Connect your email account

Most of what makes a CRM record useful is correspondence, and nobody reliably logs correspondence by hand. Connecting your mailbox is the step that changes a CRM from something people update into something that updates itself.

Once connected, email is captured onto the matching contact automatically, so the timeline fills without anyone remembering to copy anything across.

Who this is for

Every user who emails customers. Each person connects their own mailbox — this is not a one-off admin task.

Before you start

• Access to the mailbox you want to connect.
• For Gmail, the ability to complete a Google sign-in prompt for your account.
• For IMAP, your mail server's host and credentials.

Outlook syncs, but does not send
The providers differ in what they can do. Gmail and IMAP both sync your mail in and send from KudosCRM. Outlook connects and syncs mail in, but is not currently a sending provider — so if you connect Outlook, expect your history to appear while sending still needs Gmail, IMAP or the configured sending service. Check this before you plan a rollout around it.

Connect a mailbox

1. Choose your provider
   Gmail and Outlook connect by signing in to that account. IMAP is the option for any other mail host, and asks for your server details instead.
2. Authorise the connection
   For Gmail or Outlook, you are sent to that provider to approve access and returned to KudosCRM. For IMAP, you supply the host and credentials directly.
3. Let the backfill run
   After connecting, existing mail is pulled in so your contacts have history rather than starting from today. This runs in the background — you do not have to wait on the screen.
4. Check that mail is landing on contacts
   Open a contact you have corresponded with and look at the timeline. Seeing real threads there is the confirmation that the connection is working.
5. Send one email from KudosCRM
   If your provider supports sending, send a real message from inside a record. That confirms the outbound half, which is separate from the sync.

What you get

• Email captured onto the matching contact automatically, without anyone logging it.
• Existing history backfilled, so records are useful immediately rather than only going forward.
• The ability to send from inside a record, on the providers that support sending.
• A timeline that reflects the real relationship rather than what someone remembered to copy in.

Frequently asked questions

Can I send email from a connected Outlook account?

Not currently. Outlook is supported for connecting and syncing mail in, but it is not one of the sending providers. Gmail and IMAP both sync and send.

Does connecting my mailbox share all my email with my colleagues?

Connecting a mailbox is a per-user action, and what colleagues can see is governed by your workspace's sharing and permission settings rather than by the fact of connecting. Check those settings if this matters to your team.

Will my old emails appear, or only new ones?

Existing mail is backfilled after you connect, so contacts have history rather than starting blank from the moment of connection.

What if my provider is not Gmail or Outlook?

Use IMAP. It is the general option for any other mail host, and it both syncs and sends.