Source: https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-send

# nylas email send

Send an email. Supports scheduling, GPG signing/encryption, and tracking.

Written by [Qasim Muhammad](https://cli.nylas.com/authors/qasim-muhammad) Staff SRE

Published February 13, 2026

Updated June 21, 2026

## What does nylas email send do?

The nylas email send command sends an email through Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, or any IMAP server from your terminal. It supports scheduling with natural language expressions (e.g., 2h, tomorrow 9am), GPG signing and encryption via RFC 3156 PGP/MIME, and open/click tracking with webhook delivery. Use --yes to skip confirmation for scripting and agent automation.

## Usage

```bash
nylas email send --to EMAIL --subject SUBJECT --body BODY [options]
```

## Flags

| Flag | Description |
| --- | --- |
| --json | Output as JSON |
| --no-color | Disable color output |
| --verbose(-v) | Enable verbose output |
| --config | Custom config file path |
| --help(-h) | Show help for the command |
| --limit | Limit results (most list commands) |
| --yes(-y) | Skip confirmations |
| --to | Recipient email address |
| --cc | CC recipients |
| --bcc | BCC recipients |
| --subject | Email subject |
| --body | Email body (HTML or plain text) |
| --schedule | Schedule send (e.g. 2h, tomorrow 9am) |
| --sign | Sign with GPG |
| --encrypt | Encrypt with recipient's GPG key |
| --track-opens | Track email opens |
| --track-links | Track link clicks |
| --metadata | Custom key=value metadata (repeatable) |
| --gpg-key | Specific GPG key ID to use for signing |
| --interactive(-i) | Interactive mode |
| --list-gpg-keys | List available GPG signing keys and exit |
| --recipient-key | Specific GPG key ID for encryption (auto-detected from recipient email if not specified) |
| --render-only | Render a hosted template preview without sending |
| --reply-to | Message ID to reply to |
| --signature-id | Stored signature ID to append when sending |
| --template-data | Inline JSON object with hosted template variables |
| --template-data-file | Path to a JSON file with hosted template variables |
| --template-grant-id | Grant ID or email for grant-scoped hosted templates |
| --template-id | Hosted template ID to render and send |
| --template-scope | Hosted template scope: app or grant |
| --template-strict | Fail if a hosted template references missing variables |
| --track-label | Label for tracking (used to group tracked emails) |

## Examples

The nylas email send command sends an email through Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, or any IMAP server from your terminal.

### Basic send

```bash
nylas email send --to user@example.com --subject "Quick note" --body "Hello!" --yes
```

### Schedule for later

```bash
nylas email send --to team@company.com --subject "Reminder" --body "..." --schedule 2h
```

### GPG signed and encrypted

```bash
nylas email send --to legal@partner.com --subject "Contract" --body "..." --sign --encrypt
```

## Example output

```text
✓ Email sent
  Message ID: msg_abc123
  To: alice@example.com
  Subject: Q3 planning
```

## Troubleshooting

### Send fails with auth error

Run nylas auth config and nylas auth login to connect an account.

### GPG encrypt fails

Ensure recipient has a public key. Use nylas email send --list-gpg-keys to verify your keys.

## Related commands

[nylas email ai analyzeAnalyze recent emails with AI for a summary, categorization, and action items.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-ai-analyze)

[nylas email attachments downloadDownload an attachment](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-attachments-download)

[nylas email attachments listList all attachments on a specific email.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-attachments-list)

[nylas email deleteDelete an email by message ID.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-delete)

[nylas email drafts createCreate a new draft email with optional attachments.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-drafts-create)

[nylas email drafts listList email drafts in your mailbox.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-drafts-list)

## Recommended guides

[List Fastmail emails from the CLIList Fastmail emails from the CLI through Nylas IMAP access, using app passwords, inbox filters, JSON output, and Fastmail-specific auth troubleshooting.](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/list-fastmail-emails)

[Why Cloud Servers Block SMTP PortsAWS, GCP, and Azure block outbound SMTP port 25 while ports 587 and 465 stay open. Confirm the block and send email over an HTTPS API instead.](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/smtp-ports-blocked-on-cloud-servers)

[Send Email From a Docker ContainerCloud providers block SMTP port 25 from containers. Send email over an HTTPS API on port 443 with one command and no mail daemon at all.](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/send-email-from-docker-container)

[MailerSend vs Nylas: Email ComparedMailerSend sends transactional email from verified domains. Nylas reads and syncs user inboxes across 6 providers. Compare features, pricing, and use cases.](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/mailersend-vs-nylas)

[Customer.io vs Nylas: Email ComparedCustomer.io sends lifecycle emails to your user base. Nylas reads and sends from real user inboxes via OAuth. Compare use cases, data access, and AI agents.](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/customerio-vs-nylas)

[Knock vs Nylas: Notifications vs Email APIKnock delivers multi-channel product notifications via workflows; Nylas provides two-way email and calendar sync. Compare scope, use cases, and agent support.](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/knock-vs-nylas)

Run `nylas email send --help` for full help output.