Send an email message.
Sending is outbound and irreversible: it reports "accepted", not "delivered" —
read the message back with "bird email get" to confirm delivery. Send inline
content with --subject and --html/--text, or a stored template with --template.
Build the request from flags, a JSON EmailMessageSendRequest body via --body-file ("-" reads
stdin), or both — a flag overrides the matching body field. Run --example to
print a ready-to-edit body, or --dry-run to print the resolved request without
sending it.
# print the body shape (no credentials needed)
bird email send --example
# the body it prints:
{
"category": "transactional",
"cc": ["manager@bird.com"],
"from": {
"email": "hello@bird.com",
"name": "Bird Support"
},
"headers": {
"X-Campaign": "spring-2026"
},
"html": "<h1>Hi there 👋</h1>",
"metadata": {
"user_id": "usr_12345"
},
"reply_to": ["support@bird.com"],
"subject": "Welcome aboard",
"tags": [
{
"name": "category",
"value": "welcome"
}
],
"text": "Hi there",
"to": [
{
"email": "customer@bird.com",
"name": "Jane Doe"
}
],
"track_clicks": false
}# send a stored template with variable values
bird email send --from hello@bird.com --to alice@bird.com --template welcome-email --parameters '{"first_name":"Alice"}'
# preview the resolved request without sending
bird email send --body-file body.json --dry-run| Name | Description |
|---|
| --from | Sender address; must be on a verified domain |
| --to <v1,v2,…> | Recipient address; repeatable. Accepts bare addresses or RFC 5322 "Name <addr>" form |
| --cc <v1,v2,…> | CC address; repeatable. Accepts bare addresses or RFC 5322 "Name <addr>" form |
| --bcc <v1,v2,…> | BCC address; repeatable. Accepts bare addresses or RFC 5322 "Name <addr>" form |
| --reply-to <v1,v2,…> | Reply-To address; repeatable. Accepts bare addresses or RFC 5322 "Name <addr>" form |
| Name | Description |
|---|
| --subject | Subject line |
| --html | HTML body |
| --html-file | Read the HTML body from a file |
| --text | Plain-text body |
| --text-file | Read the plain-text body from a file |
| --attach <v1,v2,…> | Attach a file by path; repeatable |
| Name | Description |
|---|
| --template | Send by a stored template: its id (emt_…) or name (mutually exclusive with --subject/--html/--text) |
| --parameters | Substitution values as a JSON object (e.g. {{ first_name }} tokens); applied to the stored template on a template send, or to the inline subject/body otherwise |
| Name | Description |
|---|
| --header <key=value> | Custom header as Key=Value; repeatable |
| --tag <key=value> | Tag as name=value; repeatable |
| --metadata | Arbitrary JSON metadata object |
| Name | Description |
|---|
| --category | Suppression policy: marketing (default) or transactional |
| --ip-pool-id | IP pool id (ipp_…) to send from |
| --track-opens | Track open events (default true) |
| --track-clicks | Track click events (default true) |
| --scheduled-at | Schedule the send for a future time (RFC 3339, e.g. 2026-07-10T09:00:00Z); 30s to 30d ahead |
| Name | Description |
|---|
| --body-file | Read the JSON request body from this file; "-" reads stdin |
| --example | Print a complete example request body, then exit |
| --dry-run | Print the resolved request without sending it, then exit |
| --idempotency-key | Deduplication key; a retry with the same key won't act twice |
| Name | Description |
|---|
| --response-schema | Print the fields this command returns, then exit |