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Courier is designed so that most notifications stay simple. A single API call handles rendering, routing, preferences, and delivery across every channel. You only add complexity when your product requires it. There are three levels of sending in Courier. Each one builds on the last, and you can mix and match across your product.

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Level 1: Inline Send

Send a notification with content defined directly in your API call. No templates, no workflows; just one request. This is ideal for transactional messages where the content is generated by your app: password resets, verification codes, order confirmations, alert payloads. 
curl -X POST https://api.courier.com/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COURIER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "message": {
      "to": { "email": "user@example.com" },
      "content": {
        "title": "Your verification code",
        "body": "Your code is {{code}}. It expires in 10 minutes."
      },
      "data": { "code": "847291" },
      "routing": { "method": "single", "channels": ["email"] }
    }
  }'
Use this when: content is dynamic and code-driven, you’re sending simple transactional messages, or you want the fastest possible integration.

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Level 2: Templates + Send API

Separate content from code by referencing a saved template. Your team designs and updates notifications in Courier’s visual editor; your code just triggers the send with data. This is ideal when non-engineers need to edit copy, when you want consistent branding across channels, or when the same notification is sent from multiple places in your codebase. 
curl -X POST https://api.courier.com/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COURIER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "message": {
      "template": "order-confirmation",
      "to": { "user_id": "user_123" },
      "data": {
        "order_id": "ORD-7891",
        "total": "$49.99",
        "items": ["Widget Pro", "Cable Kit"]
      }
    }
  }'
Use this when: content is managed by PMs, designers, or ops; you want to update messaging without deploying code; or you send the same notification type from multiple services.
Templates handle routing, channel-specific content, and localization in one place. Your send call stays the same regardless of how many channels or languages you support.

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Level 3: Automations

When a notification involves timing, sequencing, or conditional logic, use Automations. Automations are multi-step workflows that run on Courier’s infrastructure, handling delays, batching, digests, branching, and escalation for you. This is ideal for onboarding sequences, digest summaries, reminder chains, escalation flows, and any notification that depends on user behavior or elapsed time. 
// Invoke an automation template via API
{
  "automation_template_id": "onboarding-sequence",
  "recipient": "user_123",
  "data": {
    "plan": "pro",
    "signup_date": "2026-02-10"
  }
}
An automation can include any combination of:
  • Delays to pause between steps (wait 24 hours, wait until business hours)
  • Batching to group related events into a single notification
  • Digests to accumulate activity and deliver periodic summaries
  • Conditional logic to branch based on user data, delivery status, or custom expressions
  • Cancellation to abort a running workflow when conditions change
Use this when: notifications depend on timing or user behavior, you need to batch or digest events, you want multi-step sequences, or you need conditional escalation.

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Choosing the Right Level

Inline SendTemplatesAutomations
Content ownershipEngineersAnyone on the teamAnyone on the team
ChannelsAllAllAll
Routing & preferencesAutomaticAutomaticAutomatic
Timing controlDelays onlyDelays onlyFull (delays, schedules, batching, digests)
Conditional logicIn your codeIn your codeBuilt-in (if/switch/branch)
Multi-step sequencesNot supportedNot supportedBuilt-in
Best forTransactional, code-drivenTeam-managed, multi-channelComplex workflows, sequences, digests
You can use all three levels across different parts of your product. A password reset can be an inline send while an onboarding flow uses automations; they share the same users, preferences, and delivery infrastructure.

Send a Message

Full Send API reference with examples

Template Designer

Design and manage notification templates

Automations Overview

Build multi-step notification workflows

How Sending Works

Routing, preferences, and delivery pipeline