
Base44 built-in emails
Base44’s built-inSendEmail integration comes preinstalled in every app and does not require a paid plan, extra setup, or API keys. It lets you send transactional emails to people who have signed up to your app, customize the sender name that appears in their inbox, and include plain text or rich HTML content in the email body.
You can ask the AI chat to set this up for you, for example by saying When someone signs up, send them a welcome email. Base44 calls the built-in email integration, which you can edit and test using the AI chat or from Code in your dashboard.

Notes:
- Built-in emails are only for sending emails to people who are registered users of your app and do not support external email addresses or file attachments. To email external recipients, use an external email provider or integration.
- You do not need to activate backend functions for built-in emails.
- If you want built-in emails to come from a branded address instead of a generic sender, you can connect a custom email domain so messages send from an address like support@your-domain.com. See more below.
- Standard emails that use the default sending domain consume 1 integration credit per email, while emails sent from a custom email domain consume 2 integration credits.
Resend external integration
Resend is an external email delivery service that you connect to Base44. When you use Resend, emails are sent through your own Resend account rather than Base44’s built-in email delivery.Note: Resend is an external service, and Base44 does not provide support for issues related to Resend.
Note: The Resend integration is available on the Builder plan and above.

Automated emails
Automations in Base44 let you send emails automatically at specific times and dates or when something changes in your data. You can use them to delay a follow up message a few days after signup, send weekly or monthly summary emails, or turn many small notifications into a single daily digest. For time based flows, use scheduled automations. Each scheduled automation runs a backend function at the times you choose, so you control both the email content and the exact send pattern. For event based flows, use data event automations. These watch your data for events like records being created, updated, or deleted, then run a backend function right away. This is useful for things like order confirmations, signup welcomes, or status change alerts that should send as soon as something happens. You can use automations with both built-in emails and the Resend integration. Automations control when emails are sent, so you choose whichever email option fits each flow and still decide the exact timing or trigger. To create an automation for email, you must first activate backend functions, then you can ask the AI chat to create an automation for you, or you can set one up directly from Automations in your app’s dashboard. Learn more about creating automations for your appNote: Automations are available on the Builder plan and above.

Emails from custom domains
With the Base44 built-in email service, you can send emails from your own domain (for example, support@your-domain.com) instead of no-reply@base44-apps.com for all built-in email types. To use this, you need your app to be connected to a custom domain. Each app can connect one custom email domain, and you cannot set multiple sender addresses on the same domain.Notes:
- Custom domain emails are available on the Builder plan and above.
- Emails sent from a custom email domain consume 2 integration credits.
Additional email providers
You are not limited to Resend. If you already use another email provider that exposes an HTTP API, you can connect it to your Base44 app. One option is to call the provider directly from backend functions, using secrets to store API keys and other credentials. This gives you full control over the payload without creating a reusable catalog integration. Another option is to wrap the provider in a custom integration so it appears in your private catalog. You can then reuse that integration across multiple apps or share it with your workspace without repeating the setup each time. This approach is helpful when your team already relies on a specific provider, when you need features that only that provider offers, or when you want consistent email behavior across many apps built on Base44. Learn more about external integrations and creating your own custom integrationsNote: External and custom integrations are available on the Builder plan and above.
FAQs
Click a question below to learn more about sending emails from your app.How do I decide between built-in emails and the Resend integration?
How do I decide between built-in emails and the Resend integration?
Built-in emails are best when you want a quick way to send transactional messages to people who already signed up with your app and you do not need advanced templates or analytics.The Resend integration is a better choice when you need to email any address, send from your own domain at scale, or depend on a dedicated email platform for templates, deliverability, and tracking.
Can I combine different email options in the same app?
Can I combine different email options in the same app?
Yes. You do not need to choose a single email approach for your entire app. Many apps use built-in emails for low volume or early product flows, rely on Resend for external recipients and higher value transactional or marketing emails, use automations for delayed sequences, reminders, and recurring messages, and reserve custom domains for any communication that carries their brand.Some teams also connect a separate in house or specialist provider through backend functions or custom integrations for specific cases. This mix lets you move individual flows to more advanced options as your needs grow without having to rework your whole app at once.
Can I use Zapier to send emails from my app?
Can I use Zapier to send emails from my app?
Yes, in an indirect way. The Zapier integration lets your app send data to Zapier, and then Zapier can trigger emails through tools such as Gmail, Outlook, or its own email actions. This is useful when you already automate workflows in Zapier and want your Base44 app to be another trigger. For details, see the Zapier integration guide.
Do I need a custom domain to send emails?
Do I need a custom domain to send emails?
You do not need a custom domain to start sending emails. Adding a custom domain becomes more important when you care about consistent branding, higher deliverability, or larger sending volumes.
Can I send emails to people who are not registered users of my app?
Can I send emails to people who are not registered users of my app?
The built-in email function (
SendEmail) is only for sending internal notifications to people who are registered users of your app. You cannot send emails with SendEmail to external recipients who do not have an account.If you need to email external recipients, you can:- Use the Resend integration: This email service lets you send messages to any email address, not just registered users. It is available on the Builder plan and above.
- Connect another email provider: You can integrate an external email provider with your backend functions by using their API.
Note: If you buy a custom domain through Base44, you can change the sender name and email address for messages sent through
SendEmail, but recipients still need to be registered users.
