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Nodemailer is a popular Node.js library for sending emails.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to configure it with thePurplebox SMTP service to send transactional emails reliably and securely.

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Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure your project has:
  • Nodemailer installed
  • A thePurplebox SMTP password (API key) stored in your .env file
  • A verified sending domain (recommended for best deliverability)

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Install Nodemailer

npm i nodemailer

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Optional: Install Nodemailer TypeScript types

If your project uses TypeScript, install the types as well: 
npm i -D @types/nodemailer

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Set up environment variables

Store your SMTP password securely in a .env file:
.env
SMTP_PASSWORD=your-secret-api-key
Note: The SMTP username is always: thepurplebox

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Sending Transactional Emails

Once Nodemailer and your environment variables are set up, you can create a transporter. This object defines the SMTP connection settings and determines whether you use STARTTLS or SSL.

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Using STARTTLS (Port 587)

Set secure to false and use port 587: 
import { createTransport } from "nodemailer";

const transporter = createTransport({
  host: "smtp.thepurplebox.io",
  port: 587,
  secure: false, // STARTTLS
  auth: {
    user: "thepurplebox",
    pass: process.env.SMTP_PASSWORD
  }
});

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Using SSL (Port 465)

Set secure to true and use port 465: 
import { createTransport } from "nodemailer";

const transporter = createTransport({
  host: "smtp.thepurplebox.io",
  port: 465,
  secure: true, // SSL
  auth: {
    user: "thepurplebox",
    pass: process.env.SMTP_PASSWORD
  }
});

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Sending an Email

Now that the transporter is configured, you can send your first email with thePurplebox: 
const info = await transporter.sendMail({
  from: "[email protected]",
  to: "[email protected]",
  subject: "Welcome to thePurplebox!",
  html: "<p>Your email is being delivered successfully 🎉</p>"
});

console.log("Email sent:", info.messageId);
Or use a try/catch for better error handling: 
try {
  const info = await transporter.sendMail({
    from: "[email protected]",
    to: "[email protected]",
    subject: "Welcome to thePurplebox!",
    html: "<p>Your email is being delivered successfully 🎉</p>"
  });

  console.log("Email sent:", info.messageId);
} catch (err) {
  console.error("Failed to send email:", err);
}