AWS Setup (Manual)

Tip: For most users, we recommend the One-Click Connect flow. It's faster and more secure.

If you prefer to manage your IAM users manually, follow the steps below.

Setup Steps

Step 1: Create an IAM User

Go to the AWS IAM Console and create a new user.

Set a name like transmit-api-user
Ensure Programmatic access is enabled

Step 2: Attach Policy Permissions

Create a new IAM policy and attach it to your user. You can find the exact policy JSON in your Transmit Settings under AWS Infrastructure > View IAM Policy.

The policy grants least-privilege access to:

SES v2 (sending, identity management, configuration sets)
SES v1 (inbound email receipt rules)
SNS (event webhooks for bounces, complaints, deliveries, opens, clicks)
S3 (inbound email storage and event notifications)
STS (account ID lookup for bucket policy generation)

All resources are scoped to Transmit-specific prefixes where AWS supports it.

Step 3: Generate Access Credentials

Once the user is created:

Open the user's Security credentials tab
Click Create access key
Choose Third-party service as the use case
Copy both the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key

Step 4: Connect in Transmit

Go to Transmit Settings and enter your credentials in the AWS Infrastructure section.

Production Access

Warning: By default, all new AWS SES accounts are in "Sandbox" mode. You can only send to verified email addresses.

To send to your entire list:

Go to the SES Account Dashboard
Click Request production access
AWS typically approves requests within 24 hours