Mailchimp Transactional API Demo (Flask)

A sample Flask web application demonstrating how to send transactional emails using the Mailchimp Transactional (Mandrill) API. Features include sending single emails, emails with merge tags, attachments, templates, and a "kitchen sink" demo with all features.

For more focused problem solving using python, refer to the use-cases as mentioned in README_USECASES_PYTHON.md

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Features

• Send a single email to a recipient
• Send emails with personalized merge tags
• Send emails with file attachments (PDF, text)
• Send emails using pre-defined templates
• Kitchen sink: demo of all features (attachments, merge tags, images, etc.)
• Dynamic web UI for selecting and testing features

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Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• pip (Python package manager)
• Mailchimp Transactional (Mandrill) API key

Python Packages

• Flask
• mailchimp_transactional
• python-dotenv

All dependencies are listed in requirements.txt.

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Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd Transactional-Python-Samples
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  
   cd FlaskApp

2. Install dependencies

   pip3 install -r requirements.txt

3. Set up environment variables

   cp env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your Mandrill API key and email settings

   The .env file should contain:

   MANDRILL_API_KEY=your-mailchimp-transactional-api-key
   DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL=your-from-email@example.com
   DEFAULT_FROM_NAME=Your Name
   DEFAULT_TO_EMAIL=recipient@example.com
   DEFAULT_TO_NAME=Recipient Name

4. (Optional) Add sample attachments

   • Place a sample.pdf file in the FlaskApp directory for attachment demos.
   • Place images (e.g., logo.png) in FlaskApp/static/images/ for inline image demos.

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Running the Application

1. Start the Flask server

   python3 app.py

   • The app will run on http://0.0.0.0:5002 by default.

2. Open your browser

   • Navigate to http://localhost:5002 to access the web UI.

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API Documentation

Main Endpoints

• / : Main web UI for selecting and running email scripts.
• /testEmailbasedOnScriptID : Handles form submissions to trigger email sending based on selected script.
• /createTemplate : Creates a new Mailchimp template if it does not exist (used internally by the UI).

Email Scripts (selectable from UI)

• script1: Send a single email
• script2: Send email with merge tags (requires first name, last name, company, membership level)
• script3: Send email with attachments (uses sample.pdf and a generated text file)
• script4: Send email using a template (choose template in UI)
• script5: Kitchen sink (all features: merge tags, attachments, images, etc.)

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Software Versions

• Python: 3.8+
• Flask: 2.x+
• mailchimp_transactional: 1.x+
• python-dotenv: 1.x+

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Project Structure

FlaskApp/
├── app.py                # Main Flask application
├── config.py             # Configuration and environment variables
├── requirements.txt      # Python dependencies
├── static/
│   ├── styles.css        # Custom CSS
│   └── images/           # Image assets (e.g., logo.png)
├── templates/
│   └── index.html        # Main web UI template
└── sample.pdf            # (Optional) Sample PDF for attachments

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Notes

• Make sure your Mailchimp Transactional API key is active and has permission to send emails.
• All email addresses used must be verified in your Mailchimp account (if required by your plan).
• For demo purposes, all default values are loaded from config.py or .env.

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License

See LICENSE.txt for license information.