Send Bulk Emails using C# VB.NET in ASP.NET

I have been asked zillion times that How to Send Bulk Emails using C# or VB.NET in ASP.NET.

Well, there are hundreds of tutorials all over the internet on sending bulk emails in ASP.NET using C# or VB.NET.

However, I decided to post a basic "how to" for beginners so that they can easily understand the functionality of send bulk emails in ASP.NET.

For this example I will be using Northwind Database.

Step 1:

ASPX Code:

<form id="form1" runat="server">

    <div>

        Recipient(s):<br />

    <asp:TextBox ID="txtRecipient" runat="server" Height="50px" Width="525px"

            TextMode="MultiLine"></asp:TextBox>

        <br />

        <asp:Button ID="btnRecipientFromDB" runat="server"

            onclick="btnRecipientFromDB_Click" Text="Recipient From Database" />

        <br />

        <asp:CheckBoxList ID="chklstRecipientsFromDB" runat="server" Visible="False">

        </asp:CheckBoxList><asp:Button ID="btnAddSelected" runat="server"

            Text="Add Selected" onclick="btnAddSelected_Click" Visible="False" />

       

        <br />

        Subject:<br />

    <asp:TextBox ID="txtSubject" runat="server" Height="18px" Width="522px"></asp:TextBox>

   

        <br />

        <br />

        Email Body:<br />

        <asp:TextBox ID="txtEmailBody" runat="server" Height="290px" Width="520px"

            TextMode="MultiLine"></asp:TextBox>

        <br />

        <asp:Button ID="btnSend" runat="server" onclick="btnSend_Click"

            Text="Send Email" />

   

    </div>

</form>

This is simple form containing 3 TextBoxes

1. Recipient(s)
2. Email Subject
3. Email Body

"Add Recipients from Database" button will show list of already added contacts from database as shown in image below:

Now, user has two options, either they can select multiple users from list and/or they can add recipients email address manually separated by ";"

Code Behind:
C#:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Web;

using System.Web.UI;

using System.Web.UI.WebControls;

using System.Data;

using System.Text;

using System.Net.Mail;

namespace TestApplication

{

    public partial class BulkEmail : System.Web.UI.Page

    {

        protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)

        {

            if (!IsPostBack)

            {

                chklstRecipientsFromDB.Visible = false;

                btnAddSelected.Visible = false;

            }

        }

        protected void btnSend_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

        {

            try

            {

                #region Direct Email to db Recipients

                //if you want to send emails directly to recipient from database, use code below

                //DataSet dsClients = GetClientDataSet();

                //if (dsClients.Tables["Users"].Rows.Count > 0)

                //{

                //    foreach (DataRow dr in dsClients.Tables["Users"].Rows)

                //    {

                //        SendEmail(dr["Email"].ToString());

                //    }

                //}

                #endregion

                char[] splitter = { ';' };

                foreach (string emailAdd in txtRecipient.Text.Split(splitter))

                {

                    SendEmail(emailAdd);

                }

            }

            catch (Exception ex)

            {

            }

        }

        protected void btnRecipientFromDB_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

        {

            try

            {

                DataSet dsClients = GetClientDataSet();

                chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataSource = dsClients.Tables[0];

                chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataTextField = "Email";

                chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataValueField = "Email";

                chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataBind();

                chklstRecipientsFromDB.Visible = true;

                btnAddSelected.Visible = true;

                btnRecipientFromDB.Visible = false;

            }

            catch (Exception ex)

            {

            }

            finally

            {

            }

        }

        ///

        ///  Creates and returns a DataSet using Ms Access OleDBConnection and an OleDBDataAdapter

        ///

        ///

        /// A DataSet from Ms Access using an OleDBConnection and an OleDBDataAdapter

        ///

        private System.Data.DataSet GetClientDataSet()

        {

            //retrieve the connection string from the ConnectionString Key in Web.Config

            //string connectionString = System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["ConnectionString"];

            string connectionString = @"Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\Users\Talha\Documents\Database2.accdb;Persist Security Info=False;";

            //create a new OleDB connection

            System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection conn = new System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection(connectionString);

            //pass the Select statement and connection information to the initializxation constructor for the OleDBDataAdapter

            System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter myDataAdapter = new System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT Email FROM Employees", conn);

            //Create a new dataset with a table : CLIENTS

            System.Data.DataSet myDataSet = new System.Data.DataSet("Users");

            //Fill the dataset and table with the data retrieved by the select command

            myDataAdapter.Fill(myDataSet, "Users");

            //return the new dataset created

            return myDataSet;

        }

        private void SendEmail(string EmailAddress)

        {

            //Send Email Functionality here

            MailMessage mail = new MailMessage();

            mail.To.Add(EmailAddress);

            mail.From = new MailAddress("admin@codeshode.com");

            mail.Subject = txtSubject.Text;

            mail.Body = txtEmailBody.Text;

            mail.IsBodyHtml = true;

            SmtpClient smtp = new SmtpClient();

            smtp.Host = "smtp.gmail.com"; //Or Your SMTP Server Address

            smtp.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential("YourUserName@gmail.com", "YourGmailPassword");//Or your Smtp Email ID and Password

            smtp.EnableSsl = true;

            smtp.Send(mail);

        }

        protected void btnAddSelected_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

        {

            StringBuilder strRecipientEmails = new StringBuilder();

            foreach (ListItem chk in chklstRecipientsFromDB.Items)

            {

                if (chk.Selected)

                {

                    strRecipientEmails.Append(chk.Value);

                    strRecipientEmails.Append(";");

                }

            }

            txtRecipient.Text = strRecipientEmails.ToString();

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.Visible = false;

            btnAddSelected.Visible = false;

        }

    }

}

VB.NET:

Imports System

Imports System.Collections.Generic

Imports System.Linq

Imports System.Web

Imports System.Web.UI

Imports System.Web.UI.WebControls

Imports System.Data

Imports System.Text

Imports System.Net.Mail

Partial Public Class BulkEmail

    Inherits System.Web.UI.Page

    Protected Sub Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

        If Not IsPostBack Then

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.Visible = False

            btnAddSelected.Visible = False

        End If

    End Sub

    Protected Sub btnSend_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

        Try

            '#Region "Direct Email to db Recipients"

            'if you want to send emails directly to recipient from database, use code below

            'DataSet dsClients = GetClientDataSet();

            'if (dsClients.Tables["Users"].Rows.Count > 0)

            '{

            '    foreach (DataRow dr in dsClients.Tables["Users"].Rows)

            '    {

            '        SendEmail(dr["Email"].ToString());

            '    }

            '}

            '#End Region

            Dim splitter As Char() = {";"c}

            For Each emailAdd As String In txtRecipient.Text.Split(splitter)

                SendEmail(emailAdd)

            Next

        Catch ex As Exception

        End Try

    End Sub

    Protected Sub btnRecipientFromDB_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

        Try

            Dim dsClients As DataSet = GetClientDataSet()

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataSource = dsClients.Tables(0)

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataTextField = "Email"

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataValueField = "Email"

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.DataBind()

            chklstRecipientsFromDB.Visible = True

            btnAddSelected.Visible = True

        Catch ex As Exception

        Finally

        End Try

    End Sub

    '''

    '''  Creates and returns a DataSet using Ms Access OleDBConnection and an OleDBDataAdapter

    '''

    '''

    ''' A DataSet from Ms Access using an OleDBConnection and an OleDBDataAdapter

    '''

    Private Function GetClientDataSet() As System.Data.DataSet

        'retrieve the connection string from the ConnectionString Key in Web.Config

        'string connectionString = System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["ConnectionString"];

        Dim connectionString As String = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\Users\Talha\Documents\Database2.accdb;Persist Security Info=False;"

        'create a new OleDB connection

        Dim conn As New System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection(connectionString)

        'pass the Select statement and connection information to the initializxation constructor for the OleDBDataAdapter

        Dim myDataAdapter As New System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT Email FROM Employees", conn)

        'Create a new dataset with a table : CLIENTS

        Dim myDataSet As New System.Data.DataSet("Users")

        'Fill the dataset and table with the data retrieved by the select command

        myDataAdapter.Fill(myDataSet, "Users")

        'return the new dataset created

        Return myDataSet

    End Function

    Private Sub SendEmail(EmailAddress As String)

        'Send Email Functionality here

        Dim mail As New MailMessage()

        mail.[To].Add(EmailAddress)

        mail.From = New MailAddress("admin@codeshode.com")

        mail.Subject = txtSubject.Text

        mail.Body = txtEmailBody.Text

        mail.IsBodyHtml = True

        Dim smtp As New SmtpClient()

        smtp.Host = "smtp.gmail.com"

        'Or Your SMTP Server Address

        smtp.Credentials = New System.Net.NetworkCredential("YourUserName@gmail.com", "YourGmailPassword")

        'Or your Smtp Email ID and Password

        smtp.EnableSsl = True

        smtp.Send(mail)

    End Sub

    Protected Sub btnAddSelected_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

        Dim strRecipientEmails As New StringBuilder()

        For Each chk As ListItem In chklstRecipientsFromDB.Items

            If chk.Selected Then

                strRecipientEmails.Append(chk.Value)

                strRecipientEmails.Append(";")

            End If

        Next

        txtRecipient.Text = strRecipientEmails.ToString()

        chklstRecipientsFromDB.Visible = False

        btnAddSelected.Visible = False

    End Sub

End Class

Now you may type Email Subject, Email Body and press "Send Email" to send bulk emails!

Thats It!!

Was that so difficult??

I dont think so.
However, for any query, feel free to contact me!

Happy Coding!
Happy Shoding!