Connecting mailbox on Gmail

Last update: 02.04.2024
You can connect your Gmail by enabling two-factor authentication and creating an app password. How to do this is described in step 1 of this instruction. If you know how to perform these settings on the Gmail side or have already done so, you can proceed directly to step 2, which describes the actions on the Deskie side.

You can connect your email to Deskie via forwarding or through IMAP. Choose the option that suits you and follow the instructions:

— connecting the email via forwarding:

  • when forwarding cases, they are created faster than when connected via IMAP, as emails are forwarded from Gmail to Deskie immediately upon receipt;

  • you can configure flexible forwarding logic — for example, forwarding only specific emails to Deskie;

  • you can use third-party SMTP to send agent responses;

  • if you are connecting a mailing group or alias, this can only be done when connected via forwarding.

In Google, you can create groups, among other things, for mailing lists. An additional email address added to your Gmail account for sending emails will be considered an alias of your main address.

  • when connected via IMAP, we check the email every two to three minutes and retrieve all new emails from the "Inbox" folder;

  • if you have filtering set up at the mailbox level and some emails arrive in folders other than "Inbox," they will not be transferred to Deskie.


Step 1: access settings on the Gmail side

Enable two-factor authentication and create an app password for Deskie.

1. Open the settings of your Google account.
2. Go to the "Security" section and enable two-step verification (you will need to choose an additional channel for receiving one-time passwords: SMS, call, Google app, etc.). In our example, we are going to use the option with the backup codes.

If you are using Google Workspace, ensure that users have permission to enable two-step verification. You can do this by navigating to the Admin Console → "Security" section → "Overview" subsection → "Two-step verification" block → check the box "Allow users to turn on two-step verification".

3. Create an app password:

a) go back to the "Security" section, navigate to the "Two-step verification" section, and scroll down to the "App passwords" section;
b) on the opened page, enter the application name and click "Create";
c) in the popup window, copy the generated app password.

Use this password in the "Mailbox password" field in the email connection form in Deskie.


Step 2: Set up email connection in Deskie

Choose the option that suits you and follow the instructions. The features of each option have been detailed at the beginning of the article.

— connecting the email via forwarding

— connecting the email via IMAP


Connecting Gmail via forwarding

For this type of connection, you need to:

  • specify your Gmail data in the Deskie interface;

  • in the Gmail interface, set up forwarding to our system address, which you will receive during the email connection process.


1. Setting up forwarding

a. Go to the administrator account in Deskie → Channels → Email subsection, click on "Add email address" → choose "through forwarding" in the "Connect" option. Copy the provided system forwarding address.

b. Go to the Gmail interface and specify the received forwarding address by navigating to Settings (gear icon) → "See all settings" option → "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" subsection:

c. Go to the agent's account in Deskie, find the email from [email protected], and confirm the forwarding by clicking on the provided link.


2. Email Connection

In the administrator account in Deskie, enter the data for your email. Choose the option that suits you:

— sending emails via Gmail SMTP
— connecting a mailing group
— sending emails via third-party SMTP

Sending emails via Gmail SMTP

a. Enter the email address and select the group into which incoming cases will be directed by default;

b. Enter the following values in the "Outgoing mail server", "Port", and "Encryption" fields:

Outgoing mail server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 465
Encryption: SSL

In the "Mailbox password" field, enter the app password obtained in step 1, and click the "Connect" button.


Connecting a mailing group

  • Connect a mailing group can only be done by Google Workspace users. You cannot connect a standard group address like [email protected];

  • Similarly, you can connect any additional email address that is listed in your Google Workspace or Gmail settings under "Accounts and Import."

1. In the Email field, enter the alias address, followed by a colon, and then the actual email it belongs to. Then enter the Gmail SMTP server details and the app password you set up in step 1 and click "Connect".

Outgoing mail server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 465
Encryption: SSL

2. To ensure that agent responses to cases received at the mailing group address are sent on behalf of the same address, in the settings of your actual Gmail mailbox, specify the mailing group address (or email alias from Google Workspace) as a sending alias.

a. Click on the gear icon → select "See all settings" → go to the "Accounts" section → in the "Send mail as" block, click on the "Add another email address" link.

b. In the pop-up window, enter your name and the mailing group address, ensure that the "Treat as an alias" checkbox is checked, and click the "Next" button. Click the "Send verification" button to receive an email from [email protected] with a code and link for confirmation to the addresses added to the mailing group.

c. You can confirm the addition of the mailing group address as an alias either in the agent's Deskie account or in one of the mailboxes that are included in the mailing group.

d. After confirmation, in the Gmail settings, select which email address the responses will be sent from:

Don't forget to set up forwarding in your email service interface so that customer emails are directed to Deskie.

Pro tip:

Google automatically adds a footer for all emails from mailing groups, which is visible to users in the email thread.

To disable it, go to the Google Apps menu → Groups → group name → "Group settings" section → "General" subsection, and in the "Email footer" block, select your desired settings.


Sending emails via third-party SMTP

When you connect the SMTP of your email service provider:

  • agent responses are added to the "Sent" folder of your email;

  • you are not dependent on us for email delivery.

However, sometimes email services may have limits on sending emails from one mailbox, or the server may be unstable. If you want to have complete control over sending responses to customers and monitor delivery statistics, the best option is to connect a specialized SMTP service (such as Mailgun, Postmark, Sendgrid, Amazon SES, etc.).

You can only configure sending through a third-party SMTP when choosing the option to connect the email via forwarding.

1. Specify the login of the third-party SMTP service after the connected email, separated by a colon.

2. Provide the SMTP server details obtained from the service you selected (outgoing mail server, port, encryption type, and password).

Don't forget to set up forwarding in your email service interface so that customer emails are directed to Deskie.


Connecting a Gmail mailbox via IMAP

1. To enable Gmail for email retrieval via IMAP, navigate in the Gmail interface to Settings (gear icon) → "See all settings" option → "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" section → then, in the "IMAP Access" block, check the box "Enable IMAP":

2. For Deskie to connect to your email using IMAP, go to the administrator account → Channels section → Email subsection, click "Add email address" → in the "Connect" option, select "through POP3 or IMAP".

Specify the email you plan to connect, select the group to which cases received by email will fall by default, and specify the following data in the corresponding fields:

Incoming mail server: imap.gmail.com
Port: 993
Encryption: SSL

Outgoing mail server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 465
Encryption: SSL

In the "Mailbox password" field, enter the application password you configured in step 1. Press "Connect".

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