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Send-MailMessage

  • Reference
Module:
Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility

Sends an email message.

Syntax

Send-MailMessage
    [-To] <string[]>
    [-Subject] <string>
    [[-Body] <string>]
    [[-SmtpServer] <string>]
    -From <string>
    [-Attachments <string[]>]
    [-Bcc <string[]>]
    [-BodyAsHtml]
    [-Encoding <Encoding>]
    [-Cc <string[]>]
    [-DeliveryNotificationOption <DeliveryNotificationOptions>]
    [-Priority <MailPriority>]
    [-Credential <pscredential>]
    [-UseSsl]
    [-Port <int>]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Send-MailMessage cmdlet sends an email message from within PowerShell.

You must specify a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server or the Send-MailMessage command fails. Use the SmtpServer parameter or set the $PSEmailServer variable to a valid SMTP server. The value assigned to $PSEmailServer is the default SMTP setting for PowerShell. For more information, see about_Preference_Variables.

Warning

The Send-MailMessage cmdlet is obsolete. This cmdlet doesn't guarantee secure connections to SMTP servers. While there is no immediate replacement available in PowerShell, we recommend you do not use Send-MailMessage. For more information, see Platform Compatibility note DE0005.

Examples

Example 1: Send an email from one person to another person

This example sends an email message from one person to another person.

The From, To, and Subject parameters are required by Send-MailMessage. This example uses the default $PSEmailServer variable for the SMTP server, so the SmtpServer parameter is not needed.

$sendMailMessageSplat = @{
    From = 'User01 <user01@fabrikam.com>'
    To = 'User02 <user02@fabrikam.com>'
    Subject = 'Test mail'
}
Send-MailMessage @sendMailMessageSplat

The Send-MailMessage cmdlet uses the From parameter to specify the message's sender. The To parameter specifies the message's recipient. The Subject parameter uses the text string Test mail as the message because the optional Body parameter isn't included.

Example 2: Send an attachment

This example sends an email message with an attachment.

$sendMailMessageSplat = @{
    From = 'User01 <user01@fabrikam.com>'
    To = 'User02 <user02@fabrikam.com>', 'User03 <user03@fabrikam.com>'
    Subject = 'Sending the Attachment'
    Body = "Forgot to send the attachment. Sending now."
    Attachments = '.\data.csv'
    Priority = 'High'
    DeliveryNotificationOption = 'OnSuccess', 'OnFailure'
    SmtpServer = 'smtp.fabrikam.com'
}
Send-MailMessage @sendMailMessageSplat

The Send-MailMessage cmdlet uses the From parameter to specify the message's sender. The To parameter specifies the message's recipients. The Subject parameter describes the content of the message. The Body parameter is the content of the message.

The Attachments parameter specifies the file in the current directory that's attached to the email message. The Priority parameter sets the message to High priority. The DeliveryNotificationOption parameter specifies two values, OnSuccess and OnFailure. The sender will receive email notifications to confirm the success or failure of the message delivery. The SmtpServer parameter sets the SMTP server to smtp.fabrikam.com.

Example 3: Send email to a mailing list

This example sends an email message to a mailing list.

$sendMailMessageSplat = @{
    From = 'User01 <user01@fabrikam.com>'
    To = 'ITGroup <itdept@fabrikam.com>'
    Cc = 'User02 <user02@fabrikam.com>'
    Bcc = 'ITMgr <itmgr@fabrikam.com>'
    Subject = "Don't forget today's meeting!"
    Credential = 'domain01\admin01'
    UseSsl = $true
}
Send-MailMessage @sendMailMessageSplat

The Send-MailMessage cmdlet uses the From parameter to specify the message's sender. The To parameter specifies the message's recipients. The Cc parameter sends a copy of the message to the specified recipient. The Bcc parameter sends a blind copy of the message. A blind copy is an email address that's hidden from the other recipients. The Subject parameter is the message because the optional Body parameter isn't included.

The Credential parameter specifies a domain administrator's credentials are used to send the message. The UseSsl parameter specifies that Secure Socket Layer (SSL) creates a secure connection.

Parameters

-Attachments

Specifies the path and file names of files to be attached to the email message. You can use this parameter or pipe the paths and file names to Send-MailMessage.

Type:String[]
Aliases:PsPath
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Bcc

Specifies the email addresses that receive a copy of the mail but aren't listed as recipients of the message. Enter names (optional) and the email address, such as Name <someone@fabrikam.com>.

Type:String[]
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Body

Specifies the content of the email message.

Type:String
Position:2
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-BodyAsHtml

Specifies that the value of the Body parameter contains HTML.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:BAH
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Cc

Specifies the email addresses to which a carbon copy (CC) of the email message is sent. Enter names (optional) and the email address, such as Name <someone@fabrikam.com>.

Type:String[]
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Credential

Specifies a user account that has permission to perform this action. The default is the current user.

Type a user name, such as User01 or Domain01\User01. Or, enter a PSCredential object, such as one from the Get-Credential cmdlet.

Credentials are stored in a PSCredential object and the password is stored as a SecureString.

Note

For more information about SecureString data protection, see How secure is SecureString?.

Type:PSCredential
Position:Named
Default value:Current user
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-DeliveryNotificationOption

Specifies the delivery notification options for the email message. You can specify multiple values. None is the default value. The alias for this parameter is DNO.

The delivery notifications are sent to the address in the From parameter.

The acceptable values for this parameter are as follows:

  • None: No notification.
  • OnSuccess: Notify if the delivery is successful.
  • OnFailure: Notify if the delivery is unsuccessful.
  • Delay: Notify if the delivery is delayed.
  • Never: Never notify.

These values are defined as a flag-based enumeration. You can combine multiple values together to set multiple flags using this parameter. The values can be passed to the DeliveryNotification parameter as an array of values or as a comma-separated string of those values. The cmdlet will combine the values using a binary-OR operation. Passing values as an array is the simplest option and also allows you to use tab-completion on the values.

Type:DeliveryNotificationOptions
Aliases:DNO
Accepted values:None, OnSuccess, OnFailure, Delay, Never
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Encoding

Specifies the type of encoding for the target file. The default value is Default.

The acceptable values for this parameter are as follows:

  • ASCII Uses ASCII (7-bit) character set.
  • BigEndianUnicode Uses UTF-16 with the big-endian byte order.
  • Default Uses the encoding that corresponds to the system's active code page (usually ANSI).
  • OEM Uses the encoding that corresponds to the system's current OEM code page.
  • Unicode Uses UTF-16 with the little-endian byte order.
  • UTF7 Uses UTF-7.
  • UTF8 Uses UTF-8.
  • UTF32 Uses UTF-32 with the little-endian byte order.
Type:Encoding
Aliases:BE
Accepted values:ASCII, BigEndianUnicode, Default, OEM, Unicode, UTF7, UTF8, UTF32
Position:Named
Default value:Default
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-From

The From parameter is required. This parameter specifies the sender's email address. Enter a name (optional) and email address, such as Name <someone@fabrikam.com>.

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Port

Specifies an alternate port on the SMTP server. The default value is 25, which is the default SMTP port.

Type:Int32
Position:Named
Default value:25
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Priority

Specifies the priority of the email message. Normal is the default. The acceptable values for this parameter are Normal, High, and Low.

Type:MailPriority
Accepted values:Normal, High, Low
Position:Named
Default value:Normal
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-SmtpServer

Specifies the name of the SMTP server that sends the email message.

The default value is the value of the $PSEmailServer preference variable. If the preference variable isn't set and this parameter isn't used, the Send-MailMessage command fails.

Type:String
Aliases:ComputerName
Position:3
Default value:$PSEmailServer
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Subject

The Subject parameter isn't required. This parameter specifies the subject of the email message.

Type:String
Aliases:sub
Position:1
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-To

The To parameter is required. This parameter specifies the recipient's email address. Enter names (optional) and the email address, such as Name <someone@fabrikam.com>.

Type:String[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-UseSsl

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol is used to establish a secure connection to the remote computer to send mail. By default, SSL isn't used.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

Inputs

String

You can pipe the path and file names of attachments to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None

This cmdlet returns no output.

Notes

The Send-MailMessage cmdlet is obsolete. For more information, see Platform Compatibility note DE0005. This cmdlet doesn't guarantee secure connections to SMTP servers.

DE0005 suggests using the third-party library, MailKit. If you are using Exchange Online, you can use the Send-MgUserMail from the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK.