send_job_id=job.id if job else 0,
            campaign_id=campaign.id,
            gmail_account_id=account.id,
            recipient_email=cr.email,
            subject=subject,
            template_name=template.name,
            attachment_names=att_names,
            method=account.sending_method,
            outcome="submitted",
            retry_no=cr.attempt_count - 1,
        )
        db.add(attempt)
        db.commit()

        try:
            client = build_gmail_client_from_account(account, token)
        except Exception as e:
            return _handle_send_error(db, self, campaign, cr, job, account, attempt, str(e))

        try:
            if client.method == "smtp":
                out = client.send_mime_smtp(mime)
            else:
                out = client.send_mime_api(mime)
        except googleapiclient.errors.HttpError as e:
            content = e.content.decode(errors="replace") if isinstance(e.content, bytes) else str(e.content)
            return _handle_send_error(db, self, campaign, cr, job, account, attempt,
                                      f"Gmail API error {e.resp.status}: {content[:300]}")
        except Exception as e:
            return _handle_send_error(db, self, campaign, cr, job, account, attempt, str(e))

        if not out.get("ok"):
            return _handle_send_error(db, self, campaign, cr, job, account, attempt,
                                      out.get("error", "unknown error"))

        # ------------------------------------------------------------- accepted
        msg_id = out.get("message_id", "")
        attempt.outcome = "accepted"
        attempt.message_id = msg_id
        attempt.thread_id = out.get("thread_id", "")
        attempt.provider_response = _sanitize_response(out.get("raw_response"))