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Connecting an email mailbox

This guide connects a mailbox (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or any other mailbox through Other email (IMAP/SMTP)) and switches on answering.

Before you start

  • Use a dedicated business inbox, such as sales@ or enquiries@. A person's own inbox receives a lot of mail that isn't for an agent; Appricity can cope, but you'll review more.
  • For Gmail or Microsoft 365, you need to be able to sign in to that mailbox, with permission to grant access to third-party apps.
  • For Other email, you need the mailbox's address and an app password (or its normal password, if your provider doesn't use app passwords). If you use your own mail server, have its incoming (IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) server names and ports to hand.

Step 1: connect

  1. Open Operations → Channels → Email.
  2. Optionally enter the address under Which address will you connect? so the provider's sign-in page is filled in for you. If it looks like a personal address, you'll be warned and can still choose Connect anyway.
  3. Choose Gmail or Microsoft 365, sign in, and accept the permissions.

You're returned to Appricity with the mailbox connected.

Any other mailbox: Other email (IMAP/SMTP, beta)

  1. On Operations → Channels → Email, choose Other email (IMAP/SMTP).
  2. Enter the email address. Appricity recognises common providers (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail, Zoho, AOL and GMX) and fills in the server settings. For anything else, choose Custom and enter them under Server settings.
  3. Create an app password at your provider (the form links to the right page) and paste it in. Your normal password usually won't work once two-step sign-in is on.
  4. If your provider uses a different user name or password for sending, enter them under the outgoing server settings. Most don't.
  5. Choose Connect. Appricity checks it can sign in to read and to send before saving anything; if it can't, it tells you why and nothing is saved.

The password is stored encrypted and never shown again. The setup wizard's email step has the same option, under Other email.

Step 2: check it works

On the mailbox's card:

  • the sync mode shows Instant (Gmail or Microsoft push), Checked every 5 minutes, or, for an Other email mailbox, Checked every minute; if push didn't start, Start push tries again;
  • Send test email sends a test (to yourself if the address is blank);
  • Check inbox now fetches new mail straight away.

For an Other email mailbox, also check Save a copy to Sent. It's recommended on, so messages the agent sends appear in your Sent folder, except for Gmail, Outlook and iCloud, which file sent mail themselves.

Step 3: leave bulk filtering on

Ignore newsletters and automated email is on by default. Leave it on: newsletters, notifications and no-reply mail will never become conversations or count as opt-outs.

Step 4: switch on answering

Open the mailbox and choose Set up an agent to answer. Check:

  • Agent and Brief: who answers, and anything they should know about this inbox;
  • Who should the agent answer?: Smart triage is recommended for a mailbox;
  • Which emails to answer: optionally, only certain sender domains or messages that mention particular words;
  • Hours, and what happens outside them;
  • Hand over to a person when: the standard rules are ticked; add your own if needed.

Save, then Try it to have a practice conversation.

Step 5: watch the first day

  • Work → Needs review shows senders the agent wasn't sure about. Reply, ignore, or mark them as known; rules you create stop the same question coming back.
  • The mailbox's status line shows anything unanswered today, with the reason.
  • Each conversation can be taken over and handed back.

How do I disconnect?

Disconnect on the mailbox card revokes Appricity's access and erases the grant (for an Other email mailbox, the stored password). Open conversations stop.

How do I change the password of an Other email mailbox?

If you change the password or revoke the app password at your provider, the mailbox shows an error. Choose Reconnect on the mailbox card, enter the new app password, and save. The mailbox keeps its settings and conversations.

Common problems

  • The provider shows as unavailable: email sign-in hasn't been switched on for your workspace; contact Appricity.
  • Lots of messages in Needs review: the inbox is a personal one. Use sender rules, or connect a dedicated address instead.
  • An agent replied to an automated message: check Ignore newsletters and automated email is on for that mailbox.
  • Other email: the mail server refused the password: most providers need an app password, not your normal one. Check two-step sign-in is on, create a new app password, and paste it without spaces. Some providers also need IMAP access switched on in the mailbox's own settings.
  • Other email: the mail server can't be reached: check the server names and ports. Only secure connections are allowed (usually port 993 for incoming, and 465 or 587 for outgoing). Mail servers on a private or internal network address can't be connected.
  • Other email: the mailbox shows an error after working: the password was changed or the app password revoked. Use Reconnect.
  • Other email: sent messages appear twice in Sent: turn off Save a copy to Sent; your provider files sent mail itself.