beenvoice/docs/email-features.md

Enhanced Email Sending Features

Overview

The beenvoice application now includes a comprehensive email sending system with preview, rich text editing, and confirmation features. This enhancement provides a professional email experience for sending invoices to clients.

Features

🎨 Rich Text Email Composer

• Tiptap Editor Integration: Professional rich text editing with formatting options
• Text Formatting: Bold, italic, strikethrough, and color options
• Text Alignment: Left, center, and right alignment
• Lists: Bullet points and numbered lists
• Color Picker: Choose from a variety of text colors
• Real-time Preview: See changes as you type

👁️ Email Preview

• Visual Preview: See exactly how your email will appear to recipients
• Invoice Summary: Displays key invoice details (number, date, amount)
• Attachment Notice: Shows PDF attachment information
• Professional Styling: Clean, branded email template
• Responsive Design: Optimized for all screen sizes with proper text wrapping
• Mobile-First: Touch-friendly interface with proper spacing

✅ Send Confirmation

• Two-Step Process: Compose ↔ Preview with Send Action
• Action-Based Sending: Send button available from sidebar and floating action bar
• Status Updates: Automatic status change from draft to sent
• Error Handling: Clear error messages with specific guidance
• SSR Compatible: Proper hydration handling for server-side rendering

📄 Smart Templates

• Auto-Generated Content: Professional email templates with proper paragraph spacing
• Time-Based Greetings: Morning, afternoon, or evening greetings
• Invoice Details: Automatically includes invoice number, date, and amount
• Business Branding: Uses your business name and contact information
• Immediate Loading: Content appears instantly in the editor without requiring tab switching

Components

EmailComposer

Location: src/components/forms/email-composer.tsx

A rich text editor component for composing emails with formatting options.

Props:

• subject: Email subject line
• onSubjectChange: Callback for subject changes
• content: Email content (HTML)
• onContentChange: Callback for content changes
• fromEmail: Sender email address
• toEmail: Recipient email address

EmailPreview

Location: src/components/forms/email-preview.tsx

Displays a visual preview of how the email will appear to recipients.

Props:

• subject: Email subject line
• fromEmail: Sender email address
• toEmail: Recipient email address
• content: Email content (HTML)
• invoice: Invoice data for summary display

SendEmailDialog

Location: src/components/forms/send-email-dialog.tsx

Main dialog component that combines composition, preview, and confirmation.

Props:

• invoiceId: ID of the invoice to send
• trigger: React element that opens the dialog
• invoice: Invoice data
• onEmailSent: Callback when email is successfully sent

EnhancedSendInvoiceButton

Location: src/components/forms/enhanced-send-invoice-button.tsx

Enhanced button component that opens the email dialog.

Props:

• invoiceId: ID of the invoice to send
• variant: Button style variant
• className: Additional CSS classes
• showResend: Whether to show "Resend" text
• size: Button size

API Enhancements

Enhanced Email Router

Location: src/server/api/routers/email.ts

The email API has been enhanced to support custom content and HTML emails.

New Parameters:

• customSubject: Optional custom email subject
• customContent: Optional custom email content (HTML)
• useHtml: Boolean flag to send HTML email

Features:

• HTML email support with plain text fallback
• Custom subject lines
• Rich HTML content
• Automatic PDF attachment
• BCC to business email
• Comprehensive error handling

Usage Examples

Basic Usage

import { EnhancedSendInvoiceButton } from "~/components/forms/enhanced-send-invoice-button";

// Replace existing send buttons
<EnhancedSendInvoiceButton
  invoiceId={invoice.id}
  className="w-full"
  showResend={invoice.status === "sent"}
/>

Custom Dialog

import { SendEmailDialog } from "~/components/forms/send-email-dialog";

<SendEmailDialog
  invoiceId={invoice.id}
  invoice={invoiceData}
  trigger={<Button>Send Custom Email</Button>}
  onEmailSent={() => console.log("Email sent!")}
/>

Standalone Components

import { EmailComposer } from "~/components/forms/email-composer";
import { EmailPreview } from "~/components/forms/email-preview";

// Use individual components for custom implementations
<EmailComposer
  subject={subject}
  onSubjectChange={setSubject}
  content={content}
  onContentChange={setContent}
  fromEmail="you@business.com"
  toEmail="client@company.com"
/>

<EmailPreview
  subject={subject}
  content={content}
  fromEmail="you@business.com"
  toEmail="client@company.com"
  invoice={invoiceData}
/>

Technical Details

Dependencies

• @tiptap/react: Rich text editor framework
• @tiptap/starter-kit: Basic editor functionality
• @tiptap/extension-text-style: Text styling support
• @tiptap/extension-color: Color picker support
• @tiptap/extension-text-align: Text alignment options

Email Templates

The system generates professional HTML email templates with:

• Responsive design
• Brand colors (green theme)
• Invoice summary cards
• Proper typography
• Attachment indicators
• Footer branding

Error Handling

Comprehensive error handling for:

• Invalid email addresses
• Missing client information
• Resend API issues
• Network connectivity problems
• Domain verification issues
• Rate limiting

Usage in Application

The enhanced email functionality is integrated throughout the application:

• Invoice view pages with enhanced send buttons
• Full-page email composition interface
• Professional email templates with invoice integration
• Comprehensive preview and confirmation workflow

Migration Guide

From Basic Send Button

Replace existing SendInvoiceButton components with EnhancedSendInvoiceButton:

// Before
import { SendInvoiceButton } from "../_components/send-invoice-button";
<SendInvoiceButton invoiceId={invoice.id} />

// After
import { EnhancedSendInvoiceButton } from "~/components/forms/enhanced-send-invoice-button";
<EnhancedSendInvoiceButton invoiceId={invoice.id} />

API Compatibility

The enhanced email API is backward compatible with existing implementations. New features are opt-in through additional parameters.

Security Considerations

• Input Sanitization: All user input is validated and sanitized
• Email Validation: Comprehensive email format validation
• Rate Limiting: Built-in protection against spam
• Domain Verification: Resend domain verification required
• Authentication: All email operations require valid authentication

Performance

• SSR Optimization: Proper server-side rendering with hydration safeguards
• Efficient Loading: Content initializes immediately without requiring user interaction
• Optimized Rendering: Efficient React component updates with proper state management
• Caching: Proper query caching for invoice data
• Error Boundaries: Graceful error handling without crashes
• Responsive Design: Optimized layouts for all screen sizes with text overflow prevention

Navigation

Send Email Page

Access the email interface by clicking "Send Invoice" on any invoice:

• /dashboard/invoices/[id]/send - Full-page email composition
• Two-tab interface: Compose ↔ Preview
• Send action available from sidebar and floating action bar
• Fully responsive design with proper text wrapping and overflow handling
• Professional layout with sidebar containing:
  • Invoice summary (number, client, date, status)
  • Email details (from, to, subject, attachment info)
  • Context-aware action buttons
• Auto-filled message with proper HTML formatting and paragraph spacing
• Immediate content loading without requiring tab navigation

Fixes and Improvements

Recent fixes and enhancements:

• SSR Compatibility: Fixed Tiptap hydration issues for reliable server-side rendering
• Content Loading: Improved email content initialization for immediate display
• Responsive Design: Enhanced text wrapping and overflow handling for all screen sizes
• UI/UX: Removed confirmation tab in favor of action-based sending approach
• Performance: Optimized state management for faster content loading

Future Enhancements

Planned improvements include:

• Email templates library
• Scheduling email delivery
• Email tracking and read receipts
• Bulk email sending
• Custom email signatures
• Integration with email marketing tools

Support

For issues or questions related to the email system:

1. Check the console for error messages
2. Verify Resend API configuration
3. Ensure client email addresses are valid
4. Review domain verification status
5. Check network connectivity

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release of enhanced email system
• Rich text editor integration
• Email preview functionality
• Send confirmation workflow
• HTML email support
• Professional templates
• Demo page implementation