Configuring IMAP Account

Configuring IMAP Account

Availability

Availability: Enterprise and Professional (including trial editions)
Permission Required: Administrator Profile

Set up IMAP Account

IMAP is an email protocol via which your email account is configured in Zoho CRM. It provides various benefits, the best of which is that it enables multiple device sync. That is, your email activity syncs across your PC, laptop, mobile phone, tablet etc. Zoho CRM lets you choose among popular IMAP integrations or configure custom email integration.

To add an IMAP account

  1. In Zoho CRM, click Settings > Setup > Channels  > Email.
  2. In the Email Settings page, you can either choose from Popular IMAP Email Integrations or make a Custom IMAP Integration.
  3. If you are choosing from Popular IMAP Integrations, click on one of the email clients as required.
    1. Enter the Name, Email Address and Password.

      In case you have enabled Two-Factor Authentication for your email account, you must enter the App-specific password for IMAP configuration and NOT your regular email password.
      See also: Generate an App-Sepecific Password
    2. Click Continue.
    3. Add more From Addresses if required.
    4. Click Server Details to view the incoming and outgoing server settings.
      The Server Details are automatically populated on selecting one of these: Zoho Mail, GMail, Outlook, Office 365 or Yahoo.
  4. If you wish to configure a custom IMAP integration, select the IMAP option under Custom Email Integrations.

    In the IMAP Integration page, provide the required details.
    • Enter the Incoming Server Name, Port, Email address and Password.
    • Enter the Outgoing Server Name, Port, Email address and Password.
      If both are the same, select the Use the same credentials for outgoing server checkbox.
  5. Select one of the Email Sharing Permissions.(Refer to this link for details.)

    Based on the option selected, email corresponding to the contacts in your CRM account, will be accessible to other users.
  6. Click Save.

Note:

  • After configuring the IMAP account, you will get a confirmation email when the existing emails are synchronized.

Generate an App-Specific Password

Two-factor authentication (TFA), a service provided by all major email clients, offers an additional layer of security to one's mailbox. When TFA is enabled for an email account, gaining access to the account requires more than just the username and password - a unique passcode that is sent to the registered mobile number of the email account holder. This makes it harder for someone to gain unauthorized access to an email account.

If the email account you wish to configure in Zoho CRM has the two-factor authentication service enabled for it, then you must enter the email account's app specific password for IMAP configuraion and NOT your regular email account password. Following are the instructions to generate the app-specific password for various popular email clients.

For a Zoho Mail Account

If you wish to configure your Zoho Mail account via IMAP in Zoho CRM, and you have the TFA service enabled for it, follow the instructions below to generate the app-specific password for your Zoho Mail account.

  1. Sign into https://accounts.zoho.com/u/h#home with your Zoho account credentials.
  2. On the welcome dashboard, click Two Factor Authentication.
  3. In the Two Factor Authentication page, click Manage Application Specific Passwords.
  4. In the Application Specific Passwords popup, enter the Device name and your current Zoho account password.

    The Device/App name is just a reference for you to identify the purpose of generating the app specific password when you view the list of Generated Passwords.
  5. Click Generate.
    The unique app-specific password for your account is generated. Note that this password will be displayed only once not not again.
  6. Copy and paste this password right away into the Password text box for IMAP configuration in Zoho CRM.
    You may revoke any password, if you no longer use the device or to remove access to the application.

For a Gmail Account

If you wish to configure your GMail account via IMAP in Zoho CRM, and you have the TFA service enabled for it, follow the instructions below to generate the app-specific password for your GMail account.

  1. Sign into your Google Account
  2. Visit the Apps passwords page.
  3. From the Select App dropdown list, select Other.
  4. Enter the customized name, for example, IMAP for Zoho CRM.
  5. Click Generate.
  6. Copy and paste the unique app-specific password generated into the Password text box for IMAP configuration in Zoho CRM.
    You may revoke any password, if you no longer use the device or to remove access to the application.

For an Outlook Account

If you wish to configure your Outlook account via IMAP in Zoho CRM, and you have the TFA service enabled for it, follow the instructions below to generate the app-specific password for your Outlook account.

  1. Sign into your Outlook account using this link .
  2. Under App passwords, click Create a new app password.
  3. Copy and paste the unique app-specific password generated into the Password text box for IMAP configuration in Zoho CRM.

For an Office 365 Account

If you wish to configure your Office 365 account via IMAP in Zoho CRM, and you have the Multi-factor authentication service enabled for it, follow the instructions below to generate the app-specific password for your Office 365 account.

Note:

  • In order to be able to generate an app-specific password for your Office 365 account, your admin must have enabled your user account for Multi-factor authentication.
    See also: How to set up multi-factor authentication for Office 365
  • The very first time you generate app specific password, you will prompted to enter your phone number for verification. The subsequent instances of generating app-specific password for Office 365 do not require phone number verification.

To generate app-specific password for Office 365

  1. Sign in to your Office 365 account.
  2. Go to Settings > Additional security verification.
  3. Click the sub-section as shown in the image below.
  4. Click the app passwords option.
  5. In the Create app password popup, enter a name for the password.
    This is for you to remember why you created it.
  6. Click next.
  7. Your app password is displayed.

    Copy and paste the unique app-specific password generated into the Password text box for IMAP configuration in Zoho CRM.

For a Yahoo Mail Account

If you wish to configure your Yahoo account via IMAP in Zoho CRM, and you have the TFA service enabled for it, follow the instructions below to generate the app-specific password for your Yahoo account.

  1. Sign into your Yahoo Mail account.
  2. Go to Settings > Account info.
  3. In the Account Info page, select Account security.
  4. Under Two-step Verification, click Generate app password.

    In order to generate app-specific password, the Two-step verification must be switched on.
  5. From the Select App dropdown list, select Other and enter the name of the app. For example, IMAP for Zoho CRM.
  6. Click Generate.
  7. Copy and paste the unique app-specific password generated into the Password text box for IMAP configuration in Zoho CRM.

View Emails

When the IMAP account is set up, your sent and received emails will be associated to the leads/contacts in Zoho CRM, under the Emails related list. These include emails sent to the Primary as well as Secondary Email addresses of leads/contacts. Emails in this related list can be sorted based on users who have shared their email account while setting up their IMAP account. You can either select All from the drop-down list or the specific user to view the email. Note that the option to view All emails is supported only in IMAP configuration.

To view emails of leads/contacts

  1. Go to the Leads/Contacts module.
  2. Click on a record in the module.
  3. In the Emails related list, select the desired IMAP shared user from the picklist field.
    The emails sent via IMAP are displayed.

Email Sharing Permissions

Private - Do not share Emails with colleagues

In this option, your Email account configured inside Zoho CRM is private. Other users cannot view Emails received from your leads and contacts.

Who can use this option?

CEOs and other Top Management team can use this option to keep their communication with customers confidential

What can you do?

  • You can view others Emails that are public
  • You can reply to others Email
  • Other users cannot view your sent Emails from Zoho Mail
  • Others cannot view your received Emails
Custom - Share Emails from the selected leads and contacts

In this option, users can share the Emails received from the selected leads and contacts. So other users can view your Emails from the selected customer records.

Who can use this option?

Sales Reps and Managers directly responsible for day-to-day customer interaction can use this option.

What can you do?

  • You can view others Emails that are public
  • You can reply to others Emails
  • Other users can view your sent Emails from Zoho Mail
  • Other users can view your received Emails
Public - Share Emails from all leads and contacts

In this option, users can share the Emails received from all leads and contacts. Other users can view your received Emails from the all customer records. Since Emails from all the records are shared globally, you cannot view the Share Email check box in Lead or Contact page.

Who can use this option?

Sales Reps and Managers directly responsible for day-to-day customer interaction can use this option.

What can you do?

  • You can view others Emails that are public
  • You can reply to others Email
  • Other users can view your sent Emails from Zoho Mail
  • Other users can view your received Emails

How can I restrict sharing of Emails from colleagues and specific customer domains?

You can restrict viewing of Emails from your company Email domains and specific customer domains by excluding the required Email domains. With this option, you can only view the Emails received from these excluded domains like personal account. Please note, in this option emails received from other Email domains are globally shared with all users in your Zoho CRM account.

Why there is no default for a "Complete Sharing" option?

To protect the privacy of Email conversation with customer.

For example, John, newly joined sales manager in your organization adds CEO’s Email ID as a contact in CRM. Now Adam, another Sales manager can view the conversation between John and CEO, which is not allowed in a real-time scenario.

FAQ

1. Where do I find the outgoing mail server settings?

2. Can I add multiple From addresses for outgoing mails?

3. How do I know if mail sync after configuration is complete?

4. I get an error that says Authentication has failed. Why does this error occur and how do I resolve it?

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