Email SYNC Integration Guide

Overview

SYNC is ChatFlow's email integration feature that connects your email accounts (Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo) to enable AI-powered email responses. Your chatbot can read incoming emails and generate intelligent draft responses that you can review, edit, and send.

Key Features

• AI-Generated Drafts - Automatic response drafts based on your chatbot's training
• Review Before Sending - All AI responses require human approval
• Multi-Account Support - Connect multiple email accounts
• Unified Inbox - Manage all connected accounts from one dashboard
• Smart Categorization - Automatic email categorization and prioritization
• Conversation Threading - Maintain context across email threads

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. ChatFlow Account - An active ChatFlow subscription (Pro or Enterprise)
2. Trained Chatbot - A chatbot already created and trained in ChatFlow
3. Email Account - Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, or Yahoo account
4. Admin Access - For Microsoft work accounts, you may need admin consent

Step 1: Access Email Integration

1. Sign in to your ChatFlow dashboard
2. Navigate to your chatbot
3. Click on the Integrations tab
4. Find Email (SYNC) and click Connect

Step 2: Connect Microsoft Outlook

Personal Microsoft Accounts

1. Click Connect with Microsoft button
2. A popup window will open for Microsoft authorization
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live)
4. Review the requested permissions:
   • Read your mail
   • Send mail on your behalf
   • Read your profile
5. Click Accept to grant permissions

Work/School Microsoft Accounts (Microsoft 365)

1. Click Connect with Microsoft button
2. Sign in with your work or school account
3. If prompted, contact your IT administrator for consent
4. Review and accept the requested permissions

Automatic Configuration

ChatFlow will automatically:

• Authenticate with Microsoft Graph API
• Configure email read/send permissions
• Set up AI auto-reply drafts
• Save your secure credentials

Step 3: Connect Gmail

1. Click Connect with Google button
2. A popup window will open for Google authorization
3. Sign in with your Google account
4. Review the requested permissions:
   • Read your emails
   • Send emails on your behalf
5. Click Allow to grant permissions

Automatic Configuration

ChatFlow will automatically:

• Authenticate with Gmail API
• Configure email read/send permissions
• Set up AI auto-reply drafts
• Save your secure credentials

Step 4: Connect Yahoo

1. Click Connect with Yahoo button
2. A popup window will open for Yahoo authorization
3. Sign in with your Yahoo account
4. Review and accept the requested permissions
5. Click Agree to complete the connection

Step 5: Connect IMAP/SMTP (Custom Email)

For custom email servers or providers not listed above:

1. Click Connect IMAP/SMTP button
2. Enter your email server settings:
   • IMAP Server - Your incoming mail server (e.g., imap.example.com)
   • IMAP Port - Usually 993 for SSL or 143 for TLS
   • SMTP Server - Your outgoing mail server (e.g., smtp.example.com)
   • SMTP Port - Usually 465 for SSL or 587 for TLS
   • Email Address - Your full email address
   • Password - Your email password or app-specific password
3. Click Test Connection to verify settings
4. Click Save to complete the setup

Common IMAP/SMTP Settings

GoDaddy Email:

• IMAP: imap.secureserver.net (port 993)
• SMTP: smtpout.secureserver.net (port 465)

Zoho Mail:

• IMAP: imap.zoho.com (port 993)
• SMTP: smtp.zoho.com (port 465)

Custom Domain (cPanel):

• IMAP: mail.yourdomain.com (port 993)
• SMTP: mail.yourdomain.com (port 465)

Step 6: Using SYNC Inbox

Accessing SYNC

1. From the dashboard sidebar, click SYNC
2. View all connected email accounts
3. See incoming emails organized by account

Email Dashboard

The SYNC dashboard shows:

• Inbox - All incoming emails requiring attention
• AI Drafts - Generated responses waiting for approval
• Sent - Emails you've approved and sent
• Archived - Completed conversations

AI Response Workflow

1. Email Arrives - New email appears in SYNC inbox
2. AI Generates Draft - ChatFlow creates a response based on your chatbot's training
3. Review Draft - You see the AI-generated response
4. Edit if Needed - Modify the draft as needed
5. Approve & Send - Click send to deliver the response
6. Or Reject - Dismiss the draft and write manually

Composing Emails

1. Click Compose in SYNC
2. Select the account to send from
3. Enter recipient, subject, and message
4. Use AI assistance for drafting (optional)
5. Send the email

Managing Email Integrations

View Connection Status

From the Integrations page, you can see:

• Connected email address
• Connection status (Active/Inactive)
• Token expiration status
• Auto-reply settings

Refresh Connection

If your connection expires:

1. Go to Integrations tab
2. Click Reconnect on the email integration
3. Re-authorize with your email provider

Disable Auto-Reply

To stop AI from generating drafts:

1. Go to Integrations tab
2. Edit the email integration
3. Toggle AI Auto-Reply to off
4. Save changes

Disconnect Email Account

To completely remove an email connection:

1. Go to Integrations tab
2. Click Delete on the email integration
3. Confirm the deletion

SYNC Features

Blocked Senders

Prevent AI from responding to certain senders:

1. Open SYNC settings
2. Go to Blocked Senders
3. Add email addresses or domains to block
4. AI will ignore emails from blocked senders

Email Templates

Create reusable email templates:

1. Go to SYNC settings
2. Click Templates
3. Create templates for common responses
4. Use templates when composing or editing drafts

Signature Settings

Configure your email signature:

1. Go to SYNC settings
2. Edit your Signature
3. The signature is automatically added to outgoing emails

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Popup Blocked

• Allow popups for chat-flow.app in your browser settings
• Try again after enabling popups

Microsoft Account Login Failed

• Ensure you're using the correct Microsoft account
• Clear browser cookies and try again
• Check if your organization allows third-party app access

Token Expired

• Click Reconnect to refresh your authentication
• This is normal - tokens expire periodically for security

AI Drafts Not Generating

• Verify your chatbot is trained and active
• Check that AI Auto-Reply is enabled
• Ensure the email connection is active

Work Account Requires Admin Consent

• Contact your IT administrator
• Request consent for the ChatFlow SYNC application
• Admin consent is required once per organization

Permission Requirements

Microsoft Graph API Permissions:

• Mail.Read - Read emails in your mailbox
• Mail.Send - Send emails on your behalf
• User.Read - Read your basic profile

Best Practices

1. Review All Drafts - Always review AI-generated responses before sending
2. Train Your Chatbot - Better training leads to better email drafts
3. Set Response Expectations - Include expected response times in your signature
4. Use Templates - Create templates for frequently asked questions
5. Block Spam - Add known spam senders to your blocked list
6. Regular Check-ins - Monitor SYNC inbox regularly during business hours

Security & Privacy

• Encrypted Storage - All credentials are stored securely with encryption
• Token-Based Auth - We never store your email password
• Minimal Permissions - We only request necessary permissions
• Data Isolation - Your email data is isolated per organization
• Audit Logging - All email actions are logged for compliance

Supported Email Providers

Microsoft Outlook - Available (Full support)

Microsoft 365 - Available (Full support)

Gmail - Available (Full support)

Yahoo - Available (Full support)

IMAP/SMTP - Available (Full support)

Note: This integration is available to Pro and Enterprise users. Email providers may have rate limits on API usage. ChatFlow stores email data securely and in compliance with data protection regulations. Always ensure your automated responses comply with anti-spam laws (CAN-SPAM, GDPR) in your jurisdiction.