---
title: Go
description: "The useSend Go package lets you interact with the useSend API to send emails, manage contacts, and work with domains. This guide covers basic setup and usage."
icon: golang
---

## Prerequisites

- [useSend API key](https://app.usesend.com/dev-settings/api-keys)
- [Verified domain](https://app.usesend.com/domains)

## Installation

Install the useSend Go SDK:
```bash
go get github.com/usesend/usesend-go
```

## Initialize

Create a new client using your API key.
```go
package main

import (
    "context"
    "log"

    usesend "github.com/usesend/usesend-go"
)

func main() {
    client, err := usesend.NewClient("us_12345")
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
}
```

API keys can also be supplied via the `USESEND_API_KEY` environment variable.

### Self-Hosted Setup

If you are running a self-hosted version of useSend, provide the base URL using `WithBaseURL`.
```go
client, err := usesend.NewClient(
    "us_12345",
    usesend.WithBaseURL("https://app.usesend.com"),
)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}
```

<Info>
The base URL should be the root domain only. Do not include `/api/v1`, as the SDK manages API paths internally.
</Info>

### Options

- `WithBaseURL(url string)`: Override the base API URL (e.g. for self-hosting)
- `WithHTTPClient(*http.Client)`: Provide a custom HTTP client

<Info>
The default HTTP client uses a 30s timeout. Requests include a `User-Agent: usesend-go` header.
</Info>

## Sending Emails
```go
resp, errResp, err := client.Emails.Send(
    context.Background(),
    usesend.SendEmailPayload{
        To:      []string{"hello@acme.com"},
        From:    "hello@company.com",
        Subject: "useSend email",
        HTML:    "<p>useSend is the best open source product to send emails</p>",
        Text:    "useSend is the best open source product to send emails",
        Headers: map[string]string{
            "X-Campaign": "welcome",
        },
    },
)

if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

if errResp != nil {
    log.Fatalf("API error: %s", errResp.Message)
}

log.Printf("Email queued with ID: %s", resp.EmailID)
```

<Info>
Custom headers are forwarded as-is. useSend only manages the `X-Usesend-Email-ID` and `References` headers.
</Info>

## Managing Contacts

### Get Contact Book ID

Retrieve the contact book ID from the useSend dashboard.

### Create Contacts
```go
contact, apiErr, err := client.Contacts.Create(
    context.Background(),
    "contactBook_123",
    usesend.CreateContactPayload{
        Email:     "hey@koushik.dev",
        FirstName: "Koushik",
        LastName:  "KM",
    },
)

if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err) // transport error
}

if apiErr != nil {
    log.Fatalf("API error: %s", apiErr.Message)
}

log.Printf("Contact ID: %s", contact.ContactID)
```

### Update Contacts
```go
contact, apiErr, err := client.Contacts.Update(
    context.Background(),
    "contactBook_123",
    "contact_456",
    usesend.UpdateContactPayload{
        FirstName: "Koushik",
        LastName:  "KM",
    },
)

if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

if apiErr != nil {
    log.Fatalf("API error: %s", apiErr.Message)
}
```