How can I send email notifications with Parse and Mandrill?

Question

I am trying to use Mandrill to send an event-based email notification to the users of my web app. I am using Parse with Back4App.

In this tutorial (https://docs.back4app.com/docs/integrations/parse-server-mandrill/), the hosting providers suggest using the following method to call the Mandrill cloud code from an Android application:

public class Mandrill extends AppCompatActivity {


 @Override

 protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

   Parse.initialize(new Parse.Configuration.Builder(this)

    .applicationId("your back4app app id”)

     .clientKey(“your back4app client key ")

      .server("https://parseapi.back4app.com/").build()

     );


     Map < String, String > params = new HashMap < > ();

     params.put("text", "Sample mail body");

     params.put("subject", "Test Parse Push");

     params.put("fromEmail", "someone@example.com");

     params.put("fromName", "Source User");

     params.put("toEmail", "other@example.com");

     params.put("toName", "Target user");

     params.put("replyTo", "reply-to@example.com");

     ParseCloud.callFunctionInBackground("sendMail", params, new FunctionCallback < Object > () {

      @Override

      public void done(Object response, ParseException exc) {

       Log.e("cloud code example", "response: " + response);

      }

     });


     super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

     setContentView(R.layout.activity_mandrill);

    }

   }

How can I implement this in JavaScript with the Parse JavaScript SDK?

This is what I've done so far but it won't send an email. I have Mandrill set up, as well as a verified email domain and valid DKIM and SPF.

// Run email Cloud code
Parse.Cloud.run("sendMail", {
    text: "Email Test",
    subject: "Email Test",
    fromEmail: "no-reply@test.ca",
    fromName: "TEST",
    toEmail: "test@gmail.com",
    toName: "test",
    replyTo: "no-reply@test.ca"
}).then(function(result) {
    // make sure to set the email sent flag on the object
    console.log("result :" + JSON.stringify(result));
}, function(error) {
    // error
});

I don't even get a result in the console, so I figure the cloud code is not even executing.

Answer 1

You have to add the Mandrill Email Adapter to the initialisation of your Parse Server, as described on their Github page. Also check the Parse Server Guide for how to initialise or use their example project.

Then set up Cloud Code by following the guide. You'll want to either call a Cloud Code function using your Android app or from any Javascript app, or use beforeSave or afterSave hooks of a Parse Object directly in Cloud Code, which allow you to send Welcome Emails when a user signs up. That could come in handy if you want to implement behaviour based emails based on object updates. Plus, because it is on the server and not the client, it is easier to maintain and scale.

To make the Cloud Code function actually send an email via Mandrill, you need to add some more code to your Cloud Code function. First, add a file with these contents:

var _apiUrl = 'mandrillapp.com/api/1.0';
var _apiKey = process.env.MANDRILL_API_KEY || '';

exports.initialize = function(apiKey) {
  _apiKey = apiKey;
};

exports.sendTemplate = function(request, response) {
  request.key = _apiKey;

  return Parse.Cloud.httpRequest({
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    url: 'https://' + _apiUrl + '/messages/send-template.json',
    body: request,
    success: function(httpResponse) {
      if (response) {
        response.success(httpResponse);
      }
      return Parse.Promise.resolve(httpResponse);
    },
    error: function(httpResponse) {
      if (response) {
        response.error(httpResponse);
      }
      return Parse.Promise.reject(httpResponse);
    }
  });
};

Require that file in your Cloud Code file, and use it like any other Promise.

var Mandrill = require("./file");
Mandrill.sendTemplate({
      template_name: "TEMPLATE_NAME",
      template_content: [{}],
      key: process.env.MANDRILL_API_KEY,
      message: {
        global_merge_vars: [{
          name: "REPLACABLE_CONTENT_NAME",
          content: "YOUR_CONTENT",
        }],
        subject: "SUBJECT",
        from_email: "YOUR@EMAIL.COM",
        from_name: "YOUR NAME",
        to: [{
          email: "RECIPIENT@EMAIL.COM",
          name: "RECIPIENT NAME"
        }],
        important: true
      },
      async: false
    })
    .then(
      function success() {

      })
    .catch(
      function error(error) {

      });

Make sure you create a template on Mailchimp, right click it and choose "Send to Mandrill", so that you can use that template's name when sending via the API.

It's a bit involved, but once set up, it works like a charm. Good luck!