---
title: "Send"
method: POST
path: "/v1/otps/email/send"
tags: ["Otp"]
---

# Send

`POST /v1/otps/email/send`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.stytch.com`
- URL: `https://api.stytch.com/v1/otps/email/send`
- Auth: HTTP basic

Send a One-Time Passcode (OTP) to a User using their email. If you'd like to create a user and send them a passcode with one request, use our [log in or create endpoint](https://stytch.com/docs/api/log-in-or-create-user-by-email-otp).

### Add an email to an existing user
This endpoint also allows you to add a new email address to an existing Stytch User. Including a `user_id`, `session_token`, or `session_jwt` in your Send one-time passcode by email request will add the new, unverified email address to the existing Stytch User. If the user successfully authenticates within 5 minutes, the new email address will be marked as verified and remain permanently on the existing Stytch User. Otherwise, it will be removed from the User object, and any subsequent login requests using that email address will create a new User.

### Next steps
Collect the OTP which was delivered to the user. Call [Authenticate OTP](https://stytch.com/docs/api/authenticate-otp) using the OTP `code` along with the `email_id` found in the response as the `method_id`.

## Request body

- ApiOtpV1OtpEmailSendRequest: Request type
  - `email` string, required: The email address of the user to send the one-time passcode to. You may use sandbox@stytch.com to test this endpoint, see [Testing](https://stytch.com/docs/home#resources_testing) for more detail.
  - `expiration_minutes` integer: Set the expiration for the one-time passcode, in minutes. The minimum expiration is 1 minute and the maximum is 10 minutes. The default expiration is 2 minutes.
  - `attributes` ApiAttributeV1Attributes
    - `ip_address` string: The IP address of the user.
    - `user_agent` string: The user agent of the User.
  - `locale` 'en' | 'es' | 'pt-br' | 'fr'
  - `user_id` string: The unique ID of a specific User. You may use an `external_id` here if one is set for the user.
  - `session_token` string: The `session_token` associated with a User's existing Session.
  - `session_jwt` string: The `session_jwt` associated with a User's existing Session.
  - `login_template_id` string: Use a custom template for login emails. By default, it will use your default email template. Templates can be added in the [Stytch dashboard](https://stytch.com/dashboard/templates) using our built-in customization options or custom HTML templates with type “OTP - Login”.
  - `signup_template_id` string: Use a custom template for sign-up emails. By default, it will use your default email template. Templates can be added in the [Stytch dashboard](https://stytch.com/dashboard/templates) using our built-in customization options or custom HTML templates with type “OTP - Sign-up”.

## Response `200`

Successful response

- ApiOtpV1OtpEmailSendResponse
  - `request_id` string, required: Globally unique UUID that is returned with every API call. This value is important to log for debugging purposes; we may ask for this value to help identify a specific API call when helping you debug an issue.
  - `user_id` string, required: The unique ID of the affected User.
  - `email_id` string, required: The unique ID of a specific email address.
  - `status_code` integer, required: The HTTP status code of the response. Stytch follows standard HTTP response status code patterns, e.g. 2XX values equate to success, 3XX values are redirects, 4XX are client errors, and 5XX are server errors.

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad request
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `429`: Too Many Requests
- `500`: Internal server error

## Changes

- **2026-03-07** `110f26a94e5b`: 1 info
  - endpoint added
- **2026-03-06** `9cab20b8eca7`: 1 breaking
  - api path removed without deprecation
- **2025-09-17** `8270cf3a3d4c`: 3 info
  - added the media type `application/json` for the response with the status `401`
  - added the media type `application/json` for the response with the status `500`
  - added the non-success response with the status `429`
- **2025-09-17** `864b9f438ac0`: 2 breaking
  - the `expiration_minutes` request property type changed from `string` to `integer`, and format from no format to `int32`
  - the `status_code` response's property type changed from `string` to `integer`, and format from no format to `int32` for status `200`

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/stytch/apis/stytch-api/changes/v1/otps/email/send/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/stytch/apis/stytch-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/stytch/apis/stytch-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/stytch/apis/stytch-api/revisions/6d1ff7474803?raw)