> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getsendbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How it works

> Understand how Sendbase uses your AWS account

Sendbase uses your AWS account to store and manage all email resources.

## Architecture

```mermaid theme={null}
graph TB
    User[User]

    subgraph Sendbase["Sendbase"]
        App[App]
        Queue[Queue]
    end

    subgraph AWS["User's AWS Account"]
        SES[SES]
        S3[S3]
        CloudWatch[CloudWatch]
        SNS[SNS]
    end

    User -->|Access AWS via| App
    App -->|Enqueue broadcast jobs| Queue
    Queue -->|Send emails| SES
    App -->|Store assets| S3
    App -->|Collect metrics| CloudWatch

    SES -->|Email delivery| Recipients[Recipients]
    SES -->|Event notifications| SNS
    SNS -->|Webhook events| App

    style AWS fill:#ff9900,stroke:#232f3e,stroke-width:3px,color:#fff
    style Sendbase fill:#4a9eff,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
```

* **Sending Email**: All email sending operations are executed directly through AWS SES.
* **Contact List**: Contacts are stored and retrieved directly through contact list API, not in our database.
* **Email Templates**: Email templates are stored in AWS SES.
* **Email Identity**: Verified domains are configured and stored in AWS SES.
* **S3**: Assets like images and contacts to import are stored in your S3 bucket.
* **SNS**: SES configuration sets publish email events (sends, deliveries, bounces, complaints, opens, clicks) to SNS topics, which then send webhooks to Sendbase for message logs.
* **Metrics**: Email analytics (delivery rates, bounces, complaints, opens, clicks) are collected from AWS CloudWatch.

## Benefits of This Architecture

* **Cost Efficiency**: Pay only AWS SES rates (100x cheaper than traditional email services).
* **Data Ownership**: All your data stays in your AWS account with no platform lock-in.
* **Dedicated Email Reputation**: Your sending reputation is isolated to your AWS account.
* **Scalability**: Leverage AWS's infrastructure and your SES sending limits.
* **Security**: Your data remain under your control.