Connecting an email inbox to chat with customers over Email.
Last updated
Connecting an email inbox to chat with customers over Email.
Last updated
When using the IS-Messenger platform for email messaging, it's important to understand what email is and how it works. Email is short for electronic mail and is a way for users to exchange information over telecommunications. This can include text, files, images, or other attachments that are sent through a network to a specified individual or group of individuals.
Email, short for electronic mail, is information exchanged between two users over telecommunications. Email messages may contain text, files, images or other attachments that can be sent through a network to a specified individual or group of individuals. If you would like to use IS-Messenger platform for email messaging, you will need to provide access to your email inbox depending on the mail providers.
Currently, the platform has two methods of connecting email as a messaging channel.
Gmail Inbox
If the inbox to be connected to is a valid Google Workspace account, it can be connected to the platform with some extra configuration. Please refer to this page on how to connect to Gmail.
Not using Gmail? Don't worry, the inbox can be connected via IMAP/SMTP. There is an option for non-Gmail users whether other email providers can be connected by providing some credentials and configuring a forwarding rule.
Email Channels have a distinctive communication style that differs from messaging Channels. In particular, content style in email is typically expected to be more formal, long, and slow compared to instant messaging Channels, which tend to be short, casual, and quick. Therefore, when using the email Channels on the IS-Messenger messaging platform, there are certain limitations that users should be aware of.
Email broadcasting is not supported on IS-Messenger as the broadcast module is designed for sending broadcasts over messaging Channels. Email broadcast has a different infrastructure as well as requirements and rules to avoid domain being flagged. Thus, consider using messaging Channels for broadcasts.
Dialogflow's chatbot is not supported for email Channels on IS-Messenger due to Dialogflow's intent text input limit. For more advanced and user-friendly automated replies to conversations, consider using Workflows.
When using the Ask a Question step in Workflows, you may experience some limitations such as a new email thread you created will have a blank subject and each question you ask will be sent as a separate email instead of in a single email thread. This is because email and the Ask a Question step feature are not compatible technically. We do not recommend using the Ask a Question step with the email channel. However, if you are interested in having this feature available, you can upvote the feature request.
