Gmail & Outlook Integration Overview
The Gmail & Outlook Integration connects your everyday email account directly to your CRM so your inbox and your contact database can work together.
Once connected, the integration gives you two capabilities:
- Connected Inbox — View and reply to one-to-one email conversations from inside the contact record
- Inbox Contact Discovery — Scan your recent inbox activity to find new people who are not yet saved in your CRM
Supported account types include Gmail, Google Workspace, Outlook, and Microsoft 365.
What This Integration Is For
This feature is designed for normal, personal, one-to-one communication.
Use it for:
- Individual replies and personal follow-ups
- One-to-one conversations tied to a specific contact
- Capturing new contacts from your recent inbox activity
Do not use it for:
- Newsletters or announcements
- Automated or scheduled messages
- Sending the same message to many people
- Marketing emails with advanced formatting and templates
A simple rule covers most situations:
One person = use Connected Inbox. Many people = use CRM marketing emails.
Connected Inbox
Once your email account is connected, a Connected Inbox tab appears on each contact record. This is where you can view email conversation history and reply to messages without leaving the CRM.
Instead of jumping back and forth between your inbox and your contact database, you can work the relationship from one place.
What you can do inside Connected Inbox:
- View sent and received one-to-one messages for that contact
- Open full email threads
- Read messages in a natural email format
- Reply directly from inside the CRM
Messages you send are delivered through your connected Gmail or Outlook account — not through a separate marketing mail system. Your email provider's normal sending limits apply.
Inbox Contact Discovery
When new people email you, they don't always make it into your CRM. Inbox Contact Discovery scans your recent inbox activity and identifies people who have emailed you but are not yet saved as contacts.
When you run a scan, the system reviews the last two weeks of inbox activity and surfaces anyone who looks like a real contact opportunity — not automated senders, no-reply addresses, or one-way messages.
After a scan, you can:
- Review new contacts with details like name, email, and conversation count
- Select the contacts you want to add
- Add them to the CRM instantly
Results are organized into three tabs: Pending, Added, and Dismissed — so you can manage new contacts over time.
For ongoing capture without manual effort, you can enable automatic nightly scanning so the system checks for new contact opportunities in the background.
Optional: Calendar Sync
After connecting your email account, you can also connect a calendar so that CRM appointments appear there. This is optional and can be enabled or changed at any time after setup.
How Emails Are Handled
Your emails are not permanently stored in the CRM. They remain in Gmail or Outlook and are displayed inside the CRM based on the permissions you approved during setup. You can disconnect the integration at any time.
Questions and Answers
Q: Can I use this feature to send emails to a list of contacts?
A: No. This feature is designed for one-to-one communication only. For sending to groups, use CRM marketing emails.
Q: Which email providers are supported?
A: Gmail, Google Workspace, Outlook, and Microsoft 365 are supported.
Q: Is my email password stored in the CRM?
A: No. The connection is made through a permission-based flow. Your password is never stored in the system.
Q: Can I disconnect the integration after connecting it?
A: Yes. You can disconnect at any time from the Gmail and Outlook Integration settings page.
Q: Does this replace CRM marketing emails?
A: No. Connected Inbox handles personal one-to-one communication. CRM marketing emails handle campaigns, newsletters, and bulk sending. Both tools serve different purposes.
Guide Type: Feature Overview
Estimated Time: 5 minutes