.

Critical Production
▼
⚠️ Important: In sandbox mode, you can only send emails to verified addresses. This is AWS's way of preventing spam and ensuring you're ready for production.

Requirements to Exit Sandbox

  • Domain Verification: At least one verified domain or email address
  • Use Case Description: Clear explanation of your email sending use case
  • Bounce/Complaint Handling: Plan for handling bounces and complaints
  • Sending Volume: Realistic estimate of daily/monthly email volume
  • Content Compliance: Ensure your emails comply with anti-spam laws

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Go to SES Console → Account dashboard
  2. Click "Request production access"
  3. Fill out the detailed form:
    • Mail type: Transactional, Marketing, or Both
    • Website URL and description
    • Use case description (be specific!)
    • Expected sending volume
    • Bounce and complaint handling process
  4. Submit the request and wait for AWS review (24-48 hours)
  5. Respond promptly to any AWS follow-up questions
Tips for Approval:
  • Be specific about your use case - avoid generic descriptions
  • Mention automated bounce/complaint handling
  • Include opt-in processes for marketing emails
  • Reference your privacy policy and terms of service
  • Start with conservative volume estimates
3

SMTP Configuration

Set up SMTP credentials for your applications and configure the appropriate SES endpoints for your region.

SMTP Configuration
▼

SMTP Setup Steps

  1. Create SMTP credentials in SES Console → SMTP settings
  2. Click "Create SMTP credentials"
  3. Enter an IAM user name (e.g., ses-smtp-user)
  4. Download credentials (username/password) - store securely!
  5. Configure your application with SES SMTP endpoints
  6. Test connection with a simple email send
SMTP Endpoints by Region
# US East (N. Virginia) email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com # EU (Ireland) email-smtp.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com # EU (Frankfurt) email-smtp.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com # Asia Pacific (Sydney) email-smtp.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com
Example Configuration (Node.js)
const nodemailer = require('nodemailer'); const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({ host: 'email-smtp.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com', port: 587, secure: false, auth: { user: 'YOUR_SMTP_USERNAME', pass: 'YOUR_SMTP_PASSWORD' } });
Security Note: Never commit SMTP credentials to version control. Use environment variables or AWS Secrets Manager.
4

Monitoring Setup

Configure CloudWatch metrics and SNS notifications for bounces, complaints, and delivery tracking.

Monitoring Analytics
▼

Essential Monitoring Setup

  1. Create SNS topics for bounces, complaints, and deliveries:
    • ses-bounces-topic
    • ses-complaints-topic
    • ses-deliveries-topic
  2. Configure Configuration Sets in SES:
    • Go to SES Console → Configuration sets
    • Create new configuration set
    • Add event destinations for each topic
  3. Set up CloudWatch alarms for bounce/complaint rates:
    • Bounce rate alarm: Threshold > 5%
    • Complaint rate alarm: Threshold > 0.1%
  4. Implement automated suppression list management
Important Thresholds:
  • Keep bounce rates under 5%
  • Keep complaint rates under 0.1%
  • Exceeding these may result in sending pause or termination
CloudWatch Metrics to Monitor
// Key Metrics - Send (number of emails sent) - Bounce (hard & soft bounces) - Complaint (spam complaints) - Delivery (successful deliveries) - Reject (SES rejections) - Open (if event tracking enabled) - Click (if event tracking enabled)
SNS Notification Setup
  1. Create SNS Topic: aws sns create-topic --name ses-bounces
  2. Subscribe endpoint (email, webhook, Lambda): aws sns subscribe --topic-arn arn:aws:sns:region:account:ses-bounces --protocol https --notification-endpoint https://your-api.com/webhooks/ses
  3. Configure SES to use SNS topic in Configuration Set
Best Practice: Always process bounce and complaint notifications immediately. Add email addresses to a suppression list to prevent sending to them again.

AWS SES Email Templates - Complete Guide

Learn how to create, test, and deploy professional email templates for Amazon Simple Email Service

The Template Challenge

Creating email templates that work across 90+ email clients is complex. Each client handles HTML and CSS differently, making responsive design a significant challenge for developers.

  • Limited CSS support in email clients
  • Inconsistent rendering across platforms
  • Mobile responsiveness complications
  • Handlebars syntax for dynamic content

The Professional Solution

Modern template management tools eliminate these complexities while providing team collaboration and AWS integration.

Preview and testing
Responsive design automation
Team collaboration workflows
Direct AWS SES deployment
Learn More About Templates →

Template Management Approaches

Comparing different methods for managing AWS SES templates at scale

Feature Manual HTML Basic Editors Professional Tools
Setup Time Fast Medium Longer initial setup
Team Collaboration Limited Basic Full workflow support
AWS Integration API only Export/Import Direct deployment
Preview and Testing Manual Limited preview Test emails, extensive preview
Scalability Poor Medium Enterprise-ready

Recommended Solution for Professional Teams

Based on our analysis of AWS SES workflows, Semplates offers the most comprehensive solution for teams managing email templates at scale while maintaining design quality and collaboration.

✓ Direct AWS account integration
✓ Team collaboration with role permissions
✓ Preview and testing
✓ Forever free plan (5 templates)
✓ Reusable Content Blocks
✓ Drag and drop editor
✓ Template library
✓ Template versioning
Try Semplates Free →

Quick Answers

How much does SES cost?

$0.10 per 1,000 emails sent, making it 90% cheaper than most alternatives for high-volume sending.

Can I send to anyone?

Only after exiting sandbox mode. Initially, you can only send to verified email addresses.

What are sending limits?

Starts at 200 emails/day and 1 email/second, increases based on sending reputation and requests.

Do I need technical skills?

Basic setup requires some technical knowledge, but tools like Semplates simplify template management.

Which AWS regions support SES?

SES is available in 14+ regions including US, EU, Asia Pacific. Choose the region closest to your recipients for best performance.

How do I handle bounces?

Set up SNS notifications and implement a suppression list to automatically remove invalid addresses from future sends.

View Complete FAQ →