react-email
vercel-labs/json-render
Convert JSON specs into HTML or plain-text emails using React Email components.
What is react-email?
A React Email renderer for json-render that transforms JSON element trees into transactional or marketing emails. Use it when building emails from JSON specs, creating email catalogs, rendering AI-generated email definitions, or working with the @json-render/react-email ecosystem.
- Render JSON specs to HTML email strings via renderToHtml()
- Render JSON specs to plain-text email strings via renderToPlainText()
- Define custom email components with Zod schema validation
- Support visibility conditions, state expressions, and repeat loops in email specs
- Use standard React Email components (Container, Section, Row, Column, Heading, Text, Button, Image, etc.) in JSON
- Import schema and catalog server-side without React dependencies
How to install react-email
npx skills add https://github.com/vercel-labs/json-render --skill react-email- Node.js environment for server-side rendering
- @react-email/components and @react-email/render installed
- @json-render/core and @json-render/react-email packages
How to use react-email
- 1.Define a catalog with standardComponentDefinitions and custom components using Zod schemas
- 2.Create a registry from the catalog with defineRegistry()
- 3.Build a JSON spec with root Html element containing Head and Body
- 4.Call renderToHtml(spec, {registry}) or renderToPlainText(spec, {registry}) to generate output
- 5.Pass state in RenderOptions if using $state, $cond, or visibility conditions
- 6.Test rendered emails in multiple clients for compatibility
Use cases
- Generate transactional emails (welcome, password reset, order confirmation) from JSON specs
- Build email template catalogs with reusable custom components
- Render AI-generated email specifications to production-ready HTML
- Create dynamic emails with conditional content and state-driven visibility
- Preview email layouts in a browser before sending
- Backend engineers building email services
- Full-stack developers integrating email generation into applications
- AI agent developers generating email specs programmatically
- Teams managing email template catalogs and variations
react-email FAQ
Use a flat element tree with a root key pointing to an Html element and an elements map. Html should contain Head and Body children; use Container inside Body to constrain width (e.g., 600px max-width) for email client compatibility.
Yes. Define custom components in the catalog with Zod prop schemas, then implement them in the registry using React Email components. The registry maps catalog definitions to React implementations.
Use $state, $cond, visible conditions, and repeat loops in your JSON spec. Pass state values in the RenderOptions when calling renderToHtml() or renderToPlainText() so expressions resolve server-side.
Yes. Use the /server sub-path export: import { schema, standardComponentDefinitions } from '@json-render/react-email/server' to avoid pulling in React or @react-email/components.
Use inline styles (style prop as an object) on components. Avoid external CSS and <style> blocks, as many email clients strip them. Prefer table-based layouts (Section, Row, Column) for broad client support.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from vercel-labs/json-render.
name: react-email description: React Email renderer for json-render that turns JSON specs into HTML or plain-text emails using @react-email/components and @react-email/render. Use when working with @json-render/react-email, building transactional or marketing emails from JSON, creating email catalogs, rendering AI-generated email specs, or when the user mentions react-email, HTML email, or transactional email. metadata: tags: react-email, email, json-render, html email, transactional email
@json-render/react-email
React Email renderer that converts JSON specs into HTML or plain-text email output.
Quick Start
import { renderToHtml } from "@json-render/react-email";
import { schema, standardComponentDefinitions } from "@json-render/react-email";
import { defineCatalog } from "@json-render/core";
const catalog = defineCatalog(schema, {
components: standardComponentDefinitions,
});
const spec = {
root: "html-1",
elements: {
"html-1": { type: "Html", props: { lang: "en", dir: "ltr" }, children: ["head-1", "body-1"] },
"head-1": { type: "Head", props: {}, children: [] },
"body-1": {
type: "Body",
props: { style: { backgroundColor: "#f6f9fc" } },
children: ["container-1"],
},
"container-1": {
type: "Container",
props: { style: { maxWidth: "600px", margin: "0 auto", padding: "20px" } },
children: ["heading-1", "text-1"],
},
"heading-1": { type: "Heading", props: { text: "Welcome" }, children: [] },
"text-1": { type: "Text", props: { text: "Thanks for signing up." }, children: [] },
},
};
const html = await renderToHtml(spec);
Spec Structure (Element Tree)
Same flat element tree as @json-render/react: root key plus elements map. Root must be Html; children of Html should be Head and Body. Use Container (e.g. max-width 600px) inside Body for client-safe layout.
Creating a Catalog and Registry
import { defineCatalog } from "@json-render/core";
import { schema, defineRegistry, renderToHtml } from "@json-render/react-email";
import { standardComponentDefinitions } from "@json-render/react-email/catalog";
import { Container, Heading, Text } from "@react-email/components";
import { z } from "zod";
const catalog = defineCatalog(schema, {
components: {
...standardComponentDefinitions,
Alert: {
props: z.object({
message: z.string(),
variant: z.enum(["info", "success", "warning"]).nullable(),
}),
slots: [],
description: "A highlighted message block",
},
},
actions: {},
});
const { registry } = defineRegistry(catalog, {
components: {
Alert: ({ props }) => (
<Container style={{ padding: 16, backgroundColor: "#eff6ff", borderRadius: 8 }}>
<Text style={{ margin: 0 }}>{props.message}</Text>
</Container>
),
},
});
const html = await renderToHtml(spec, { registry });
Server-Side Render APIs
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
renderToHtml(spec, options?) | Render spec to HTML email string |
renderToPlainText(spec, options?) | Render spec to plain-text email string |
RenderOptions: registry, includeStandard (default true), state (for $state / $cond).
Visibility and State
Supports visible conditions, $state, $cond, repeat (repeat.statePath), nested repeat paths with { "$item": "field" }, and the same expression syntax as @json-render/react. Use state in RenderOptions when rendering server-side so expressions resolve.
Server-Safe Import
Import schema and catalog without React or @react-email/components:
import { schema, standardComponentDefinitions } from "@json-render/react-email/server";
Key Exports
| Export | Purpose |
|---|---|
defineRegistry | Create type-safe component registry from catalog |
Renderer | Render spec in browser (e.g. preview); use with JSONUIProvider for state/actions |
createRenderer | Standalone renderer component with state/actions/validation |
renderToHtml | Server: spec to HTML string |
renderToPlainText | Server: spec to plain-text string |
schema | Email element schema |
standardComponents | Pre-built component implementations |
standardComponentDefinitions | Catalog definitions (Zod props) |
Sub-path Exports
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
@json-render/react-email | Full package |
@json-render/react-email/server | Schema and catalog only (no React) |
@json-render/react-email/catalog | Standard component definitions and types |
@json-render/react-email/render | Render functions only |
Standard Components
All components accept a style prop (object) for inline styles. Use inline styles for email client compatibility; avoid external CSS.
Document structure
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
Html | Root wrapper (lang, dir). Children: Head, Body. |
Head | Email head section. |
Body | Body wrapper; use style for background. |
Layout
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
Container | Constrain width (e.g. max-width 600px). |
Section | Group content; table-based for compatibility. |
Row | Horizontal row. |
Column | Column in a Row; set width via style. |
Content
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
Heading | Heading text (as: h1–h6). |
Text | Body text. |
Link | Hyperlink (text, href). |
Button | CTA link styled as button (text, href). |
Image | Image from URL (src, alt, width, height). |
Hr | Horizontal rule. |
Utility
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
Preview | Inbox preview text (inside Html). |
Markdown | Markdown content as email-safe HTML. |
Email Best Practices
- Keep width constrained (e.g. Container max-width 600px).
- Use inline styles or React Email's style props; many clients strip
<style>blocks. - Prefer table-based layout (Section, Row, Column) for broad client support.
- Use absolute URLs for images; many clients block relative or cid: references in some contexts.
- Test in multiple clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail); use a preview tool or Litmus-like service when possible.
Related skills
More from vercel-labs/json-render and the wider catalog.

react-native
React Native renderer that converts JSON specs into native mobile UIs with standard components and data binding.

react-pdf
Render PDF documents from JSON specs using React components.

react-three-fiber
Render interactive 3D scenes from JSON specs using React Three Fiber and Three.js

redux
Redux adapter for json-render's StateStore interface. Use when integrating json-render with Redux or Redux Toolkit for state management via @json-render/redux.

remotion
Convert JSON timeline specs into videos using Remotion compositions.

remotion-best-practices
Domain-specific best practices and patterns for building videos with Remotion and React.