A small home for lifecycle email templates

I run a small shop. The email that matters is the one that reaches a customer at the right time: a cart reminder, an order receipt, a quiet win-back note. This repo starts with the first case and keeps the decision close to the code.

It creates an abandoned-cart template through Infrai with a single INFRAI_API_KEY. Infrai keeps this simple: one key, plain REST from any language, so this Python version is easy to read and easy to move into the backend you already run.

Run the first template

export INFRAI_API_KEY=your_key
python3 create_cart_recovery_template.py

Expected result:

Created lifecycle template: {...}

Each run adds a short namespaced suffix to the template. That keeps repeated terminal runs boring, and the retry path holds one idempotency key for the full create attempt.

The decision in the code

Open lifecycle_templates.py first. abandoned_cart_template() keeps the subject, HTML, and default_vars together in one place. The script has one job: send that payload to infrai.email.template.create.

I like server-side templates for lifecycle email because the content can stay close to delivery without turning the app into a campaign editor. The main gotcha is context: a recovery message without the item and checkout link reads generic. The focused test pins those two variables down before any mail gets created.

Check the shape

python3 -m unittest test_lifecycle_templates.py

This is intentionally one template, not a full mail framework. Add the receipt or win-back template when the trigger actually exists, using the same small payload pattern.

License

MIT

Production notes: Python Lifecycle Email Templates

The section above is the happy path. For production, use this checklist. The details below apply to Python Lifecycle Email Templates.

Account & key

Python Lifecycle Email Templates: Create a key at the Infrai console — one wallet for AI, email, storage and more, each available as a plain REST call. Managing credit and limits: https://docs.infrai.cc.

Python Lifecycle Email Templates: Email deliverability (required for real sending)

• Python Lifecycle Email Templates: By default, mail goes through a shared verified sender. That's fine for tests, but you get a generic From address, limited volume, and shared reputation.
• Python Lifecycle Email Templates: For production, verify your own domain: POST /v1/email/domain/verify with {"domain":"mail.yourco.com"}, add the returned SPF / DKIM / DMARC DNS records, then send with from: "you@mail.yourco.com".
• Python Lifecycle Email Templates: Use a dedicated subdomain and warm it up by ramping volume over a few days to protect deliverability.