SendGrid Inbound Parse Alternative: Extract Structured Email Data Without Code
Turn the raw email SendGrid posts to your webhook into the structured fields you actually need, without writing parsing code
SendGrid Inbound Parse receives a message and posts the from, subject, text, and HTML body to your endpoint, but it stops there. You still write the code that pulls the order number, invoice total, or table rows out of that body. MailParse does the extraction part: name the fields you want and get clean JSON, CSV, or Excel back, from a mailbox you connect or an email you POST to the API, with each attachment recorded by name.
Last updated August 2026
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SendGrid Inbound Parse posts the raw email to a URL you host, which means you still write and maintain the code that turns MIME into usable fields. MailParse is the SendGrid Inbound Parse alternative that does the parsing itself: connect a mailbox or forward mail in, name the fields you want, and get Excel, CSV, or JSON without running a webhook endpoint.
- Named fields
- order_number, total, tracking_number
- Attachments
- Listed by filename, type, size
- JSON / CSV
- Business-ready, not raw payload
- No code
- Skip the parsing endpoint
SendGrid Inbound Parse is a solid way to receive email in an application. You point an MX record at SendGrid, it accepts mail for that domain or subdomain, and it posts the parsed message to a URL you choose as multipart form data: the sender, recipient, subject, the plain text and HTML body, the headers, and any attachments. If all you need is the raw message delivered to your server, it does that job well and it is free with a SendGrid account. Where it stops is the part most teams actually care about: turning that message into structured data. The webhook hands you the body as text and HTML, and from there you are on your own. You write the code that finds the order number in the third paragraph, slices the invoice total out of a line, or reads the rows of an HTML table, and you keep that code working every time a sender changes their layout. The fields people search for around this tell the story: how to handle the multipart form data, why the parse is "not working", how to deal with attachments, how to get the body into something usable.
MailParse is the extraction layer that SendGrid leaves to you. Instead of building and maintaining a parsing endpoint, you name the fields you want such as order_number, invoice_total, or tracking_number, and MailParse reads them from the full body and from HTML emails with real tables, recording each attachment by filename, type, and size. When the value lives inside a PDF or CSV that the webhook only hands over as a file, run that file through a document extraction tool and merge the result. You can connect a Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft 365, or IMAP inbox with no DNS setup at all, forward a message to a parsing address, or POST a raw email to the API and get structured JSON straight back. The output is clean JSON for your app, a CSV for a spreadsheet or database import, or an Excel workbook. If you have not set the webhook up yet, the field-by-field guide to the SendGrid Inbound Parse webhook covers the payload in detail, and the same comparison applies to the Mailgun email parser alternative if you route inbound mail there instead, or to Amazon SES inbound email parsing if your mail already lands in AWS. Developers who want to skip the receiving layer altogether can POST a message to the email parser API and get named fields back in one call. This page is an honest look at where SendGrid Inbound Parse is the right tool and where an external parser does the work it was never built to do.
What the converter does
Everything you need to turn a pile of email files into a spreadsheet your team can actually use.
Extracts named fields, not just raw MIME
SendGrid hands you the whole body as text and HTML and leaves the parsing to you. MailParse reads the specific values you name, so the order number, total, or reference comes back as a clean field instead of a string you have to slice.
Records every attachment by name
The webhook delivers a PDF, CSV, or Excel file but cannot read what is inside it, and neither does MailParse. MailParse records each attachment by filename, type, and size; when an invoice total or order line is buried in a PDF, extract that file with a document tool and merge the values.
Parses HTML emails and tables
Pulling rows out of an HTML table from the webhook payload means writing and debugging your own parser. MailParse reads HTML emails and repeating table rows into clean columns, so confirmations and reports come through structured.
No endpoint to build or babysit
Inbound Parse needs a public URL that returns 2xx, handles retries, and parses multipart form data. Connect a mailbox or POST to the API instead and skip the server you would otherwise run and monitor.
Holds up when a sender changes format
Hand-written parsing keyed to fixed text positions breaks when a vendor renames a heading or reorders a line. MailParse keeps reading the named fields when the layout drifts, so one setup covers many senders.
JSON, CSV, and Excel output
Get business-ready JSON for your app or webhook, a CSV for a database or spreadsheet import, or a formatted Excel workbook, instead of the raw form-encoded payload you would parse yourself.
How to replace your SendGrid parsing code
Four steps to get structured fields instead of a raw webhook payload you parse by hand.
Connect, forward, or POST
Connect the Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft 365, or IMAP inbox your mail arrives in with no MX setup, forward a sample message to a parsing address, or POST a raw email to the MailParse API.
Name your fields
List the values you want such as order_number, invoice_total, or tracking_number, drawn from the body and HTML tables. Describe each field once instead of writing and maintaining a parser.
Choose JSON or CSV
Take structured JSON for your application or a webhook, or export a CSV or Excel file for a database import or a spreadsheet. The data is already broken into fields.
Run a backlog or stay live
Process a folder of saved messages in one pass and let new mail flow in automatically. Adjust the fields anytime from a form, with no endpoint code to redeploy when a sender changes layout.
Who outgrows the raw Inbound Parse webhook
Teams whose inbound mail needs real field extraction, attachments, or tables the webhook leaves as raw text.
Developers building email pipelines
Skip the parsing code and the multipart form data handling. POST the raw email to the API or connect a mailbox and get structured JSON with the fields named, ready to write to your database.
Operations & order processing
Read order numbers, tracking numbers, and line items from the body and HTML tables of confirmation emails, instead of maintaining regex against a body the webhook delivers as plain text.
Accounting & finance
Extract invoice totals, dates, and line items stated in the email body or an HTML table, then export to Excel for a QuickBooks or Xero import; for figures inside a PDF attachment, add a document extraction step first.
Teams without a server to spare
Get email data without standing up a public endpoint, DNS records, or retry handling. Connect an inbox in the browser and let MailParse deliver the parsed fields.
MailParse vs the SendGrid Inbound Parse webhook
Field extraction
Inbound Parse posts the whole body and leaves parsing to your code. MailParse returns the specific fields you name, already separated.
Attachment handling
The webhook delivers attachment files but cannot read them, and neither does MailParse. MailParse records each by filename, type, and size; pair it with a document extraction tool for data inside a PDF or CSV.
Setup and maintenance
Inbound Parse needs an MX record and a public endpoint that returns 2xx and handles retries. MailParse connects a mailbox or takes an API POST with no DNS or server to run.
Output
You parse the raw multipart payload yourself with SendGrid. MailParse gives you business-ready JSON, CSV, or Excel.
MailParse vs SendGrid Inbound Parse: a side-by-side comparison
SendGrid Inbound Parse is a reliable, free way to receive email and post it to your server. For most buyers the real question is who writes the parsing. Here is how the two line up on the decisions that matter, with credit to SendGrid where it leads. For the wider field, see the best email parser guide.
| What matters | MailParse | SendGrid Inbound Parse |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Extracts the named fields you want into structured data | Receives email and posts the raw parsed message to your webhook |
| Field extraction | Name a field and it comes back separated, no code | None built in; you write all the parsing yourself |
| Attachment handling | Records each by filename, type, and size; extract file contents with a document tool | Delivers attachment files to 30MB total; your code opens them |
| HTML emails and tables | Reads repeating table rows into clean columns | Hands you the raw text and HTML body to parse |
| Setup and maintenance | Connect a mailbox or POST to the API; no DNS | Point an MX record and run a public endpoint that returns 2xx |
| Output formats | Excel, CSV, JSON | Raw multipart form data you parse yourself |
| Receiving mail at scale | Uses your existing mailbox, forwarding, or API posts | Free, proven high-volume inbound mail receiving |
| Best for | Teams that need clean fields without building a parser | Developers who want raw mail delivered and will code the parsing |
Comparison reflects SendGrid Inbound Parse's documented behavior as of June 2026. Verify current features at twilio.com/docs/sendgrid before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
What is SendGrid Inbound Parse?
SendGrid Inbound Parse is a webhook that receives email sent to a domain you point at SendGrid, then posts the parsed message to a URL you choose. The payload includes the sender, recipient, subject, plain text and HTML body, headers, and attachments. It delivers the message to your app but does not extract structured business fields from the body.
How does the SendGrid Inbound Parse webhook work?
You set an MX record so mail for a domain or subdomain routes to SendGrid, then configure a host and a destination URL in the Inbound Parse settings. When an email arrives, SendGrid posts it to that URL as multipart form data and expects a 2xx response. Your endpoint receives the body and attachments and is responsible for parsing them.
Does SendGrid Inbound Parse extract data from the email body?
No. Inbound Parse gives you the body as plain text and HTML, but it does not pull named values like an order number, invoice total, or table row out of it. You write that parsing yourself. MailParse does the extraction: you name the fields you want and it returns them as structured JSON or CSV.
Can SendGrid Inbound Parse handle attachments?
It can pass attachments along in the webhook payload, up to a 30MB total message size, but it does not read what is inside them. A PDF, CSV, or Excel file arrives as a file your code must open and parse. MailParse records each attachment by filename, type, and size but does not open the file either; when the data lives inside a PDF or CSV, run that file through a document extraction tool and merge its output with the parsed email.
Why is SendGrid Inbound Parse not working?
The common causes are an MX record that does not point to SendGrid, an endpoint that does not return a 2xx status so SendGrid keeps retrying, or code that mishandles the multipart form data and charsets in the payload. MailParse avoids the endpoint entirely: connect a mailbox or POST the email to the API and get parsed fields back.
Is there a free SendGrid Inbound Parse alternative?
SendGrid Inbound Parse itself is free with an account, but it only delivers the raw message and leaves parsing to you. MailParse is an alternative that does the field extraction, reads HTML tables, records attachments by filename, and needs no endpoint. You can try it on a real email and see the structured fields before committing to a plan.
How do I parse the email SendGrid sends to my webhook?
You can keep your endpoint and forward the captured message to MailParse, or skip the endpoint and POST the raw email to the MailParse API directly. Either way you name the fields you want and get structured JSON back, which replaces the regex and string slicing you would otherwise maintain on the Inbound Parse payload.
Get structured fields, not a raw webhook payload
Connect a mailbox or POST an email and watch the body and HTML tables come back as clean JSON or CSV, with each attachment listed by name and no parsing endpoint to build or maintain.