Transactional email is mail a user expects because they did something in your product: signed up, placed an order, requested a password reset, or entered an OTP. It is not optional reading — it is part of the service.
Common examples
- One-time passwords and magic links
- Order confirmations and shipping updates
- Invoice and payment receipts
- Account alerts (login from new device, policy changes)
- Workflow notifications (comment mentions, assignment updates)
What is not transactional
Newsletters, promotional blasts, re-engagement drips, and cold outreach are marketing email. Even if you send them through the same API, inbox providers classify them by content, list source, and engagement — not by what you call them internally.
Why the distinction matters
Transactional mail usually gets higher priority at the mailbox: users asked for it, open rates are high, and spam complaints are low. Marketing mail needs unsubscribe links, consent records, and often a separate subdomain or IP reputation pool.
Blending promotional content into password-reset templates is a common way to tank deliverability for your entire domain.
How to send it well
- Use a dedicated subdomain (e.g.
notify.example.com). - Authenticate with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Send from a stable From address users recognize.
- Keep templates minimal and fast-loading on mobile.
- Log every send and monitor bounces — bad addresses should hit a suppression list automatically.
Mailmatic is built for both transactional pipes and campaign sends, with separate tooling for lists and scheduling when you need marketing — without forcing one SMTP pipe to do everything blindly.