# Resend

<Callout title="Governing MCP across your organization?" type="info">
  Speakeasy's [AI control plane](/product/ai-control-plane) connects, secures, and observes every agent and MCP server from one entry point — with SSO, RBAC, runtime guardrails, and a full audit trail.
</Callout>

This guide shows you how to connect the Resend MCP Server to Claude Desktop.

![Screenshot of the Claude Desktop UI showing an email was successfully sent](/assets/mcp/using-mcp/resend-guide/send-email-example.png)

## Prerequisites

- A [Resend account](https://resend.com/)
- [Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download)
- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) installed on your system

## Retrieving the Resend API key

The Resend MCP Server needs your Resend API key to authenticate with your account.

In the Resend dashboard, click **API Keys** in the side bar. Then click **Create API Key**.

![Screenshot of the Resend UI showing the navigation path: API Keys → Create API Key](/assets/mcp/using-mcp/resend-guide/create-api-key-button.png)

In the **Add API Key** dialog, enter a name for the API key, and leave the **Permission** and **Domain** fields at their defaults. The **Permission** and **Domain** settings control sending limits and domain restrictions, and the defaults allow unlimited sending from any domain, which works for development. In production, you should restrict these for security.

Click **Add**.

![Screenshot of the "Add API Key" dialog in the Resend UI](/assets/mcp/using-mcp/resend-guide/api-key-form.png)

Resend will display the API key. Copy and save it to use in the MCP server configuration in Claude Desktop.

![Screenshot of the "View API Key" modal in the Resend UI](/assets/mcp/using-mcp/resend-guide/copy-api-key.png)

## Cloning the Resend MCP project

Clone the Resend MCP project:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/resend/mcp-send-email.git
cd mcp-send-email
```

Build the project:

```bash
npm install
npm run build
```

The `build` command generates an `index.js` file in the `build` directory. The build compiles TypeScript source code into JavaScript that Claude Desktop can execute, and bundles dependencies so the MCP server runs standalone.

Copy the absolute path to the `index.js` file. You'll need it for the Claude Desktop configuration.

## Connecting the Resend MCP Server

Now add the Resend MCP Server to the Claude Desktop configuration.

In Claude Desktop, go to **Settings** → **Developer** → **Edit Config**.

Add the Resend configuration to the `claude_desktop_config.json` file that opens:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "resend": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_MCP_SEND_EMAIL_PROJECT/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "RESEND_API_KEY": "YOUR_RESEND_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

- Replace `ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_MCP_SEND_EMAIL_PROJECT/build/index.js` with the path to your project location.
- Replace `YOUR_RESEND_API_KEY` with your Resend API key.

Restart Claude Desktop.

## Testing the connection

Test the connection by asking Claude to list the current audiences in the Resend:

```txt
Please use the Resend MCP Server to list the current audiences in my Resend account
```

![Screenshot of the Claude Desktop UI showing the list of audiences in the Resend application](/assets/mcp/using-mcp/resend-guide/list-audiences.png)

## Sending an email

Now you can ask Claude to send an email to a specific audience or email address, for example:

```txt
Please send a short welcoming email to the user example@email.com from onboarding@acme.dev.
```

![Screenshot of the Claude Desktop UI showing an email was successfully sent](/assets/mcp/using-mcp/resend-guide/send-email-example.png)