07 Email Integration

Email Integration Guide

Overview

Email Integration enables you to send professional communications through your preferred email provider while maintaining brand consistency and tracking delivery. Connect Gmail, Outlook, or any SMTP provider to send order confirmations, invoices, reminders, and more.

Supported Providers

Gmail

• Best for: Personal and business Gmail users
• Setup Time: 2 minutes
• Features: Send from Gmail, track opens/clicks, use signatures
• Requirements: Google account with Gmail enabled

Outlook

• Best for: Microsoft 365 and Exchange users
• Setup Time: 3 minutes
• Features: Exchange sync, professional signatures, read receipts
• Requirements: Microsoft 365 or Exchange account

Custom SMTP

• Best for: Organizations with own mail servers
• Setup Time: 5-10 minutes
• Features: Full control, custom configurations, any provider
• Requirements: SMTP server details

Transactional Providers

Setup Instructions

Gmail Setup

Step 1: Start Connection

1. Go to Dashboard → Settings → Integrations
2. Click the Email tab
3. Click Connect under Gmail

Step 2: Authorize

1. Sign in to your Google account
2. Grant permissions:
   • Send email as you
   • View your email address
3. Click Allow

Step 3: Configure Settings

Step 4: Test Connection

1. Click Send Test Email
2. Check your inbox for the test message
3. Click Save to complete setup

Outlook Setup

Step 1: Start Connection

1. Go to Dashboard → Settings → Integrations
2. Click the Email tab
3. Click Connect under Outlook

Step 2: Authorize

1. Sign in to your Microsoft account
2. Grant permissions to send mail
3. Complete the OAuth flow

Step 3: Configure Settings

Step 4: Test Connection

1. Click Send Test Email
2. Check your Outlook inbox
3. Click Save to complete setup

Custom SMTP Setup

Step 1: Gather Server Details

From your email provider, get:

• SMTP server address
• SMTP port (usually 587 for TLS, 465 for SSL)
• Username and password
• Authentication method

Step 2: Enter Settings

1. Go to Dashboard → Settings → Integrations
2. Click the Email tab
3. Click Connect under Custom SMTP
4. Enter your server details:

   Server: smtp.yourprovider.com
   Port: 587
   Username: yourname@yourprovider.com
   Password: ********
   

Step 3: Security Settings

Step 4: Test Connection

1. Click Send Test Email
2. Check your inbox
3. Click Save to complete setup

Email Configuration

Tracking Settings

Enable tracking to measure engagement:

Template Management

Create reusable email templates:

1. Go to Settings → Communications → Templates
2. Click New Template
3. Enter template details:
   • Name: Descriptive name
   • Subject: With variables like {{clientName}}
   • Body: HTML or plain text with variables
4. Save and use in communications

Common Variables

Sending Emails

From Orders

1. Open an order
2. Click Communications tab
3. Click New Message
4. Select Email as type
5. Compose and send

From Invoices

1. Open an invoice
2. Click Send Invoice
3. Select email template
4. Preview and send

Bulk Email

Send to multiple recipients:

1. Go to the list view (Orders, Companies, etc.)
2. Filter to your target audience
3. Select recipients using checkboxes
4. Click Send Email
5. Compose and send

Delivery Tracking

Check Email Status

1. Go to Dashboard → Communications
2. Filter by Email
3. Each message shows:
   • ✅ Delivered - Successfully sent
   • 🔄 Pending - queued for delivery
   • ❌ Bounced - delivery failed
   • 👁️ Opened - recipient read it
   • 🔗 Clicked - recipient clicked link

Handling Bounces

Soft Bounce (temporary issues):

• Mailbox full
• Server temporarily unavailable
• System auto-retries up to 3 times

Hard Bounce (permanent issues):

• Invalid email address
• Domain doesn't exist
• System marks email as invalid

Unsubscribes

Recipients who unsubscribe are:

• Added to suppression list
• Excluded from future emails
• Can be re-enabled if requested

Troubleshooting

Email Not Sending

Symptom: Email stuck in "Pending" status

Solutions:

1. Check connection status in integration settings
2. Verify credentials are current
3. Check daily sending limits
4. Review error logs in Settings → Logs

High Bounce Rate

Symptom: Many emails bouncing back

Solutions:

1. Verify email addresses before sending
2. Check for typos in recipient addresses
3. Review suppression list for false positives
4. Consider using email validation service

Emails Going to Spam

Symptom: Recipients not finding emails

Solutions:

1. Set up SPF records
2. Configure DKIM signing
3. Avoid spam trigger words
4. Include physical mailing address
5. Keep text-to-image ratio balanced

Authentication Issues

Symptom: "Invalid credentials" error

Solutions:

1. Re-authenticate with provider
2. Check for password changes
3. Verify OAuth scopes
4. Regenerate API keys if using

Best Practices

1. Subject Lines

• Keep under 50 characters
• Be clear and specific
• Include order number when applicable
• Avoid all caps and excessive punctuation

Good Examples:

• "Appointment Confirmation - Order #12345"
• "Invoice Ready: ABC Company - $250.00"
• "Document Request for Loan Signing"

2. Email Content

• Use clear, professional language
• Include relevant order details
• Provide contact information
• Add clear call-to-action
• Keep length appropriate for message type

3. Deliverability

• Warm up new IP addresses gradually
• Maintain consistent sending volume
• Monitor bounce rates (<2% target)
• Honor opt-out requests immediately
• Keep spam scores low

4. Compliance

• Include physical address in signature
• Honor unsubscribe requests
• Mark marketing emails appropriately
• Follow CAN-SPAM Act guidelines
• Comply with GDPR for EU recipients

5. Timing

Advanced Features

Email Sequences

Automated follow-up series:

1. Go to Settings → Communications → Sequences
2. Create new sequence
3. Add emails with timing rules
4. Assign trigger conditions
5. Activate sequence

Scheduled Sending

Send emails at optimal times:

1. Compose email as usual
2. Click Schedule instead of Send
3. Select date and time
4. System sends automatically

Attachments

Include files with emails:

Conditional Content

Show different content based on recipient:

{% if orderType == 'loan-signing' %}
Please bring valid ID to your appointment.
{% elsif orderType == 'ia-certification' %}
Complete the course modules before testing.
{% endif %}

Security & Privacy

Data Protection

• All credentials encrypted at rest
• TLS encryption for transmission
• OAuth tokens stored securely
• Auto-disconnect on account removal

Compliance

• GDPR compliant for EU users
• CAN-SPAM Act compliant
• Data processing agreement available
• Privacy policy accessible

Access Control

• Only authenticated users can send
• Agency-scoped sending limits
• Audit logging for all emails
• Role-based permissions