diff --git a/aws/email-importer/.gitignore b/aws/email-importer/.gitignore
index a5941011..e1819b86 100644
--- a/aws/email-importer/.gitignore
+++ b/aws/email-importer/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 env.json
 .aws-sam
 .serverless
+.esbuild
diff --git a/aws/email-importer/Makefile b/aws/email-importer/Makefile
index bf7f99bc..af0de41d 100644
--- a/aws/email-importer/Makefile
+++ b/aws/email-importer/Makefile
@@ -5,4 +5,7 @@ logs: # AWS Lambda logs for the function
 	npx serverless logs --function importer --tail --stage production
 
 invoke-with-test-event: # Invoke the function with a test event
-	npx serverless invoke --function importer --stage production --path fixtures/test-event.json --log
\ No newline at end of file
+	npx serverless invoke --function importer --stage production --path fixtures/test-event.json --log
+
+invoke-local: # Invoke the function with a test event
+	npx serverless invoke local --function importer --stage production --path fixtures/test-event.json
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aws/email-importer/README.md b/aws/email-importer/README.md
index e255b65c..8ebda23e 100644
--- a/aws/email-importer/README.md
+++ b/aws/email-importer/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ sequenceDiagram
 
 ## 🧰 Local development
 
-The easiest way to run the Lambda function locally is likely through the test suite. The Serverless CLI can also be used to [invoke the function directly](https://www.serverless.com/framework/docs/providers/aws/cli-reference/invoke-local).
+There's a few ways to test this locally:
+
+1. Through the test suite. See below. This runs against a local Firebase emulator.
+2. Run `make invoke-local` to use the Serverless CLI to [invoke the function directly](https://www.serverless.com/framework/docs/providers/aws/cli-reference/invoke-local). By default, this uses a test event with a `test: true` property, in order to not make requests to the database.
 
 ## 🧪 Testing