AWS SES & SNS

Use Amazon Web Services for reliable email (SES) and SMS (SNS) delivery through NotiGrid.

Overview

Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) - For email notifications
Amazon SNS (Simple Notification Service) - For SMS notifications

Prerequisites

AWS account with appropriate permissions
Access to AWS Console or AWS CLI
Verified domain or email addresses (for SES)
NotiGrid account

Amazon SES Setup (Email)

1. Create IAM User

Log in to AWS Console
Navigate to IAM → Users
Click Create User
User name: notigrid-ses
Select Programmatic access
Click Next

2. Attach SES Permissions

Select Attach policies directly
Search for and select: AmazonSESFullAccess
Or create a custom policy with minimal permissions:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "ses:SendEmail",
        "ses:SendRawEmail",
        "ses:SendTemplatedEmail",
        "ses:GetSendQuota",
        "ses:GetSendStatistics"
      ],
      "Resource": "*"
    }
  ]
}

Click Next → Create User
Save the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key (you'll need these)

3. Verify Email Domain or Address

Option A: Verify Domain (Recommended for Production)

Go to Amazon SES → Verified identities
Click Create identity
Select Domain
Enter your domain (e.g., example.com)
Check Generate DKIM settings
Click Create identity
Add the provided DNS records to your domain:
- DKIM records - 3 CNAME records for email authentication
- Mail From domain (optional) - MX and TXT records

Option B: Verify Email Address (For Testing)

Go to Amazon SES → Verified identities
Click Create identity
Select Email address
Enter your email address
Click Create identity
Check your inbox and click the verification link

4. Request Production Access

By default, SES is in sandbox mode (limited to verified addresses only).

Go to Amazon SES → Account dashboard
Click Request production access
Fill out the form:
- Mail type: Transactional
- Website URL: Your website
- Use case description: Describe how you'll use SES
- Bounce/Complaint handling: Explain your process
Submit the request (usually approved within 24 hours)

5. Configure in NotiGrid

Log in to NotiGrid dashboard
Go to Channels → Email → AWS SES
Click Add SES Configuration
Enter your details:
- Name: "Production SES" (or any name)
- AWS Region: Your SES region (e.g., us-east-1)
- Access Key ID: From step 2
- Secret Access Key: From step 2
- From Email: Your verified email/domain
- From Name: Your company name
Click Save & Test

1. Create IAM User

In AWS Console, go to IAM → Users
Click Create User
User name: notigrid-sns
Select Programmatic access
Click Next

Select Attach policies directly
Search for and select: AmazonSNSFullAccess
Or create a custom policy:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "sns:Publish",
        "sns:SetSMSAttributes",
        "sns:GetSMSAttributes"
      ],
      "Resource": "*"
    }
  ]
}

Click Next → Create User
Save the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key

3. Configure SMS Settings

Go to Amazon SNS → Text messaging (SMS)
Click Edit in SMS settings
Configure:
- Default message type:
  - Promotional - Lower cost, best effort delivery
  - Transactional - Higher cost, optimized for critical messages
- Account spend limit: Set monthly SMS spend limit
- Default sender ID: Your company name (not supported in all countries)
Click Save changes

4. Set Up Origination Numbers (Optional)

For better deliverability in some countries:

Go to Amazon Pinpoint (SNS uses Pinpoint for SMS)
Navigate to SMS and voice → Phone numbers
Click Request phone number
Choose number type:
- Toll-free - For US/Canada
- Long code - For two-way messaging
- Short code - For high-volume (requires application)
Complete the request

5. Configure in NotiGrid

Log in to NotiGrid dashboard
Go to Channels → SMS → AWS SNS
Click Add SNS Configuration
Enter your details:
- Name: "Production SNS"
- AWS Region: Your preferred region (e.g., us-east-1)
- Access Key ID: From step 2
- Secret Access Key: From step 2
- Sender ID: Your sender name (if supported)
- Message Type: Transactional or Promotional
Click Save & Test

Sending Notifications

Email via SES

curl -X POST https://api.notigrid.com/v1/notifications \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "email",
    "to": "user@example.com",
    "subject": "Welcome!",
    "body": "Thanks for signing up!"
  }'

SMS via SNS

curl -X POST https://api.notigrid.com/v1/notifications \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "sms",
    "to": "+1234567890",
    "body": "Your verification code is: 123456"
  }'

Best Practices

SES Email Best Practices

Warm up your domain - Start with low volume and gradually increase
Monitor bounce rates - Keep below 5%
Handle complaints - Process unsubscribe requests immediately
Use DKIM & SPF - Improve deliverability with proper authentication
Maintain clean lists - Remove invalid addresses
Segment sending - Use configuration sets for different types
Monitor reputation - Check SES reputation dashboard regularly

Include opt-out - Always provide a way to unsubscribe (e.g., "Reply STOP")
Verify numbers - Use phone number validation
Time zones - Send messages at appropriate times
Character limits - Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Costs - Monitor spending, SMS can be expensive
Compliance - Follow TCPA, GDPR, and local regulations
Use appropriate type - Transactional for time-sensitive, Promotional for marketing