how to send an email in python

Sending an email in Python can be done using the built-in smtplib library. Here's a step-by-step guide.

Steps to Send an Email in Python:

Import Required Libraries:

• Use smtplib to send emails.
• Use email.mime modules to format the email.

Set Up the SMTP Server:

• Use an SMTP server (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, etc.).
• Authenticate with the email server using your credentials.

Create the Email Content:

• Use MIMEText for plain text emails.
• Use MIMEMultipart for emails with attachments.

Send the Email:

• Use the sendmail() method from smtplib.

Example: Sending a Simple Email

import smtplib
from email.mime.text import MIMEText
from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart

# Email details
sender_email = "your_email@example.com"
receiver_email = "receiver_email@example.com"
password = "your_password"

# Create the email
subject = "Test Email from Python"
body = "This is a test email sent using Python."

message = MIMEMultipart()
message["From"] = sender_email
message["To"] = receiver_email
message["Subject"] = subject

# Attach the body text
message.attach(MIMEText(body, "plain"))

# Connect to the SMTP server and send the email
try:
    # For Gmail, use smtp.gmail.com and port 587
    server = smtplib.SMTP("smtp.gmail.com", 587)
    server.starttls()  # Secure the connection
    server.login(sender_email, password)
    server.sendmail(sender_email, receiver_email, message.as_string())
    print("Email sent successfully!")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error sending email: {e}")
finally:
    server.quit()

Notes:

• Gmail Users:
  • Enable "Less Secure App Access" in your Gmail account (or use App Passwords for added security).
  • Ensure 2-step verification is disabled or use app-specific passwords.
• Security:
  • Avoid hardcoding passwords. Use environment variables or a secure secret manager.