Ark

About Ark

Ark is the definitive email API engineered for the modern, AI-first developer workflow. It eliminates the traditional friction of integrating email functionality into applications by being natively understandable by AI coding assistants. The core value proposition is enabling developers to ship email-based features—like user verification, password resets, and notifications—in minutes instead of days. This is achieved through AI-readable documentation and a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server with 26 tools, allowing assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf to generate correct, production-ready email code through natural language prompts. Ark is built for developers who prioritize speed, leverage AI in their daily work, and want a robust, set-and-forget email infrastructure without managing complex deliverability settings or deciphering tiered pricing plans. It seamlessly integrates into any stack, offering SDKs for popular languages and full SMTP relay support for self-hosted tools, all backed by sub-second delivery and 99.9%+ inbox placement.

Features of Ark

AI-First Documentation & MCP Server

Ark's documentation is specifically crafted for AI consumption, available in clean Markdown format to reduce token usage by 10x and prevent hallucinations. Coupled with a native MCP server exposing 26 tools for email management, this allows AI assistants to not only read and understand the API but also execute complex email operations directly. Developers can simply describe a feature, and their AI can generate working code, check delivery status, or manage suppressions without the developer writing wrapper code or switching contexts.

Unmatched Delivery Speed & Reliability

Ark guarantees sub-200ms average delivery times, ensuring transactional emails like verification codes or password resets arrive in the user's inbox almost instantly. This is supported by a 99.9%+ deliverability rate, verified by third-party monitoring. The platform automatically handles critical email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) upon domain verification, ensuring emails land in the primary inbox instead of spam folders without requiring manual DNS expertise from the developer.

Simple, Transparent Pay-Per-Email Pricing

Ark operates on a straightforward, tier-free pricing model of $0.50 per 1,000 emails sent. There are no monthly minimums, unused capacity fees, or complex tiers that gate essential features. Every account includes unlimited team members, unlimited domains, full API access, and real-time analytics. This model scales perfectly from startups sending dozens of emails to large applications sending millions, with predictable costs.

Seamless Integration for Any Stack

Designed for flexibility, Ark provides native SDKs for Python, Node.js, Ruby, and Go for direct code integration. It also offers a full SMTP relay, making it compatible with self-hosted tools like Listmonk, Coolify, and Metabase. Furthermore, it integrates effortlessly into modern automation pipelines and serverless environments such as Supabase Edge Functions, n8n workflows, and Vercel serverless functions, fitting into any development workflow.

Use Cases of Ark

AI-Generated User Onboarding Flows

Developers can instruct their AI assistant to "add email verification to the signup flow." The AI reads Ark's docs, installs the SDK, creates necessary helper functions and endpoints, and implements the logic to send a verification email immediately after user registration. This allows for a complete, secure onboarding feature to be built in minutes while the developer remains in their coding flow.

Transactional Notification Systems

Ark is ideal for sending time-sensitive transactional notifications such as password reset links, order confirmations, shipping updates, and security alerts. The sub-second delivery ensures users receive critical information promptly, enhancing the overall user experience and application reliability without the developer managing separate email queues or infrastructure.

Automated Workflow & Marketing Emails

Using integrations with tools like n8n or via serverless functions, teams can automate complex email sequences triggered by user behavior. This includes welcome series, re-engagement campaigns, or weekly digests. The SMTP relay feature also allows existing marketing platforms (e.g., Listmonk) to leverage Ark's high-deliverability infrastructure effortlessly.

Internal Application Alerts

Development and operations teams can use Ark to send immediate, reliable alerts from their applications, dashboards, or monitoring tools. Whether it's a system error notification, a daily report, or a usage summary, Ark ensures these crucial internal communications are delivered instantly and reliably to the right inboxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does setup actually take?

Most developers can send their first email with Ark in under 5 minutes. The process involves signing up for an account (which includes free credits), verifying your sending domain (where Ark auto-configures SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), and then integrating using an SDK or via your AI assistant. The AI-readable docs significantly accelerate the integration coding phase.

How does the AI integration actually work?

Ark provides documentation in pure Markdown format, which AI coding assistants like Claude and Cursor can parse efficiently, using far fewer tokens than standard HTML docs. Furthermore, Ark's native MCP server provides 26 tools that these AI assistants can call directly, allowing them to perform email-related actions through natural language conversation, leading to accurate, working code generation on the first try.

What is included in the free tier?

New Ark accounts start with $5 in free credits, which equates to 5,000 emails at the standard rate. There is no credit card required to start. This free tier includes access to all features: unlimited domains, full API and MCP server access, real-time webhooks, and comprehensive analytics, allowing you to fully test the service in production.

How does Ark ensure high email deliverability?

Ark automatically sets up and manages the essential email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for your domain, which are key signals for inbox providers. Combined with vigilant infrastructure monitoring and best-practice sending patterns, Ark maintains a 99.9%+ deliverability rate. This performance is independently verified by third-party monitoring services.

Pricing of Ark

Ark uses a simple, transparent pay-as-you-go pricing model. There are no monthly tiers, minimums, or enterprise sales calls. The rate is a flat $0.50 per 1,000 emails sent. Every account receives $5 in free credits (5,000 emails) to start. This single price includes all features: unlimited team members, unlimited domains, full access to the MCP server with 26 tools, AI-readable documentation, real-time analytics, and a 99.99% uptime SLA. You only pay for the emails you actually send each month.