Connecting your email inbox

Oct 20, 2026 को अपडेट किया गया6 मिनट में पढ़ें

हिन्दी

इस पेज पर

An email inbox in Deskwoot turns incoming emails into conversations your team can reply to from the dashboard. Two modes: forwarding (we give you a unique address and you forward your real mailbox to it; works on every plan) or direct IMAP/SMTP (Startup+, we connect to your mail server, replies go out from your own domain). Setup takes 2-5 minutes either way. Threading is preserved: each email-thread becomes one conversation, not one-per-message.

Connecting an email inbox to Deskwoot uses standard IMAP and SMTP protocols, so any provider (Gmail, Outlook, Zoho, a custom mail server) plugs in with the same flow: paste IMAP credentials, paste SMTP credentials, send a test message. Whether you use Gmail, Outlook, or a custom mail server, Deskwoot supports standard IMAP/SMTP protocols to pull in incoming messages and send replies directly from the platform.

Step 1: Configure IMAP for incoming mail

IMAP allows Deskwoot to periodically check your mailbox for new messages and automatically create conversations from them.

Navigate to Settings > Inboxes > Add Inbox, select Email and pick IMAP / SMTP as the connection mode (Startup plan and above).
Enter your IMAP server address (e.g., imap.gmail.com for Gmail or outlook.office365.com for Outlook).
Set the port. Typically 993 for SSL connections.
Enter your email credentials (email address and password or app-specific password).
Fill in the SMTP settings from Step 2 in the same form. Test Connection then checks both servers at once.

Step 2: Configure SMTP for outgoing mail

To reply to emails through Deskwoot, you also need to set up SMTP so outgoing messages are sent from your own email address.

Enter your SMTP server address (e.g., smtp.gmail.com).
Set the port. Usually 587 for TLS.
Provide your email credentials.
Click Test Connection (it tries a real login on both servers without saving anything), then click Create Inbox. Afterwards, send yourself a test email to confirm outgoing mail works.

Email threading

Deskwoot automatically threads email replies into existing conversations using standard email headers such as In-Reply-To and References. When a customer replies to a previous email, the response appears as a new message within the same conversation rather than creating a duplicate. Keeping your inbox clean and context intact.

Troubleshooting common issues

Authentication failures: If you use Gmail or another provider with two-factor authentication enabled, you will likely need to generate an app-specific password instead of using your regular account password.
Connection timeouts: Double-check that the server address and port are correct. Ensure your firewall or hosting provider is not blocking outbound connections on ports 993 or 587.
Emails not appearing: Verify that the IMAP folder Deskwoot monitors (usually the Inbox) contains the messages you expect. Also confirm that no server-side rule is moving mail to a different folder before Deskwoot fetches it.

Best-practice tips

Use a dedicated support email address (e.g., support@yourdomain.com) rather than a personal inbox to keep customer conversations separate.
Always test both incoming and outgoing connections after setup by sending yourself a quick message and replying through Deskwoot.
Keep your email credentials up to date. If you rotate passwords, remember to update them in Deskwoot as well to avoid sync interruptions.

Frequently asked questions

Will connecting Deskwoot remove emails from my mail server?

No. Deskwoot uses IMAP, which syncs a copy of your messages. The original emails remain on your mail server unless you delete them there.

Do I need to allow "less secure apps" for Gmail?

Google has deprecated the less-secure-apps option. Instead, enable two-factor authentication on your Google account and create an app password specifically for Deskwoot.

Which is better, forwarding or IMAP/SMTP?

Forwarding is simpler and works on every plan, including Hacker. Replies go out from your Deskwoot forwarding address but with your sender name. IMAP/SMTP needs Startup+ and a few minutes of config, but replies look like they come from your own domain (support@yourcompany.com).

Can I set up multiple email inboxes?

Yes. Common setup: separate inboxes for support@, sales@, billing@. Each one has its own settings, collaborators, business hours and sender name.

Does Deskwoot keep my email password?

Only with IMAP/SMTP setup, encrypted at rest. Forwarding mode never sees your password: you forward at your mail provider's level (Gmail/Outlook/etc.).

How do I forward Gmail to Deskwoot?

Get the forwarding address from Settings → Inboxes → your inbox. In Gmail: Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address. Paste, verify the confirmation email (it lands in your Deskwoot inbox), then enable forwarding for all mail.

Will my own mailbox still keep a copy?

Yes, that's the default Gmail/Outlook behavior: forward and keep. Deskwoot becomes the work surface; your original mailbox is a backup.

What about email threading?

Reply-To and Message-ID headers are preserved so threading works in both directions: Deskwoot replies thread correctly in the customer's mail client, and customer replies append to the same Deskwoot conversation.

Do customers see they're talking to Deskwoot?

With IMAP/SMTP, no: the From line is your own address. With forwarding, the From line shows your sender name with your Deskwoot forwarding address (…@mail.deskwoot.com). The email body has no Deskwoot branding.

Can I send HTML emails with images and formatting?

Yes. The reply editor supports rich text, and your saved signature is added automatically. Paste or drop a PNG, JPEG or GIF into an email reply, or use Insert image, and the picture sits in the text where you put it. Other files go out as attachments. Each file can be up to 10 MB, and one reply carries up to 10 files and 20 MB together.

What happens when an email contains an attachment?

Attached files are stored in your Deskwoot account in EU object storage, accessible from the conversation timeline. Agents can preview or download them directly from the message bubble. Pictures inside an email show where the sender put them, and the email keeps its formatting.

What if a reply cannot be sent?

The reply shows Delivery failed. with the reason, for example when the contact has no email address or your mail server refused the message. Fix the cause and send the reply again, see When a reply is not delivered.

How fast are new emails picked up?

Forwarding mode: under 1 minute. IMAP: Deskwoot keeps an IDLE connection open, so new mail usually shows up within seconds, and it also checks the mailbox every 5 minutes as a safety net.

Can I migrate an existing email mailbox into Deskwoot?

There is no separate mailbox importer. When you connect a mailbox over IMAP/SMTP, Deskwoot pulls in the emails from the last 30 days on the first sync. See the 'Importing from another helpdesk' guides for other helpdesks.

Can Fynn answer my emails?

Yes, on the plans with Fynn (Startup plan and up). Switch him on in the inbox's Bot Configuration tab, or with Fynn answers emails in the guided setup, where it stays off until you turn it on. Fynn then answers every email in the inbox except newsletters and mail from automatic senders such as noreply addresses; those still land in your inbox for your team. Each of his emails ends with a sentence that says the AI assistant of your workspace wrote it, and in Support Bot mode that a reply with the word human brings in your team.

क्या यह गाइड मददगार थी?

आगे पढ़ें

इस गाइड के बारे में Fynn से पूछें

इस गाइड और बाकी सहायता केंद्र से छोटा जवाब पाएं।