# Send an email with Mailchimp or Mandrill
URL: https://docs.awellhealth.com/docs/connect-systems/send-an-email-with-mailchimp-mandrill

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.awellhealth.com/llms.txt).



Mailchimp sends transactional email through **Mandrill**. Where an organization already uses Mailchimp, a
care flow can send through that API rather than through Awell's built-in email action.

For plain templated email without a third-party account, use
[Send email notifications](/docs/design-care-flows/send-email-notifications) instead. Take this route
only when Mailchimp's templates or deliverability are the reason.

## Set up Mailchimp first [#set-up-mailchimp-first]

Follow Mailchimp's own Transactional API quick start to get:

* an **API key** for the Transactional API
* a **verified domain** to send from

Send a test email from Mailchimp before wiring anything into a care flow. If it doesn't work there, it
won't work from Awell either, and it's harder to debug from inside a care flow.

## Configure the API call action [#configure-the-api-call-action]

Use a REST [API call action](/docs/connect-systems/the-api-call-action-graphql-and-rest).

**Endpoint**, one of:

```
POST https://mandrillapp.com/api/1.0/messages/send
POST https://mandrillapp.com/api/1.0/messages/send-template
```

Use `send-template` when the content lives in a Mailchimp template, and `send` when the care flow
supplies the body.

**Headers**:

```
Content-Type: application/json
```

**Body**. Mandrill expects the API key inside the JSON body rather than in a header:

```json
{
  "key": "",
  "message": {
    "from_email": "",
    "to": [{ "email": "" }],
    "subject": "",
    "html": ""
  }
}
```

Fill the values with [variables](/docs/design-care-flows/use-variables-in-your-actions) so each email
goes to the right patient, and keep the API key in a
[constant](/docs/connect-systems/store-static-values-in-constants).

## Next steps [#next-steps]

Storing the response in a data point lets the care flow react to a send failure rather than assuming it
worked. See [The API call action](/docs/connect-systems/the-api-call-action-graphql-and-rest).