SES API for Rails

Basic SES API integration with Rails specifically for transaction based emails - contact emails, user emails, etc.

Install the SES API Rails gem

# Gemfile
gem 'ses_api-rails'

bundle install

High Level Integration Details

1. Create an initializer file defining your AWS credentials as constants

   # config/initializers/ses_api-rails.rb
   SesApi::Rails.configure do |config|
     config.secret_access_key = ENV['SECRET_ACCESS_KEY']
     config.access_key_id = Figaro.env.access_key_id
     config.aws_region = "us-east-1"
     config.ses_endpoint = "email.us-east-1.amazonaws.com"
   end
   

   There are many ways to accomplish this. The above shows 3 different methods. Personally I recommend the Figaro Gem.

2. Subclass the SesApi::Rails::Mailer class in your CustomMailer or in your ApplicationMailer

   # app/mailers/custom_mailer.rb
   class CustomMailer < SesApi::Rails::Mailer
     ...
     def contact
       mail to: "you@example.com", subject: "Via Ses"
     end
   end
   

3. Instantiate the mailer where appropriate.

   # app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb  
   def create
     @contact = Contact.new(contact_params)
     if @contact.valid?
       CustomMailer.contact(@contact).deliver_now!
       redirect_to contact_success_path, notice: "Thank you for your contact request."
     else
       render :new
     end
   end
   

A Step By Step Example

1. (OPTIONAL) After the ses_api-rails gem is installed, add your Amazon AWS / SES credentials to environment variables.
   NOTE: There are many ways to set environment variables. This example uses the Figaro gem.

   # Gemfile  
   gem 'figaro'  
   

   bundle install  
   figaro install
   

   # config/application.yml  
   SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: "secret_access_key"  
   AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: "aws_access_key_id"  
   AWS_REGION:  "us-east-1"  
   SES_ENDPOINT:  "email.us-east-1.amazonaws.com"
   

2. Create an initializer that assigns your AWS credentials to constants. There are multiple ways to accomplish this including simply hardcoding a string value. The example below uses Figaro environment variables.

   # config/initializers/ses_api-rails.rb
   SesApi::Rails.configure do |config|
     config.secret_access_key = Figaro.env.secret_access_key
     config.access_key_id = Figaro.env.access_key_id
     config.aws_region = Figaro.env.aws_region
     config.ses_endpoint = Figaro.env.ses_endpoint
   end
   

3. Create a Mailer that subclasses the SesApi::Rails::Mailer
   rails g mailer ContactMailer
   If you are only sending email from the Amazon Ses Api, you can subclass the ApplicationMailer. Otherwise subclass the Mailer that will use the Ses delivery method.

   Using the Amazon Ses API as the only delivery method application-wide

   # app/mailers/application_mailer.rb  
   class ApplicationMailer < SesApi::Rails::Mailer
     default from: "from@example.com"  
     layout 'mailer'
   end
   

   # app/mailers/contact_mailer.rb  
   class ContactMailer < ApplicationMailer
     ...
     def contact
       mail to: "you@example.com", subject: "Via Ses"
     end
   end
   

   Create a mailer view(s)

   # app/views/contact_mailer/contact.html.erb  
   <h1>Hello new contact</h1>
   <p>Include instance variables as you like using @contact.attribute</p>
   

   # app/views/contact_mailer/contact.text.erb  
   This is a text version  
   Hello new contact
   

4. Instantiate the mailer where appropriate.
   NOTE: This assumes that you have a form, model, etc. & is not covered in the installation guide of this gem.

   # app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb  
   ...
   def create
     @contact = Contact.new(contact_params)
     if @contact.valid?
       ContactMailer.contact(@contact).deliver_now!
       redirect_to contact_success_path, notice: "Thank you for your contact request."
     else
       render :new
     end
   end
   ...
   

Troubleshooting

Is the library included? One way to do so is to autoload all library sub-directories:
config.autoload_paths += Dir["#{config.root}/lib/**/"]

Is the time correct? Recommend ntp or another time snychronization method.