How to Sync Emails

Connect your email inbox to ChatFlow to manage customer emails alongside chat conversations, all in one unified inbox.

Prerequisites

• ChatFlow Account (Enterprise plan)
• Email account - Gmail, Outlook, or other supported provider
• Admin access - Permission to connect email services

Required Plan: Enterprise

What Email Sync Does

When connected, you can:

• View incoming emails in ChatFlow
• Reply to emails from the dashboard
• Track email conversations with customers
• Combine email and chat history per customer
• Send email campaigns

Steps

Step 1: Navigate to Email Sync

1. Click Operations in the sidebar
2. Select Email Sync (or Sync)
3. View email integration page

Step 2: Choose Email Provider

Select your email service:

Provider	Connection Method
Gmail	OAuth (sign in with Google)
Outlook	OAuth (sign in with Microsoft)
Other	IMAP/SMTP settings

Step 3: Connect Your Account

For Gmail

1. Click Connect Gmail
2. Sign in to your Google account
3. Review permissions requested:
   • Read emails
   • Send emails on your behalf
   • Manage labels
4. Click Allow

For Outlook

1. Click Connect Outlook
2. Sign in to your Microsoft account
3. Review permissions
4. Click Accept

For Other Providers (IMAP/SMTP)

1. Click Other / IMAP
2. Enter your email settings:
   • Email address
   • IMAP server (e.g., imap.mail.com)
   • IMAP port (usually 993)
   • SMTP server (e.g., smtp.mail.com)
   • SMTP port (usually 587)
   • Password or app-specific password
3. Click Test Connection
4. If successful, click Save

Step 4: Configure Sync Settings

Set which emails to sync:

Setting	Options
Folders	Inbox, Sent, All
Sync period	Last 7 days, 30 days, All
Auto-sync	How often to check
Labels/Categories	Which to include

Step 5: Complete Setup

1. Click Save Settings
2. Initial sync begins (may take several minutes)
3. Progress shown on screen
4. Email appears when complete

Viewing Synced Emails

Unified Inbox

1. Go to Conversations or Inbox
2. Emails appear alongside chat conversations
3. Filter by Email to see only emails

Email Conversation View

Click an email to see:

• Full email thread
• Sender information
• Attachments
• Reply option

Replying to Emails

Send a Reply

1. Open the email conversation
2. Click Reply or type in response area
3. Write your message
4. Click Send

Reply sends from your connected email account.

Compose New Email

1. Click Compose or New Email
2. Enter recipient email
3. Add subject
4. Write message
5. Send

Managing Email Settings

Edit Connection

1. Go to Email Sync settings
2. Click Edit on connected account
3. Update settings
4. Save changes

Disconnect Email

1. Go to Email Sync settings
2. Click Disconnect
3. Confirm removal
4. Emails no longer sync (history preserved)

Add Multiple Inboxes

Enterprise allows multiple email accounts:

1. Click Add Another Account
2. Follow connection steps
3. Each inbox syncs separately

Verify It's Working

Check Sync Status

1. Go to Email Sync settings
2. View last sync time
3. Status shows "Connected" and "Syncing"

Test Send/Receive

1. Send test email to your connected address
2. Wait for sync (or click refresh)
3. Email should appear in ChatFlow
4. Reply from ChatFlow
5. Verify reply in your email client

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

• Check email credentials
• Verify 2FA setup (may need app password)
• Ensure IMAP/SMTP enabled in email settings
• Try reconnecting

Emails Not Syncing

• Check sync frequency settings
• Manual refresh with sync button
• Verify folder settings include inbox
• Check for sync errors

Can't Send Emails

• SMTP settings may be incorrect
• Less secure app access may be disabled
• Try generating app-specific password
• Check sending limits

Duplicate Emails

• Check you haven't connected same account twice
• Verify folder settings
• May be temporary during initial sync

Gmail-Specific Issues

1. Go to Google Account settings
2. Enable "Less secure app access" OR
3. Generate App Password if using 2FA
4. Use App Password in ChatFlow

Outlook-Specific Issues

1. Go to Microsoft account settings
2. Check app permissions
3. Try removing and re-adding connection

Best Practices

Organization

• Use labels/folders to organize
• Archive processed emails
• Keep inbox clean

Response Time

• Set up notifications for new emails
• Prioritize based on sender
• Use templates for common replies

Security

• Use app passwords, not main password
• Regularly review connected apps
• Disconnect unused integrations

Team Usage

• Consider shared inbox if multiple agents
• Set clear ownership for responses
• Avoid duplicate replies

Next Steps

• Create Campaigns - Send email campaigns
• View Conversations - Manage all messages
• Use Reports - Track email performance