Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up AWS SES with Configuration Sets

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If you're seeking a reliable and cost-effective solution for email communication then AWS Simple Email Service (SES) is an excellent choice. This cloud-based service enables you to efficiently send and receive emails with ease.



Prerequisites

This tutorial offers a hands-on demonstration. Ensure you have an active AWS account to follow along AWS Login.

1. What is AWS SES

AWS Simple Email Service is a cloud-based service provided by AWS that enables the business and developers to send, receive, and manage email campaigns securely and cost-efficiently.

  • Use Cases:
    • Transactional email notifications for applications.
    • Marketing Campaigns
    • Newsletters
    • System alerts
    • Automated Reports

2. Why Use AWS SES?

  • Reliable and scalable infrastructure
  • Cost-effective compared to third-party email services
  • Integration with other AWS services like Lambda, CloudWatch, SNS, EventBridge and Pinpoint.
  • Built-in tools to track email events (sent, deliveries, open, click, bounces, complaints)
  • Secure email delivery with domain verification and DKIM signing

3. Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Step 1: Verify Email Address

Login into the AWS management console and search for simple email service (SES). Select the Amazon simple email service.



AWS Simple Email Service (SES) console

Before sending an email, there are two essential steps to remember. First, verify the email address or domain you plan to send emails from. If the address is not verified and you attempt to call the SES API, it will return an error indicating that the email address is unverified. Second, set up a configuration set to monitor email events effectively.

You can verify a domain as an identity, but for this tutorial, we'll use an email address instead.


Verify the identity

Under the configuration area, select identities, and we will see the identity types Domain and Email address. Select the Email address option and input the email address we plan to send emails from. After there is a checkbox to assign a default configuration set, we will come to that later; for the time being, we'll skip. 

Tags are used to manage identities in Amazon SES. You can define a tag if needed. After that, click "Create Identity" to set up an identity for your SES account.

An email will be sent to the address used to create the identity. To complete the verification, click the link provided in the email.

Once you've done that, you will see your email address on your SES account's list of verified identities.

Step 2: Create a Configuration Set

Now Go to the SES console and select configuration sets. Click Create Configuration Set, name it, and after that there is an option to select sending IP pool we can select default one. Click on create.

  
List of configuration sets

Step 3: Set Up Event Destinations

There are multiple ways we can configure the event destination in this tutorial we will use Simple Notification Service (SNS) as destination for event tracking.

Navigate to the configuration set you created, select "Event Destinations," and click "Add Destination." Choose all event types under the Send and Delivery section, including Sends, Rendering Failures, Rejects, Deliveries, Hard Bounces, Complaints, Delivery Delays, and Subscriptions. Additionally, select Opens and Clicks under the Open and Click Tracking section.


Select event types

Next, specify the destination. There are multiple options, including CloudWatch, Kinesis Data Firehose, Pinpoint, SNS, and EventBridge. In this tutorial, we'll choose Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS). Enter the destination name, then select an existing SNS topic or create a new one by providing a topic name.


Choosing the destination

Review all the settings and click "Create". The configuration set is now complete with the selected event types and Simple Notification Service (SNS) added as the destination.

We have successfully verified the email address intended for sending emails and set up a configuration set to track email events.

Step 4: Test Email Sending

We'll now test email sending through the SES console. Navigate to "Identities," select the verified email address, and click "Send Test Email" located at the top right.


Sending the test email using the verified identity.

Choose the email format as formatted, then navigate to the scenario section and select "Custom." Enter the desired recipient's email address. Specify the subject line (the body is optional). In the configuration set, select the one we created to ensure events are directed to the specified destination. Finally select the send test email.

A test email will be sent to the specified recipient address, and events will be forwarded to the attached Simple Notification Service (SNS) topic.

Note: If the SES account is in sandbox mode, the recipient's email address must also be verified; otherwise, an error message will be displayed.

4. How Efficient is AWS SES?

SES offers four key advantages: scalability, cost efficiency, high deliverability, and performance.
  • Scalability: Effortlessly manages the delivery of millions of emails
  • Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing model
  • High Deliverability: Features like send, delivered, open, complaint and bounce monitoring is possible in real time
  • Performance: Minimal latency and reliable delivery

5. Conclusion

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a versatile and scalable solution suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises for efficiently sending marketing, notification, and transactional emails. With its advanced tracking options for monitoring delivery, opens, and clicks, SES empowers businesses to optimize their email communication strategies and ensure reliable, high-performance message delivery.

Setting up Amazon SES is straightforward and can be completed in just a few simple steps. From verifying identities to configuring event destinations and tracking options, the intuitive setup process ensures a smooth and efficient experience, allowing businesses to quickly start sending emails with minimal effort.

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