Bluehost AI Builder: How to Set Up Email Notifications

Email notifications let your Bluehost AI Builder app send emails automatically when something happens in your app. For example, your app can send a confirmation to a customer after they book an appointment, or alert you when a visitor submits a lead form.

This article explains how to choose an email provider, connect it to your app, and test everything before you publish.

Before You Start

Make sure you have the following:

• An active Bluehost account with access to the AI Builder.
• An app that has already been created in the AI Builder.
• A domain you own, with access to its DNS settings. Your app's emails will be sent from an address on this domain.
• An active inbox you can check for test emails.

Step 1: Choose an Email Provider

Your app sends email through a built-in email provider. The AI Builder supports two:

• Resend. You verify your domain and create an API key with Sending access, then you can send right away.
• Postmark. You verify your domain and copy the Server API Token. New Postmark accounts start in test mode, so you must request account approval before your app can email visitors.

Plans, pricing, and sending limits are set by each provider and may change. Visit Resend’s or Postmark’s website for current plan details.

Step 2: Set Up Your Provider and Get Your API Key

Follow the setup article for the provider you chose. Each one walks you through creating an account, verifying your sending domain with DNS records in Bluehost, and getting your API key:

• Bluehost AI Builder: How to Get an API Key from Resend
• Bluehost AI Builder: How to Get an API Key from Postmark

Step 3: Connect Your Provider in Email Notifications

You can optionally store your Resend or Postmark API key as a secret for use in custom prompts or app features. The AI Builder includes a Secrets tab where you can securely store your API key. For instructions on how to do this, see the Bluehost AI Builder: How to Store and Use API Keys in Secrets article.

To connect your provider to your app:

1. Log in to your Bluehost Portal.
2. Click AI Builder in the left-hand menu.

   
    

3. Open the app you want to connect.
4. In your app, click the Settings (gear) icon.

   
    

5. Click Email notifications.

   
    

6. Under Provider, click Resend or Postmark.

   
    

7. Paste your API key into the API key field.

   
    

8. Fill out the fields:

   

   • From address (required). The address your app's emails come from. Use an address on the domain you verified, such as [email protected].
   • From name (required). The name recipients see, such as your business name.
   • Reply-to address (optional). Where replies go, if different from the From address.
   • Notifications email (required). The inbox that receives your app's notifications and test emails.
9. Click Save Changes.
10. After saving your email settings, click Connect next to the API key field.
11. Click Send Test Email.
12. A message confirms whether the test email was sent. If the test fails, see Troubleshooting Email Notifications below.
13. Check the inbox you entered as your Notifications email, including your Spam or Junk folder.

Step 4: Test Your Emails Before Publishing

1. Open your app in Preview.
2. Try submitting the Contact form or making an online booking. Use an email address you can check.
3. Check your email, including your Spam or Junk folder.
4. Review the subject, sender name, and content. If anything is wrong, describe the change in a prompt and test again.
5. When every email works as expected, publish your app.

Troubleshooting Email Notifications

• Emails aren't arriving - Check your Spam or Junk folder first. Then check your provider's dashboard, which shows a log of the emails your app has sent. If you use Postmark, make sure your account has been approved.
   
• Emails land in the Spam or Junk folder - Make sure your domain is verified with your provider and that your From address uses that domain. Verifying all the DNS records your provider lists, such as DKIM and Return-Path, helps your emails reach the inbox.
   
• Your domain is not verified - Return to your provider's dashboard and check the status of each DNS record. DNS changes can take time, so wait and click Verify again. See the setup article for your provider for details.
   
• The key is wrong or missing - Make sure you copied the right key: a key with Sending access for Resend, or the Server API Token (not the Account API Token) for Postmark. Paste it again, click Save Changes, then Connect, and send a test email.

Summary

Set up email notifications in your Bluehost AI Builder app to automatically send emails, such as booking confirmations and contact form alerts. This guide shows you how to connect Resend or Postmark, add your API key, test email delivery, and fix common email issues before publishing your app.