Email Is the Original Webhook

Every inbound email is a payload. It has headers, a body, maybe attachments — and developers just want to process it like any other event.

When handled right, inbound email becomes:

An API trigger: Start a workflow just by replying to an email.
A data collector: Capture structured data from customers (support, feedback, forms).
A conversation bridge: Let users respond to automated notifications naturally.

But until recently, this required setting up mail servers, parsing MIME manually, and crossing your fingers about spam filtering.

The Old Way vs. The New Way

Old way:

Maintain MX records, Postfix, and Dovecot servers
Write custom scripts to parse messages
Deal with retries and duplicate deliveries manually

New way:

Point MX records to an inbound provider
Receive email as a single JSON webhook
Focus on writing business logic instead of infrastructure

That’s the shift platforms like Resend’s inbound email beta are signaling — and it’s exactly what developers have been asking for.

The Developer Wish List for Inbound Email

To get this right, inbound email APIs need to offer:

✅ Structured webhooks for subject, body, sender, attachments
✅ Spam protection and bounce handling out of the box
✅ Low latency delivery so your app reacts instantly
✅ Retries + deduplication so no message is lost
✅ Easy domain setup for production readiness

What We’re Building at inbound

At inbound.new, we’ve been thinking about this problem from day one. Our approach:

Developer-first DX: Clear SDKs, simple domain verification, testable events
Attachments handled natively: No extra storage headaches
Bidirectional by design: Send, receive, and reply without leaving your stack
Production-ready today: No beta waitlist required

You can start processing inbound email tonight — no server setup required.

The Takeaway

The next big wave of email infrastructure isn’t just faster sending — it’s smarter receiving. Whether you join a private beta like Resend inbound email or roll out a production-ready solution like inbound.new, the shift is clear: inbound email is the missing piece of the modern stack.

Ready to Try It?

Developers don’t have to wait months for a beta invite. You can try inbound today here

Why “Receive Email via API” Is the Most Underrated Dev Tool