Setting Up SendGrid and Configuring Your API Key

1. Create a SendGrid Account

Sendgrid offers a free account with a sending limit of 100 emails per day. If you need a higher limit, sign up for a premium account.

• Open your browser and navigate to SendGrid's website (opens in a new tab).
• Click on Sign Up and follow the on-screen instructions to create your account.

2. Generate Your API Key

• Once logged in, go to the Settings tab on the left-hand sidebar.
• Click on API Keys.
• Click Create API Key and provide a name for your key (e.g., "MyProject API Key").
• Choose the appropriate permissions for your key (Full Access is recommended for most use cases).
• Click Create & View. Your API key will be displayed—copy it immediately as you won't be able to view it again.

3. Approve a "From" Email Address

• Navigate to the Sender Authentication section in the Settings menu.
• Click Verify a Single Sender.
• Fill out the form with your email address and other required details.
• Click Create.
• SendGrid will send a verification email to the address you provided. Open that email and click on the verification link to approve the address.

4. Add Your API Key and to the .env.local File

• Open your project's root directory.
• Locate the .env.local file or create one if it doesn't exist.
• Add your SendGrid API key to the .env.local file as follows:

NEXT_PUBLIC_SENDGRID_API_KEY="your_sendgrid_api_key_here"

5. Use Your Verified Email Address

Set the verified email address as the value of the NEXT_PUBLIC_SENDGRID_FROM_EMAIL variable located in the .env.local file.

NEXT_PUBLIC_SENDGRID_FROM_EMAIL="your_sendgrid_from_email_address_here"