In this week’s capstone sprint, I focused on a crucial aspect of my Human Resource Management (HRM) application: implementing a custom SMTP server using Supabase and the Resend email API. This improvement aims to improve the overall user experience by ensuring that users receive timely and reliable confirmation emails upon registration. Here’s a detailed walk-through of the process.
Setting Up a Custom SMTP Server
To begin with, I needed to establish a custom SMTP server for handling outgoing emails. Supabase provided the backbend for user authentication and database management, while Resend offered a seamless API for sending emails. This combination ensured that the email delivery process would be both efficient and reliable.
Purchasing and Configuring a Domain Name System
A critical step in this setup was purchasing and configuring a domain name system (DNS). I opted to use Cloudflare for its robust DNS management features and security capabilities. Acquiring a domain was straightforward, and I quickly moved on to configuring the necessary DNS settings to enable email functionality through Resend.
Connecting to Resend
To connect my application to Resend, I needed to configure several DNS records within Cloudflare. These records are essential for verifying domain ownership and ensuring that emails sent from my domain are authenticated properly. The required DNS records included:
MX Record: The Mail Exchange (MX) record specifies the mail server responsible for receiving emails on behalf of my domain. Setting this up correctly ensures that emails sent from my domain are routed through the appropriate mail server.
TXT Records: Two TXT records are required for verifying domain ownership and for Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) authentication. These records help prevent email spoofing and ensure that emails sent from my domain are not marked as spam.
The process involved logging into Cloudflare, navigating to the DNS management section, and adding the required records.
Once these records were added, I verified them through the Resend dashboard to ensure they were correctly configured.
References:
Medium. (n.d.). Resend Email API [Image]. Retrieved July 14, 2024, from https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:786/format:webp/0*Tq6wntW0nauxoHZC.png