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This integration is built during your install, not a self-serve connection today. The steps below describe what we set up for you — talk to us to get it wired up.

📩

Email (IMAP/SMTP)

Connect any email inbox to your AI agents directly

✓ Native Support Works with any mail provider 10-Minute Setup

The IMAP/SMTP integration lets your AI agents send emails directly through your own mail server — not via a third-party ESP. Use it with any provider: Gmail, Outlook, Zoho, IONOS, ProtonMail Bridge, or your company's own mail server.

Gmail
Outlook
Zoho Mail
IONOS
ProtonMail
Custom

✨ What Your Agents Can Do

Send outbound emails via your own SMTP server
Use your branded domain (no "sent via" footers)
Support HTML + plain-text emails
Attach your SMTP credentials per-client
Route escalated support cases via email
Works alongside Zendesk/Freshdesk as fallback

Setup Guide

1

Get your SMTP credentials

Most providers give SMTP credentials in your mail settings. Common settings:

Provider SMTP Host Port Notes
Gmail smtp.gmail.com 587 Use an App Password
Outlook / M365 smtp.office365.com 587 Use your M365 password
Zoho Mail smtp.zoho.com 587 Enable SMTP in Zoho settings
IONOS smtp.ionos.com 587 Standard email password

⚠️ Gmail requires an App Password

Go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords → Create an App Password for "Mail" → use that instead of your Google account password. 2FA must be enabled on your Google account.

2

Connect in the Hub

Go to Integrations → Support and select Email (IMAP/SMTP). Fill in:

  • SMTP host — your provider's SMTP server
  • SMTP port — usually 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
  • Email address — the from address your agents send as
  • Password / App password — your SMTP password
3

Use as support escalation channel

To use IMAP/SMTP as a helpdesk escalation channel (instead of Zendesk/Freshdesk), set these env vars on your customer support agent:

HELPDESK_PROVIDER=imap-smtp
# Credentials stored encrypted via the Hub Integrations page

Common Use Cases

📧 Email digest delivery

The Email Digest agent sends daily summaries from your own branded domain — no "sent via Mailchimp" attribution.

🎫 Support escalation

When no Zendesk or Freshdesk is configured, the Customer Support AI falls back to sending escalation emails to your support inbox.

📤 Follow-up workflows

Invoice Reminder and Follow-Up Nurture agents use SMTP to send time-sensitive outbound emails at scale.

Troubleshooting

❌ Authentication failed

For Gmail, you must use an App Password — not your regular Google password. For other providers, check if 2FA breaks standard SMTP auth.

❌ Connection timeout

Try port 587 with STARTTLS first. If your provider blocks 587, try 465 (SSL). Check your firewall allows outbound connections on that port.

❌ Emails going to spam

Ensure SPF and DKIM records are set for your sending domain. Use a domain you own rather than a free email address for best deliverability.

💡 Deliverability Tips

  • Use a dedicated subdomain: mail.yourdomain.com
  • Set SPF: v=spf1 include:yourprovider.com ~all
  • Enable DKIM signing in your provider's DNS settings
  • Set a DMARC policy to protect your domain from spoofing

Ready to connect your email inbox?

Works with any SMTP provider. Your agents send from your own domain.

Connect Email →