Azure Data Factory (ADF) does not have a built-in activity to send emails directly (As of Feb 2024). However, you can achieve this functionality by integrating ADF with other Azure services that can send emails, such as Azure Logic Apps or Azure Functions. In this article, we will achieve that using Azure Logic Apps.

Step 1: Create an Azure Logic App for Sending Emails

• Go to Azure Portal: Log in to the Azure Portal.
• Create a Logic App: Navigate to “Create a resource” > “Integration” > “Logic App”.
• Configure the Logic App:
  • Choose your subscription, resource group, and provide a name for the Logic App.
  • Select the region and click “Review + create” and then “Create”.
  
  • Design the Logic App:
  • Once the Logic App is deployed, go to it and open the Logic App Designer.
  • Choose a trigger for the Logic App, such as When an HTTP request is received.
  • Add an action to send an email. You can use built-in connectors like Office 365 Outlook, Outlook.com, or Gmail. For example, with the Office 365 Outlook connector, you can use the “Send an email (V2)” action.
  
  • Configure the action with the necessary details like the recipient's email address, subject, and body. You can dynamically set these fields using the data passed from ADF.

Step 2: Call the Logic App from Azure Data Factory

• Open your ADF instance: Go to your Azure Data Factory and open the ADF Studio.
• Create or Open a Pipeline: In the “Author” tab, create a new pipeline or open an existing one where you want to add the email functionality.
• Add a Web Activity: Drag a “Web” activity onto the canvas.



• Configure the Web Activity:
  • Set the URL to the HTTP POST URL of the Logic App trigger. Below is the Screenshot from Logic App. You need to copy the URL as shown.
  
  • Set the method to “POST”.
  • Configure the body of the request. This is where you can pass parameters or dynamic content to the Logic App, which then can be used in the email.
    

Step 3: Test and Monitor

• Debug: Use the Debug feature in ADF to test the pipeline and ensure the Logic App is triggered and the email is sent as expected.
• Monitor: Check the runs and outcomes in both ADF and the Logic App for successful execution and to troubleshoot any issues.

Best Practices

• Security: Ensure that any sensitive data passed from ADF to Logic Apps is handled securely.
• Error Handling: Implement error handling in your ADF pipeline to manage failures in triggering the Logic App or sending the email.
• Logic App Design: Design your Logic App to handle various scenarios, including retries or handling attachments if needed.