Python

Send your first email from a plain Python script using the Bird Python SDK's sync client. Three steps: install, send, run.

1. Install the SDK

Code example

python -m pip install messagebird-sdk

Requires Python 3.10+. The import package is bird.

2. Send an email

Export your API key. The SDK reads BIRD_API_KEY from the environment and infers the region (us1 or eu1) from the bk_us1_ / bk_eu1_ prefix, so Bird() needs no arguments:

Code example

export BIRD_API_KEY="bk_us1_..."

Create send.py:

Code example

from bird import APIError, Bird

with Bird() as client:
    try:
        message = client.email.send(
            from_={"email": "onboarding@messagebird.dev", "name": "Bird"},
            to=["delivered@messagebird.dev"],
            subject="Hello from Bird",
            html="<p>My first Bird email.</p>",
        )
        print(message.id, message.status)
    except APIError as err:
        print("send failed:", err)

from_ is the Python spelling of the from field (from is a reserved word). onboarding@messagebird.dev is Bird's shared onboarding sender (no domain verification needed) and delivered@messagebird.dev is a sandbox recipient that always delivers.

The SDK retries transient failures automatically and reuses the call's idempotency key on each attempt. This prevents a retry from sending the message twice.

3. Run it

Code example

python send.py

The script prints the message ID and status:

Code example

em_01ky7ma8y2es1s2akzk53tmjn0 accepted

accepted is the API's 202: Bird has the message and delivers it asynchronously. Fetch it by its em_ ID with client.email.get(message.id) and watch the status move from accepted to delivered.

Next steps

Python SDK reference: every method and option.
Send your first email: the same flow with curl and the full sandbox address list.
Sending domains: verify your own domain for production sending.
Email API reference: the full request and response schema.

Related resources

Continue with the documentation, guides and examples for this topic. Resources are in English.

Watch the guideTesting email without spamming anyone Explore the capabilityTest email delivery Follow the learning pathOperate messaging reliably

Try the practice and get an implementation brief