Merge pull request #21 from xtr-dev/dev

Dev

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 📧 **Template-based email system with scheduling and job processing for PayloadCMS**
 
-✨ **Simplified API**: Starting from v0.1.0, this plugin uses a simplified API that leverages PayloadCMS collections directly for better type safety and flexibility.
+⚠️ **Pre-release Warning**: This package is currently in active development (v0.0.x). Breaking changes may occur before v1.0.0. Not recommended for production use.
 
 ## Features
 
@@ -56,53 +56,54 @@ export default buildConfig({
 })
 ```
 
-### 2. Send emails using Payload collections
+### 2. Send emails with type-safe helper
 
 ```typescript
-import { renderTemplate } from '@xtr-dev/payload-mailing'
+import { sendEmail } from '@xtr-dev/payload-mailing'
+import { Email } from './payload-types' // Your generated types
 
-// Option 1: Using templates with variables
+// Option 1: Using templates with full type safety
-const { html, text, subject } = await renderTemplate(payload, 'welcome-email', {
+const email = await sendEmail<Email>(payload, {
-  firstName: 'John',
+  template: {
-  welcomeUrl: 'https://yoursite.com/welcome'
+    slug: 'welcome-email',
-})
+    variables: {
-
+      firstName: 'John',
-// Create email using Payload's collection API (full type safety!)
+      welcomeUrl: 'https://yoursite.com/welcome'
-const email = await payload.create({
+    }
-  collection: 'emails',
+  },
   data: {
-    to: ['user@example.com'],
+    to: 'user@example.com',
-    subject,
-    html,
-    text,
     // Schedule for later (optional)
     scheduledAt: new Date(Date.now() + 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000),
-    // Add any custom fields you've defined
     priority: 1,
-    customField: 'your-value', // Your custom collection fields work!
+    // Your custom fields are type-safe!
+    customField: 'your-value',
   }
 })
 
-// Option 2: Direct HTML email (no template needed)
+// Option 2: Direct HTML email (no template)
-const directEmail = await payload.create({
+const directEmail = await sendEmail<Email>(payload, {
-  collection: 'emails',
   data: {
-    to: ['user@example.com'],
+    to: ['user@example.com', 'another@example.com'],
     subject: 'Welcome!',
     html: '<h1>Welcome John!</h1><p>Thanks for joining!</p>',
     text: 'Welcome John! Thanks for joining!',
+    // All your custom fields work with TypeScript autocomplete!
+    customField: 'value',
+  }
+})
+
+// Option 3: Use payload.create() directly for full control
+const manualEmail = await payload.create({
+  collection: 'emails',
+  data: {
+    to: ['user@example.com'],
+    subject: 'Hello',
+    html: '<p>Hello World</p>',
   }
 })
 ```
 
-## Why This Approach is Better
-
-- ✅ **Full Type Safety**: Use your generated Payload types
-- ✅ **No Learning Curve**: Just use `payload.create()` like any collection
-- ✅ **Maximum Flexibility**: Add any custom fields to your email collection
-- ✅ **Payload Integration**: Leverage validation, hooks, access control
-- ✅ **Consistent API**: One way to create data in Payload
-
 ## Configuration
 
 ### Plugin Options
@@ -598,6 +599,81 @@ await processEmails(payload)
 await retryFailedEmails(payload)
 ```
 
+## PayloadCMS Task Integration
+
+The plugin provides a ready-to-use PayloadCMS task for queuing template emails:
+
+### 1. Add the task to your Payload config
+
+```typescript
+import { buildConfig } from 'payload/config'
+import { sendTemplateEmailTask } from '@xtr-dev/payload-mailing'
+
+export default buildConfig({
+  // ... your config
+  jobs: {
+    tasks: [
+      sendTemplateEmailTask,
+      // ... your other tasks
+    ]
+  }
+})
+```
+
+### 2. Queue emails from your code
+
+```typescript
+import type { SendTemplateEmailInput } from '@xtr-dev/payload-mailing'
+
+// Queue a template email
+const result = await payload.jobs.queue({
+  task: 'send-template-email',
+  input: {
+    templateSlug: 'welcome-email',
+    to: ['user@example.com'],
+    cc: ['manager@example.com'],
+    variables: {
+      firstName: 'John',
+      activationUrl: 'https://example.com/activate/123'
+    },
+    priority: 1,
+    // Add any custom fields from your email collection
+    customField: 'value'
+  } as SendTemplateEmailInput
+})
+
+// Queue a scheduled email
+await payload.jobs.queue({
+  task: 'send-template-email',
+  input: {
+    templateSlug: 'reminder-email',
+    to: ['user@example.com'],
+    variables: { eventName: 'Product Launch' },
+    scheduledAt: new Date('2024-01-15T10:00:00Z').toISOString(),
+    priority: 3
+  }
+})
+```
+
+### 3. Use in admin panel workflows
+
+The task can also be triggered from the Payload admin panel with a user-friendly form interface that includes:
+- Template slug selection
+- Email recipients (to, cc, bcc)
+- Template variables as JSON
+- Optional scheduling
+- Priority setting
+- Any custom fields you've added to your email collection
+
+### Task Benefits
+
+- ✅ **Easy Integration**: Just add to your tasks array
+- ✅ **Type Safety**: Full TypeScript support with `SendTemplateEmailInput`
+- ✅ **Admin UI**: Ready-to-use form interface
+- ✅ **Flexible**: Supports all your custom email collection fields
+- ✅ **Error Handling**: Comprehensive error reporting
+- ✅ **Queue Management**: Leverage Payload's job queue system
+
 ## Job Processing
 
 The plugin automatically adds a unified email processing job to PayloadCMS:
@@ -773,6 +849,55 @@ import {
 } from '@xtr-dev/payload-mailing'
 ```
 
+## API Reference
+
+### `sendEmail<T>(payload, options)`
+
+Type-safe email sending with automatic template rendering and validation.
+
+```typescript
+import { sendEmail } from '@xtr-dev/payload-mailing'
+import { Email } from './payload-types'
+
+const email = await sendEmail<Email>(payload, {
+  template: {
+    slug: 'template-slug',
+    variables: { /* template variables */ }
+  },
+  data: {
+    to: 'user@example.com',
+    // Your custom fields are type-safe here!
+  }
+})
+```
+
+**Type Parameters:**
+- `T extends BaseEmailData` - Your generated Email type for full type safety
+
+**Options:**
+- `template.slug` - Template slug to render
+- `template.variables` - Variables to pass to template
+- `data` - Email data (merged with template output)
+- `collectionSlug` - Custom collection name (defaults to 'emails')
+
+### `renderTemplate(payload, slug, variables)`
+
+Render an email template without sending.
+
+```typescript
+const { html, text, subject } = await renderTemplate(
+  payload,
+  'welcome-email',
+  { name: 'John' }
+)
+```
+
+### Helper Functions
+
+- `getMailing(payload)` - Get mailing context
+- `processEmails(payload)` - Manually trigger email processing
+- `retryFailedEmails(payload)` - Manually retry failed emails
+
 ## Migration Guide (v0.0.x → v0.1.0)
 
 **🚨 BREAKING CHANGES**: The API has been simplified to use Payload collections directly.

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@xtr-dev/payload-mailing",
-  "version": "0.1.2",
+  "version": "0.1.5",
   "description": "Template-based email system with scheduling and job processing for PayloadCMS",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",

src/index.ts

@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ export { MailingService } from './services/MailingService.js'
 export { default as EmailTemplates, createEmailTemplatesCollection } from './collections/EmailTemplates.js'
 export { default as Emails } from './collections/Emails.js'
 
-// Jobs are integrated into the plugin configuration
+// Jobs (includes the send email task)
+export { mailingJobs, sendEmailJob } from './jobs/index.js'
+export type { SendEmailTaskInput } from './jobs/sendEmailTask.js'
 
 // Utility functions for developers
 export {
@@ -19,4 +21,7 @@ export {
   renderTemplate,
   processEmails,
   retryFailedEmails,
+  sendEmail,
+  type BaseEmailData,
+  type SendEmailOptions,
 } from './utils/helpers.js'

src/jobs/index.ts

@@ -1,19 +1,35 @@
 import { processEmailsJob, ProcessEmailsJobData } from './processEmailsJob.js'
+import { sendEmailJob } from './sendEmailTask.js'
 import { MailingService } from '../services/MailingService.js'
 
-export const createMailingJobs = (mailingService: MailingService): any[] => {
+export const mailingJobs = [
-  return [
+  {
-    {
+    slug: 'processEmails',
-      slug: 'processEmails',
+    handler: async ({ job, req }: { job: any; req: any }) => {
-      handler: async ({ job, req }: { job: any; req: any }) => {
+      // Get mailing context from payload
-        return processEmailsJob(
+      const payload = (req as any).payload
-          job as { data: ProcessEmailsJobData },
+      const mailingContext = payload.mailing
-          { req, mailingService }
+      if (!mailingContext) {
-        )
+        throw new Error('Mailing plugin not properly initialized')
-      },
+      }
-      interfaceName: 'ProcessEmailsJob',
-    },
-  ]
-}
 
-export * from './processEmailsJob.js'
+      // Use the existing mailing service from context
+      await processEmailsJob(
+        job as { data: ProcessEmailsJobData },
+        { req, mailingService: mailingContext.service }
+      )
+
+      return {
+        output: {
+          success: true,
+          message: 'Email queue processing completed successfully'
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    interfaceName: 'ProcessEmailsJob',
+  },
+  sendEmailJob,
+]
+
+export * from './processEmailsJob.js'
+export * from './sendEmailTask.js'

src/jobs/processEmailsJob.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { PayloadRequest } from 'payload'
 import { MailingService } from '../services/MailingService.js'
 
 export interface ProcessEmailsJobData {
-  type: 'process-emails' | 'retry-failed'
+  // No type needed - always processes both pending and failed emails
 }
 
 export const processEmailsJob = async (
@@ -10,18 +10,19 @@ export const processEmailsJob = async (
   context: { req: PayloadRequest; mailingService: MailingService }
 ) => {
   const { mailingService } = context
-  const { type } = job.data
 
   try {
-    if (type === 'process-emails') {
+    console.log('🔄 Processing email queue (pending + failed emails)...')
-      await mailingService.processEmails()
+
-      console.log('Email processing completed successfully')
+    // Process pending emails first
-    } else if (type === 'retry-failed') {
+    await mailingService.processEmails()
-      await mailingService.retryFailedEmails()
+
-      console.log('Failed email retry completed successfully')
+    // Then retry failed emails
-    }
+    await mailingService.retryFailedEmails()
+
+    console.log('✅ Email queue processing completed successfully (pending and failed emails)')
   } catch (error) {
-    console.error(`${type} job failed:`, error)
+    console.error('❌ Email queue processing failed:', error)
     throw error
   }
 }
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@ export const processEmailsJob = async (
 export const scheduleEmailsJob = async (
   payload: any,
   queueName: string,
-  jobType: 'process-emails' | 'retry-failed',
   delay?: number
 ) => {
   if (!payload.jobs) {
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ export const scheduleEmailsJob = async (
     await payload.jobs.queue({
       queue: queueName,
       task: 'processEmails',
-      input: { type: jobType },
+      input: {},
       waitUntil: delay ? new Date(Date.now() + delay) : undefined,
     })
   } catch (error) {
-    console.error(`Failed to schedule ${jobType} job:`, error)
+    console.error('Failed to schedule email processing job:', error)
   }
 }

src/jobs/sendEmailTask.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+import { sendEmail, type BaseEmailData } from '../utils/helpers.js'
+
+export interface SendEmailTaskInput {
+  // Template mode fields
+  templateSlug?: string
+  variables?: Record<string, any>
+
+  // Direct email mode fields
+  subject?: string
+  html?: string
+  text?: string
+
+  // Common fields
+  to: string | string[]
+  cc?: string | string[]
+  bcc?: string | string[]
+  scheduledAt?: string // ISO date string
+  priority?: number
+
+  // Allow any additional fields that users might have in their email collection
+  [key: string]: any
+}
+
+export const sendEmailJob = {
+  slug: 'send-email',
+  label: 'Send Email',
+  inputSchema: [
+    {
+      name: 'templateSlug',
+      type: 'text' as const,
+      label: 'Template Slug',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Use a template (leave empty for direct email)',
+        condition: (data: any) => !data.subject && !data.html
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'variables',
+      type: 'json' as const,
+      label: 'Template Variables',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'JSON object with variables for template rendering',
+        condition: (data: any) => Boolean(data.templateSlug)
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'subject',
+      type: 'text' as const,
+      label: 'Subject',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Email subject (required if not using template)',
+        condition: (data: any) => !data.templateSlug
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'html',
+      type: 'textarea' as const,
+      label: 'HTML Content',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'HTML email content (required if not using template)',
+        condition: (data: any) => !data.templateSlug
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'text',
+      type: 'textarea' as const,
+      label: 'Text Content',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Plain text email content (optional)',
+        condition: (data: any) => !data.templateSlug
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'to',
+      type: 'text' as const,
+      required: true,
+      label: 'To (Email Recipients)',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Comma-separated list of email addresses'
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'cc',
+      type: 'text' as const,
+      label: 'CC (Carbon Copy)',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Optional comma-separated list of CC email addresses'
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'bcc',
+      type: 'text' as const,
+      label: 'BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Optional comma-separated list of BCC email addresses'
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'scheduledAt',
+      type: 'date' as const,
+      label: 'Schedule For',
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Optional date/time to schedule email for future delivery'
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'priority',
+      type: 'number' as const,
+      label: 'Priority',
+      min: 1,
+      max: 10,
+      defaultValue: 5,
+      admin: {
+        description: 'Email priority (1 = highest, 10 = lowest)'
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  handler: async ({ input, payload }: any) => {
+    // Cast input to our expected type
+    const taskInput = input as SendEmailTaskInput
+
+    try {
+      // Prepare options for sendEmail based on task input
+      const sendEmailOptions: any = {
+        data: {}
+      }
+
+      // If using template mode
+      if (taskInput.templateSlug) {
+        sendEmailOptions.template = {
+          slug: taskInput.templateSlug,
+          variables: taskInput.variables || {}
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Build data object from task input
+      const dataFields = ['to', 'cc', 'bcc', 'subject', 'html', 'text', 'scheduledAt', 'priority']
+      const additionalFields: string[] = []
+
+      // Copy standard fields
+      dataFields.forEach(field => {
+        if (taskInput[field] !== undefined) {
+          sendEmailOptions.data[field] = taskInput[field]
+        }
+      })
+
+      // Copy any additional custom fields
+      Object.keys(taskInput).forEach(key => {
+        if (!['templateSlug', 'variables', ...dataFields].includes(key)) {
+          sendEmailOptions.data[key] = taskInput[key]
+          additionalFields.push(key)
+        }
+      })
+
+      // Use the sendEmail helper to create the email
+      const email = await sendEmail<BaseEmailData>(payload, sendEmailOptions)
+
+      return {
+        output: {
+          success: true,
+          emailId: email.id,
+          message: `Email queued successfully with ID: ${email.id}`,
+          mode: taskInput.templateSlug ? 'template' : 'direct',
+          templateSlug: taskInput.templateSlug || null,
+          subject: email.subject,
+          recipients: Array.isArray(email.to) ? email.to.length : 1,
+          scheduledAt: email.scheduledAt || null
+        }
+      }
+
+    } catch (error) {
+      const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error'
+      throw new Error(`Failed to queue email: ${errorMessage}`)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export default sendEmailJob

src/plugin.ts

@@ -3,53 +3,8 @@ import { MailingPluginConfig, MailingContext } from './types/index.js'
 import { MailingService } from './services/MailingService.js'
 import { createEmailTemplatesCollection } from './collections/EmailTemplates.js'
 import Emails from './collections/Emails.js'
+import { mailingJobs, scheduleEmailsJob } from './jobs/index.js'
 
-// Helper function to schedule the email processing job
-async function scheduleEmailProcessingJob(payload: any, queueName: string, delayMs: number = 60000): Promise<boolean> {
-  if (!queueName || typeof queueName !== 'string') {
-    throw new Error('Invalid queueName: must be a non-empty string')
-  }
-
-  const jobSlug = 'process-email-queue'
-
-  // Check if there's already a scheduled job for this task
-  const existingJobs = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'payload-jobs',
-    where: {
-      and: [
-        {
-          taskSlug: {
-            equals: jobSlug,
-          },
-        },
-        {
-          hasCompleted: {
-            equals: false,
-          },
-        },
-      ],
-    },
-    limit: 1,
-  })
-
-  // If no existing job, schedule a new one
-  if (existingJobs.docs.length === 0) {
-    await payload.create({
-      collection: 'payload-jobs',
-      data: {
-        taskSlug: jobSlug,
-        input: {},
-        queue: queueName,
-        waitUntil: new Date(Date.now() + delayMs),
-      },
-    })
-    console.log(`🔄 Scheduled email processing job in queue: ${queueName}`)
-    return true
-  } else {
-    console.log(`✅ Email processing job already scheduled in queue: ${queueName}`)
-    return false
-  }
-}
 
 export const mailingPlugin = (pluginConfig: MailingPluginConfig) => (config: Config): Config => {
   const queueName = pluginConfig.queue || 'default'
@@ -59,6 +14,7 @@ export const mailingPlugin = (pluginConfig: MailingPluginConfig) => (config: Con
     throw new Error('Invalid queue configuration: queue must be a non-empty string')
   }
 
+
   // Handle templates collection configuration
   const templatesConfig = pluginConfig.collections?.templates
   const templatesSlug = typeof templatesConfig === 'string' ? templatesConfig : 'email-templates'
@@ -129,61 +85,7 @@ export const mailingPlugin = (pluginConfig: MailingPluginConfig) => (config: Con
       ...(config.jobs || {}),
       tasks: [
         ...(config.jobs?.tasks || []),
-        {
+        ...mailingJobs,
-          slug: 'process-email-queue',
-          handler: async ({ job, req }: { job: any; req: any }) => {
-            const payload = (req as any).payload
-            let jobResult = null
-
-            try {
-              const mailingService = new MailingService(payload, pluginConfig)
-
-              console.log('🔄 Processing email queue (pending + failed emails)...')
-
-              // Process pending emails first
-              await mailingService.processEmails()
-
-              // Then retry failed emails
-              await mailingService.retryFailedEmails()
-
-              jobResult = {
-                output: {
-                  success: true,
-                  message: 'Email queue processed successfully (pending and failed emails)'
-                }
-              }
-
-              console.log('✅ Email queue processing completed successfully')
-
-            } catch (error) {
-              console.error('❌ Error processing email queue:', error)
-              const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error'
-
-              jobResult = new Error(`Email queue processing failed: ${errorMessage}`)
-            }
-
-            // Always reschedule the next job (success or failure) using duplicate prevention
-            let rescheduled = false
-            try {
-              rescheduled = await scheduleEmailProcessingJob(payload, queueName, 300000) // Reschedule in 5 minutes
-              if (rescheduled) {
-                console.log(`🔄 Rescheduled next email processing job in ${queueName} queue`)
-              }
-            } catch (rescheduleError) {
-              console.error('❌ Failed to reschedule email processing job:', rescheduleError)
-              // If rescheduling fails, we should warn but not fail the current job
-              // since the email processing itself may have succeeded
-              console.warn('⚠️  Email processing completed but next job could not be scheduled')
-            }
-
-            // Return the original result or throw the error
-            if (jobResult instanceof Error) {
-              throw jobResult
-            }
-            return jobResult
-          },
-          interfaceName: 'ProcessEmailQueueJob',
-        },
       ],
     },
     onInit: async (payload: any) => {
@@ -191,7 +93,7 @@ export const mailingPlugin = (pluginConfig: MailingPluginConfig) => (config: Con
         await config.onInit(payload)
       }
 
-      // Initialize mailing service
+      // Initialize mailing service with proper payload instance
       const mailingService = new MailingService(payload, pluginConfig)
 
       // Add mailing context to payload for developer access
@@ -207,9 +109,10 @@ export const mailingPlugin = (pluginConfig: MailingPluginConfig) => (config: Con
 
       console.log('PayloadCMS Mailing Plugin initialized successfully')
 
-      // Schedule the email processing job if not already scheduled
+      // Schedule the initial email processing job
       try {
-        await scheduleEmailProcessingJob(payload, queueName)
+        await scheduleEmailsJob(payload, queueName, 60000) // Schedule in 1 minute
+        console.log(`🔄 Scheduled initial email processing job in queue: ${queueName}`)
       } catch (error) {
         console.error('Failed to schedule email processing job:', error)
       }

src/services/MailingService.ts

@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ import {
 import { serializeRichTextToHTML, serializeRichTextToText } from '../utils/richTextSerializer.js'
 
 export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
-  private payload: Payload
+  public payload: Payload
   private config: MailingPluginConfig
   private transporter!: Transporter | any
   private templatesCollection: string
   private emailsCollection: string
   private liquid: Liquid | null | false = null
+  private transporterInitialized = false
 
   constructor(payload: Payload, config: MailingPluginConfig) {
     this.payload = payload
@@ -30,10 +31,15 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
     const emailsConfig = config.collections?.emails
     this.emailsCollection = typeof emailsConfig === 'string' ? emailsConfig : 'emails'
 
-    this.initializeTransporter()
+    // Only initialize transporter if payload is properly set
+    if (payload && payload.db) {
+      this.initializeTransporter()
+    }
   }
 
   private initializeTransporter(): void {
+    if (this.transporterInitialized) return
+
     if (this.config.transport) {
       if ('sendMail' in this.config.transport) {
         this.transporter = this.config.transport
@@ -46,6 +52,17 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
     } else {
       throw new Error('Email transport configuration is required either in plugin config or Payload config')
     }
+
+    this.transporterInitialized = true
+  }
+
+  private ensureInitialized(): void {
+    if (!this.payload || !this.payload.db) {
+      throw new Error('MailingService payload not properly initialized')
+    }
+    if (!this.transporterInitialized) {
+      this.initializeTransporter()
+    }
   }
 
   private getDefaultFrom(): string {
@@ -108,6 +125,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
   }
 
   async renderTemplate(templateSlug: string, variables: TemplateVariables): Promise<{ html: string; text: string; subject: string }> {
+    this.ensureInitialized()
     const template = await this.getTemplateBySlug(templateSlug)
 
     if (!template) {
@@ -125,6 +143,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
   }
 
   async processEmails(): Promise<void> {
+    this.ensureInitialized()
     const currentTime = new Date().toISOString()
 
     const { docs: pendingEmails } = await this.payload.find({
@@ -162,6 +181,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
   }
 
   async retryFailedEmails(): Promise<void> {
+    this.ensureInitialized()
     const maxAttempts = this.config.retryAttempts || 3
     const retryDelay = this.config.retryDelay || 300000 // 5 minutes
     const retryTime = new Date(Date.now() - retryDelay).toISOString()

src/utils/helpers.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,56 @@
 import { Payload } from 'payload'
 import { TemplateVariables } from '../types/index.js'
 
+// Base type for email data that all emails must have
+export interface BaseEmailData {
+  to: string | string[]
+  cc?: string | string[]
+  bcc?: string | string[]
+  subject?: string
+  html?: string
+  text?: string
+  scheduledAt?: string | Date
+  priority?: number
+  [key: string]: any
+}
+
+// Options for sending emails
+export interface SendEmailOptions<T extends BaseEmailData = BaseEmailData> {
+  // Template-based email
+  template?: {
+    slug: string
+    variables?: Record<string, any>
+  }
+  // Direct email data
+  data?: Partial<T>
+  // Common options
+  collectionSlug?: string // defaults to 'emails'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse and validate email addresses
+ * @internal
+ */
+export const parseAndValidateEmails = (emails: string | string[] | undefined): string[] | undefined => {
+  if (!emails) return undefined
+
+  let emailList: string[]
+  if (Array.isArray(emails)) {
+    emailList = emails
+  } else {
+    emailList = emails.split(',').map(email => email.trim()).filter(Boolean)
+  }
+
+  // Basic email validation
+  const emailRegex = /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/
+  const invalidEmails = emailList.filter(email => !emailRegex.test(email))
+  if (invalidEmails.length > 0) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid email addresses: ${invalidEmails.join(', ')}`)
+  }
+
+  return emailList
+}
+
 export const getMailing = (payload: Payload) => {
   const mailing = (payload as any).mailing
   if (!mailing) {
@@ -22,4 +72,84 @@ export const processEmails = async (payload: Payload): Promise<void> => {
 export const retryFailedEmails = async (payload: Payload): Promise<void> => {
   const mailing = getMailing(payload)
   return mailing.service.retryFailedEmails()
+}
+
+/**
+ * Send an email with full type safety
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```typescript
+ * // With your generated Email type
+ * import { Email } from './payload-types'
+ *
+ * const email = await sendEmail<Email>(payload, {
+ *   template: {
+ *     slug: 'welcome',
+ *     variables: { name: 'John' }
+ *   },
+ *   data: {
+ *     to: 'user@example.com',
+ *     customField: 'value' // Your custom fields are type-safe!
+ *   }
+ * })
+ * ```
+ */
+export const sendEmail = async <T extends BaseEmailData = BaseEmailData>(
+  payload: Payload,
+  options: SendEmailOptions<T>
+): Promise<T> => {
+  const mailing = getMailing(payload)
+  const collectionSlug = options.collectionSlug || mailing.collections.emails || 'emails'
+
+  let emailData: Partial<T> = { ...options.data } as Partial<T>
+
+  // If using a template, render it first
+  if (options.template) {
+    const { html, text, subject } = await renderTemplate(
+      payload,
+      options.template.slug,
+      options.template.variables || {}
+    )
+
+    // Template values take precedence over data values
+    emailData = {
+      ...emailData,
+      subject,
+      html,
+      text,
+    } as Partial<T>
+  }
+
+  // Validate required fields
+  if (!emailData.to) {
+    throw new Error('Field "to" is required for sending emails')
+  }
+
+  if (!emailData.subject || !emailData.html) {
+    throw new Error('Fields "subject" and "html" are required when not using a template')
+  }
+
+  // Process email addresses using shared validation
+  if (emailData.to) {
+    emailData.to = parseAndValidateEmails(emailData.to as string | string[])
+  }
+  if (emailData.cc) {
+    emailData.cc = parseAndValidateEmails(emailData.cc as string | string[])
+  }
+  if (emailData.bcc) {
+    emailData.bcc = parseAndValidateEmails(emailData.bcc as string | string[])
+  }
+
+  // Convert scheduledAt to ISO string if it's a Date
+  if (emailData.scheduledAt instanceof Date) {
+    emailData.scheduledAt = emailData.scheduledAt.toISOString()
+  }
+
+  // Create the email in the collection
+  const email = await payload.create({
+    collection: collectionSlug as any,
+    data: emailData as any
+  })
+
+  return email as unknown as T
 }