Mailable classes in Laravel - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Mailable classes

Create Mailable Class

↓

Define Email Content & Data

↓

Call Mail::to()->send()

↓

Build Email with Mailable

↓

Send Email via Mailer

↓

Email Sent

This flow shows how Laravel creates a Mailable class, sets its content, and sends the email.

Execution Sample

Laravel

use App\Mail\WelcomeMail;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;

Mail::to('[e-mail]')->send(new WelcomeMail($user));

This code sends a welcome email to a user using a Mailable class.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Input/State	Output/Result
1	Instantiate WelcomeMail	$user data passed	WelcomeMail object created with user data
2	Call Mail::to('[e-mail]')	Recipient email set	Mailer prepared for recipient
3	Call send() with WelcomeMail	Mailer and Mailable ready	Build email content from Mailable
4	Build email content	Mailable's build() method runs	Email subject, view, and data set
5	Send email	Email content ready	Email sent to [e-mail]
6	Finish	Email sent	Process ends

💡 Email is sent successfully, process ends.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
$user	User data object	Passed into WelcomeMail	Used in build()	Used in email view	No change
$mailable	None	WelcomeMail instance created	Passed to send()	Build method sets content	Ready to send
$mailer	None	None	Mailer prepared with recipient	Mailer builds email	Email sent

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we create a new Mailable class instance before sending?

Because the Mailable class holds the email content and data. Step 1 shows creating the instance with user data, which is then used to build the email.

What does Mail::to()->send() do exactly?

It sets the recipient (Step 2) and then sends the email by building the content from the Mailable (Steps 3-5). This is the main sending action.

Where is the email content defined?

Inside the Mailable's build() method (Step 4), which sets the subject, view template, and data for the email.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the output after Step 1?

A Mailer prepared for recipient

B Email sent to [e-mail]

C WelcomeMail object created with user data

D Email subject set

💡 Hint

Check the Output/Result column for Step 1 in the execution table.

At which step is the recipient email set?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the Action and Input/State columns for when Mail::to() is called.

If the build() method is missing in the Mailable, what happens at Step 4?

A Email content is empty or default

B Email is sent normally

C Mailer throws an error at Step 2

D Recipient email is not set

💡 Hint

Step 4 is where build() runs to set content; missing it means no content is set.

Concept Snapshot

Mailable classes in Laravel:
- Create a Mailable class to define email content.
- Instantiate it with data.
- Use Mail::to()->send(new Mailable) to send.
- build() method sets subject, view, and data.
- Mailer sends the built email to recipient.

Full Transcript

In Laravel, Mailable classes help send emails easily. First, you create a Mailable class that defines the email's content and data. Then, you make an instance of this class, passing any needed data like user info. Next, you call Mail::to() with the recipient's email and then send() with the Mailable instance. Laravel runs the build() method inside the Mailable to set the email subject, view template, and data. Finally, the mailer sends the email to the recipient. This process ensures emails are organized and reusable.