How to use Draftship with Resend
Resend is API-first transactional email built around React Email. You can also send raw HTML. Here's how to drop a Draftship export into Resend's Audiences for broadcasts or send one-off via the API.
Resend is the modern API-first transactional email service: clean docs, React Email integration, opinionated tooling. Their template story leans on React Email components rendered server-side. If you've built in Draftship, you can either send the static HTML directly via API or paste it into a Broadcast inside Resend's Audiences for opt-in marketing.
Two paths into Resend
Path one: send the Draftship export as raw HTML via the API for transactional. Path two: drop the export into a Broadcast for opt-in marketing.
Sending via API (transactional)
The send call is direct:
bashcurl -X POST 'https://api.resend.com/emails' \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer re_xxxx' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{ "from": "noreply@yourdomain.com", "to": "user@example.com", "subject": "Welcome", "html": "<html>..." }'
For personalization, do the substitution in your code before the API call. Resend doesn't have a server-side template engine for raw HTML; that's a deliberate choice. The React Email path renders components server-side and produces HTML that's already fully resolved.
Sending via Broadcasts (opt-in marketing)
For lists of subscribers who've opted in:
1. Go to Audiences, create or select an audience. 2. Click Broadcasts → New Broadcast. 3. Choose HTML editor. Paste your Draftship export. 4. Resend's broadcast editor supports basic Liquid for first_name and email substitution: {{ FIRST_NAME }}, {{ EMAIL }}.
The broadcast UI is intentionally simple. For complex personalization, do it in code with the API.
Resend Liquid (Broadcasts only)
| Draftship | Resend Broadcasts |
|---|---|
{{ first_name }} | {{ FIRST_NAME }} |
{{ last_name }} | {{ LAST_NAME }} |
{{ email }} | {{ EMAIL }} |
| Unsubscribe link | {{ RESEND_UNSUBSCRIBE_URL }} |
Defaults aren't supported in Broadcasts. If a contact lacks a field, the substitution renders as empty. Set the field on every contact at import time.
Image hosting
Resend has no built-in CDN. External URLs in Draftship Image blocks. Common pattern: pair Resend with Cloudflare Images or your own CDN.
Test send checklist
- For API sends, use a sandbox API key first to validate the payload.
- For Broadcasts, the test send goes to a single email; verify Liquid substitution.
- Run the rendered output through the size checker.
- Confirm domain verification (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is complete in Resend's dashboard.
When to use React Email instead of Draftship
If your team already lives in a React codebase and ships email components alongside features, React Email is a natural fit. If your email is shipped by marketers, designers, or anyone outside engineering, Draftship's visual editor wins. Both produce HTML that Resend will send.
For DMARC setup specifically, see SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained.