Stop debugging smtplib SSL errors
smtplib has confusing SSL/TLS modes, cryptic error messages, and no delivery confirmation. Ark's Python SDK sends email in 3 lines—no SMTP configuration, no blocked requests, no "email sent but never arrived" mystery.
Python's email stack is stuck in 2005
smtplib requires you to manage connections, figure out SMTP vs SMTP_SSL vs starttls(), and hope your email actually arrived. Django's send_mail blocks your views. Flask-Mail is barely maintained. FastAPI devs accidentally freeze their endpoints sending email synchronously.
- ×smtplib: SSL vs TLS confusion, vague "Network unreachable" errors, no delivery confirmation
- ×Django send_mail(): blocks request execution—need Celery just to send email
- ×Flask-Mail: minimally maintained, no native support for modern email providers
- ×FastAPI: naive implementations freeze endpoints during SMTP handshakes
HTTP API instead of SMTP
Ark sends email over HTTPS—no port 25/587 firewall issues, no SSL certificate headaches, no connection pooling. You get clear error messages, instant delivery confirmation, and async support built in.
Replace smtplib in 2 minutes
pip install, set one environment variable, send. No SMTP host, port, TLS mode, or authentication dance.
Install the SDK
Works with Python 3.9+. Async support included.
pip install ark-emailSet your API key
Get your key from arkhq.io. One environment variable, no config files.
export ARK_API_KEY=ark_live_xxxxxxSend email
Three lines. No SMTP connection management. Delivery confirmation in the response.
from ark import Ark
ark = Ark() # Reads ARK_API_KEY from environment
response = ark.emails.send(
from_="[email protected]",
to="[email protected]",
subject="Welcome!",
html="<h1>You're in.</h1>",
)
print(response.id) # Delivery confirmedCode examples
Copy and paste to get started quickly.
# views.py
from ark import Ark
from django.conf import settings
ark = Ark(api_key=settings.ARK_API_KEY)
def signup(request):
user = User.objects.create(email=request.POST["email"])
# Ark is fast enough to call inline for simple cases
# (sub-second response, non-blocking HTTP call)
ark.emails.send(
from_="[email protected]",
to=user.email,
subject="Welcome to YourApp",
html=f"<h1>Hi {user.first_name}!</h1><p>Let's get started.</p>",
)
return JsonResponse({"status": "created"})
# For high-volume, still use Celery—but the email call itself is simple:
# @shared_task
# def send_email_task(to, subject, html):
# ark.emails.send(from_="...", to=to, subject=subject, html=html)# main.py
from fastapi import FastAPI
from ark import AsyncArk # Async client for FastAPI
import os
app = FastAPI()
ark = AsyncArk(api_key=os.environ["ARK_API_KEY"])
@app.post("/signup")
async def signup(email: str, name: str):
# Actually async—doesn't block the event loop
await ark.emails.send(
from_="[email protected]",
to=email,
subject=f"Welcome, {name}!",
html="<h1>You're in!</h1>",
)
return {"status": "success"}
# Compare to smtplib, which blocks the entire event loop:
# import smtplib # ← This freezes your endpoint# app.py
from flask import Flask, request, jsonify
from ark import Ark
app = Flask(__name__)
ark = Ark() # Reads ARK_API_KEY from environment
@app.post("/contact")
def contact():
data = request.json
ark.emails.send(
from_="[email protected]",
to="[email protected]",
subject=f"Contact form: {data['subject']}",
html=f"<p>From: {data['email']}</p><p>{data['message']}</p>",
reply_to=data["email"],
)
return jsonify({"sent": True})What you can build
Auth emails that don't block views
Verification, password reset, magic links. Ark's HTTP call is fast enough to run inline—no Celery overhead for simple cases.
FastAPI without async headaches
AsyncArk client is truly async. No frozen endpoints, no BackgroundTasks workaround, no smtplib blocking the event loop.
Django without Celery (for simple cases)
Ark responds in sub-second. For transactional emails, you often don't need a task queue. For bulk, still use Celery—but the call is simple.
Scripts and CLIs
No SMTP server configuration. pip install, set one env var, send. Works in any Python script.
Why developers choose Ark
No SMTP configuration
Forget EMAIL_HOST, EMAIL_PORT, EMAIL_USE_TLS vs EMAIL_USE_SSL. One API key, done.
Works behind firewalls
SMTP needs port 25/587/465. Ark uses HTTPS (port 443)—works on PythonAnywhere, Heroku, Docker, corporate networks.
Delivery confirmation
smtplib returns nothing useful. Ark returns message ID, status, and clear error messages if something fails.
True async for FastAPI
AsyncArk uses aiohttp under the hood. Doesn't block your event loop like smtplib does.
What you get with Ark
Frequently asked questions
Why not just use smtplib?
smtplib works but requires managing SSL/TLS modes, connection pooling, authentication, and error handling manually. It gives no delivery confirmation—your email can fail silently. Ark handles all of this and tells you exactly what happened.
Does this work with Django's EMAIL_BACKEND?
You can use Ark alongside Django's email system, but we recommend using the SDK directly. It's cleaner: ark.emails.send() instead of configuring EMAIL_HOST, EMAIL_PORT, EMAIL_USE_TLS, etc.
Will this block my FastAPI endpoints?
No. Use AsyncArk for truly async email sending. Unlike smtplib (which blocks the event loop), Ark's async client is non-blocking.
What about Flask-Mail?
Flask-Mail is minimally maintained and only supports SMTP. Ark's SDK works in Flask with no extra setup—just import and send.
Do I still need Celery?
For bulk email or complex pipelines, yes. For transactional emails (verification, password reset), Ark is fast enough to call inline. No task queue overhead for simple cases.
What does it cost?
$0.50 per 1,000 emails. No monthly fees. $2.50 welcome credit (5,000 emails). Most Python apps run for months on the free credit.
pip install ark-email
No smtplib. No SSL confusion. No blocked requests. 2 minutes to your first email.