Email Integration

Connect email to let your AI agent handle email conversations via Gmail or forwarding

Email Integration#

Let your AI agent handle email conversations automatically. AlonChat supports Gmail via direct OAuth connection and email forwarding for other providers like Outlook, Yahoo, and any SMTP-compatible service.

How It Works#

Both methods give your agent the ability to:

• Automatically reply to incoming emails
• Maintain email thread context
• Hand off to a human when needed
• Track email conversations in your dashboard

Setting Up Gmail (OAuth)#

Step 1: Enable Email#

1. Go to your agent dashboard
2. Navigate to Deploy > Email
3. Click Enable Email
4. Click Connect Gmail

Step 2: Authorize Gmail#

1. Sign in with your Google account
2. Grant AlonChat permission to read and send emails
3. Your Gmail account will appear as connected

Step 3: Configure Settings#

• Auto-Reply: Toggle automatic email responses on/off
• Display Name: Name shown in outgoing emails
• Email Signature: Custom signature (supports multiple lines)
• Include Original: Toggle to include the original message in replies

Step 4: Test#

Click the Test Email button to send a test email and verify everything works.

Setting Up Email Forwarding#

For Outlook, Yahoo, and other providers, use email forwarding to route messages to your agent.

Step 1: Get Your Forwarding Address#

1. Go to your agent dashboard
2. Navigate to Deploy > Email
3. Click Enable Email
4. A unique forwarding address is generated for your agent (e.g., agent-abc123@mail.alonchat.com)

Step 2: Configure Forwarding in Your Email Provider#

Gmail#

1. Open Gmail Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP
2. Click "Add a forwarding address"
3. Paste your AlonChat forwarding address
4. Gmail sends a verification code -- AlonChat detects it automatically (polls every 3 seconds)
5. Forwarding is verified and enabled

Outlook#

1. Go to Outlook Settings > Mail > Forwarding
2. Enable forwarding to your AlonChat address
3. Return to AlonChat and check the "I've set up forwarding" confirmation checkbox

Yahoo#

1. Go to Yahoo Mail Settings > Filters
2. Create a filter to forward messages to your AlonChat address
3. Note: Yahoo Mail Plus may be required for forwarding on free accounts
4. Return to AlonChat and check the "I've set up forwarding" confirmation checkbox

Other Providers#

1. Follow your email provider's forwarding instructions
2. Forward to your AlonChat forwarding address
3. Return to AlonChat and check the "I've set up forwarding" confirmation checkbox

Step 3: Configure Response Settings#

• Auto-Reply: Toggle automatic email responses on/off
• Display Name: Name shown in outgoing emails
• Email Signature: Custom signature (supports multiple lines)
• Include Original: Toggle to include the original message in replies
• Test Email: Send a test email to verify everything works

Auto-Reply Options#

Thread Handling#

AlonChat maintains full email thread context:

• Thread continuity -- The agent reads the full thread history before replying, so it understands the context of ongoing conversations
• Subject line preservation -- Replies maintain the original subject line with "Re:" prefix
• Conversation grouping -- All emails in a thread are grouped together in your AlonChat dashboard
• Human handoff -- If the agent cannot answer, it can notify your team to take over the thread

AI Email Actions#

During chat conversations on any channel, your agent can also perform email actions:

These actions require a connected Gmail account (OAuth). They allow your agent to send emails as part of a Messenger, WhatsApp, or widget conversation -- for example, emailing a quote to a customer who requested it via chat.

Managing Email Conversations#

View Email Threads#

1. Go to Activity in the sidebar
2. See all email conversations
3. View agent responses alongside the original emails
4. Take over manually if needed

Human Handoff#

When the agent encounters a complex or sensitive email:

1. It notifies your team
2. Auto-reply pauses for that thread
3. A team member takes over from the dashboard
4. Click "Resume AI" to re-enable auto-reply for the thread

Best Practices#

1. Set Expectations in Your Signature#

Include a note that responses may be AI-assisted:

Best regards,
[Company Name]

Note: Initial responses may be handled by our AI assistant.
A team member will follow up if needed.

2. Monitor Response Quality#

• Review email responses daily during the first week
• Check for accuracy, tone, and completeness
• Add missing information to your sources

3. Use Human Handoff for Sensitive Topics#

Configure handoff for:

• Billing disputes
• Legal inquiries
• Complaints
• Complex technical support

4. Configure Display Name Carefully#

Use a recognizable sender name such as:

• "[Company Name] Support"
• "[Company Name] Team"
• Your actual business name

5. Test Before Going Live#

1. Send a test email to your agent's address
2. Verify the auto-reply is accurate
3. Check the response appears in your dashboard
4. Test thread handling by replying to the auto-reply

Troubleshooting#

Agent Not Responding to Emails#

Check these in order:

1. Email is enabled:

   • Go to Deploy > Email
   • Verify email is enabled and connected

2. Auto-reply is on:

   • Check the auto-reply toggle
   • Ensure it is not set to "Off"

3. Forwarding is working (non-Gmail):

   • Send a test email to your regular address
   • Check if it arrives at the AlonChat forwarding address
   • If not, re-check forwarding settings in your email provider

4. Gmail connection is active:

   • Check the connection status
   • If expired, reconnect via OAuth

5. Agent is trained:

   • Ensure your sources have relevant content
   • Re-train if you recently added new sources

Emails Going to Spam#

If auto-replies are landing in recipients' spam folders:

• Ensure your display name looks professional
• Avoid excessive links or promotional language in signatures
• Ask recipients to mark your replies as "not spam"

Forwarding Verification Stuck#

For Gmail forwarding:

• AlonChat polls for the verification code every 3 seconds
• If it takes longer than a minute, check your AlonChat email inbox for the code
• Try removing and re-adding the forwarding address

Limitations#

• Gmail OAuth: Full read and reply capabilities
• Email forwarding: Can receive and auto-reply, but cannot read the original inbox
• Attachments: Text content of emails is processed; attachment handling is limited
• Rate limits: Email sending is rate-limited to prevent spam flags
• No calendar invites: Use the Google Calendar integration for scheduling instead

Privacy and Security#

• Email content is encrypted at rest and in transit
• Gmail OAuth tokens are stored securely and can be revoked anytime
• Forwarded emails are processed and stored in your agent's conversation history
• AlonChat does not access emails outside of the connected account or forwarding address
• GDPR-compliant data handling with deletion on request

Next Steps#

• Google Calendar Connection -- Enable scheduling via email conversations
• Actions Overview -- See all actions your agent can take
• Webhooks -- Get notified when email events occur