> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.flowforth.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send Email Step

> Send an email from one of your templates as part of an automation.

The **Send Email** step sends an email to the people moving through your automation. The content comes from an [email template](/emails/email-templates), so you design the email once and reuse it across your automations.

***

## Setting It Up

When you add a Send Email step, choose:

* An **email template** — the content source for the email
* A **subject line**
* A **from name** and **from email**

The body of the email is pulled from your selected template.

***

## Previewing and Editing the Email

Once a template is selected, the step's settings show two buttons:

* **Preview** — see the rendered email right inside the builder, without leaving the flow. This works for every template type, including HTML and plain-text templates.
* **Edit** — jump straight into the template editor in a new tab to tweak the content.

<Tip>
  Use **Preview** to double-check what recipients will get before enabling the automation — it's the fastest way to catch a stale template.
</Tip>

***

## Merge Tags and Personalization

Automation emails support merge tags just like regular emails, so you can personalize them with the recipient's details. This includes **Planning Center custom field** merge tags and `@first-name` / `@last-name` in the **subject line**.

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## Content Is Fetched at Send Time

The template's content is pulled when the email actually sends, not when you build the automation. That means if you edit a template that an active automation uses, people who reach the step afterward receive the **updated** content. See [Editing & Activation](/automations/managing/editing-and-activation) for more.

<Note>
  Emails sent through automations count toward your send limit, the same as regular emails.
</Note>