Skip to content
AskVault Docs
Try Free →

Email assistant IMAP and SMTP setup

Written by Joseph Russo, Principal Architect, Networks and Tech, AskVault · Reviewed by Allison Chan
Last updated: · 5 min read

What the email assistant does

Three patterns:

  1. Auto-reply to common questions. Customer emails [email protected]. The bot reads it, writes a reply from your knowledge base and sends it.
  2. Triage. Escalated emails land in the inbox, where your team can tag, assign and answer them.
  3. Hand off the rest. Emails below your confidence floor, or containing keywords you list, go to a person.

Replies go out automatically, with escalation rules (confidence floor, keywords, a reply cap per thread) in the Email channel's settings. A review-before-send option is rolling out.

Connection methods

Method 1: App password (Gmail, Google Workspace, Yahoo Mail).

  • Turn on 2-Step Verification for the account.
  • Create an App Password (for Gmail, at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords).
  • Pick the provider in AskVault and paste the App Password. AskVault fills in the server details.

Setup time: about 10 minutes. AskVault does not offer Google sign-in (OAuth) for Gmail; an App Password is the way to connect a Gmail or Google Workspace mailbox.

Method 2: Microsoft sign-in (Outlook.com and Microsoft 365).

Microsoft has turned off password sign-in for Exchange Online IMAP and SMTP and for Outlook.com, so these mailboxes connect with Connect with Microsoft instead of a password. See Outlook OAuth setup. Microsoft sign-in is rolling out; until it is on for your account, forward the Outlook mailbox to a Gmail or other IMAP mailbox and connect that one.

Method 3: Generic IMAP/SMTP (any provider).

  • Enter the IMAP server and port, the SMTP server and port, the email address and the password.
  • AskVault tests both, then activates.

Works for Zoho, FastMail and custom mail servers that accept a password. Setup time: about 15 minutes.

App password setup (Gmail)

  1. Enable 2-Step Verification on the Google account (myaccount.google.com).
  2. Visit myaccount.google.com/apppasswords and create an App Password named "AskVault".
  3. Copy the 16-character password.
  4. In AskVault, open Channels > Email, pick Gmail / Google Workspace, and enter the email address and the App Password.
  5. Click "Test connection", then Connect.

App passwords let one app sign in while your normal sign-in stays protected by 2-Step Verification.

Generic IMAP/SMTP setup

For other providers:

  1. Find your IMAP and SMTP settings from your provider's docs:

    • IMAP is for reading (e.g., imap.zoho.com:993).
    • SMTP is for sending (e.g., smtp.zoho.com:465).

  2. Open Channels > Email and pick Custom IMAP / SMTP.

  3. Enter the email address and password, then open Advanced: IMAP & SMTP host details and enter the IMAP server and port and the SMTP server and port.

    Use your provider's public server name and a standard mail port: IMAP 993 or 143, SMTP 465, 587 or 25. Servers on private or internal network addresses aren't supported.

  4. Click "Test connection". AskVault signs in to both.

  5. Click Connect.

AskVault reads the Inbox folder. Test by sending an email to the connected inbox; the reply should arrive after the next inbox check.

How AskVault checks for new email

AskVault checks the Inbox every 60 seconds for unread messages. For near-instant delivery, use the Hosted Inbox channel, which receives email by push instead of polling.

Bot response timing

After an email arrives:

AskVault checks the Inbox folder every 60 seconds. Each new email is answered from your knowledge base and the reply is sent through your SMTP server. How long the answer itself takes depends on the model your workspace uses and the length of the reply.

Replies are sent automatically. Review-before-send drafts are rolling out; AskVault does not write drafts into your mailbox.

Sender identity

By default, the bot sends from the connected mailbox address. To differentiate human vs bot replies:

  • Add a footer like "Sent by your AI assistant. Reply for human help." (configurable).
  • Use a bot-specific signature.
  • Set the From name to something like "Acme Support Bot" while keeping the address as [email protected].

Set the sender name, Reply-To address and signature in the Email channel's settings.

Threading and reply chains

The bot replies to the original message, preserving threading:

  • In-Reply-To and References headers set correctly.
  • Subject line prefixed with Re:.
  • Threading headers (In-Reply-To, References) so the reply joins the customer's thread.

Email clients (Gmail, Outlook) display the reply in the same thread.

Spam and bounce handling

AskVault auto-filters:

  • Automatic replies. Skipped when they carry Auto-Submitted (any value but no) or X-Auto-Response-Suppress.
  • Mailing lists and bulk mail. Skipped when they carry List-Id, List-Unsubscribe or Precedence: bulk, list, junk or auto_reply.

Spam detection stays with your email provider; keep its filter on so spam never reaches the Inbox AskVault reads.

Routing rules

Send some emails to humans, others to the bot:

  1. Tag-based routing. Emails with subject containing "URGENT" route to a human queue, never bot.
  2. Sender-based routing. Emails from VIP customers route to a senior agent queue.
  3. Content-based routing. Emails containing a word on your always-escalate keyword list, such as "refund", go straight to a person instead of getting an automatic reply.

Configure under Automation > Rules.

Audit and compliance

Every email-bot interaction logs:

  • Inbound message ID and sender.
  • Bot-drafted reply (or sent message).
  • Sent timestamp.
  • Conversation ID linking to the broader AskVault conversation.

Useful for:

  • Audit: prove the bot didn't promise something it shouldn't.
  • Quality: review bot responses periodically for tone or accuracy issues.
  • Compliance: GDPR data deletion removes both AskVault-side records and (where possible) mailbox-side messages.

Planned features (on the roadmap)

Documented for accuracy:

  • Microsoft Exchange on-premises support. Today, generic IMAP if your server accepts a password. Native EWS support planned.
  • Email categorization model. Today, basic LLM classification. Domain-tuned classifier (refund vs technical vs sales) planned.
  • Attachment handling improvements. Today, attachments are forwarded but not analyzed. Inline PDF analysis planned for the email channel.

Limits

  • Connected mailboxes per workspace. One. To support multiple addresses, create one workspace per address.
  • Polling cycle. As fast as every 60 seconds.
  • Inbox checks. Every 60 seconds.

Common pitfalls

Bot doesn't pick up new emails. IMAP credentials invalid or 2FA blocking. Use an App Password (Gmail), or Microsoft sign-in (Outlook).

Reply lands in spam. Sender reputation issue or SPF/DKIM not configured on your domain. Configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC for the support inbox domain.

Threading broken. Some IMAP servers don't preserve Message-ID. Check with your mail provider.

Bot replies to internal forwards. Forwards from your own team look like normal mail. Use a separate address for internal forwarding so it does not land in the inbox AskVault reads.

Polling stops. The App Password was revoked or the account password changed: update the connection. For an Outlook mailbox, the Email page shows Reconnect required; click Reconnect with Microsoft.

FAQ

Does this work with Microsoft Exchange on-premises?

Today, no native support. Use generic IMAP/SMTP if your Exchange exposes those protocols. Native EWS support planned.

Can I have multiple support inboxes for one workspace?

No. One email address per workspace. To support multiple addresses, create one workspace per address and share the same knowledge base across them via integrations.

What happens to attachments?

Bot replies do not include attachments.

Does the bot understand HTML emails?

Yes. AskVault reads HTML email as text. Replies are plain text, with an HTML version added only when the answer includes cards such as products.

Can I review replies before they are sent?

Not yet. Review-before-send drafts are rolling out. Today every reply is sent automatically.

Was this page helpful?