Email Source

Overview

The Email Source Integration allows Docspire to automatically monitor an email inbox and process document attachments as they arrive. This enables hands-free document ingestion for workflows where documents are received via email, such as invoices from vendors, bank statements from applicants, or contracts from partners.

Once configured, Docspire connects to your email server using IMAP protocol, monitors the specified folder for new messages, downloads attachments, and automatically routes them through your document processing pipeline.

Prerequisites

Before setting up an email integration, ensure you have the following:

• Access to an email account with IMAP enabled

• The IMAP server URL and port number for your email provider

• Email account credentials (username and password or app-specific password)

• For Gmail and other providers with enhanced security: an app password generated from your account settings

Setting Up Email Integration

1. Navigate to Automation > Integrations in the left sidebar. Locate the Email Integrations card in the Available Integrations section.

1. Click the Configure button to open the Email Integration Configuration dialog.

The configuration dialog offers two authentication methods:

• Basic Authentication – Uses traditional username and password credentials. Suitable for email servers that support standard IMAP authentication.

• Modern Authentication – Uses OAuth 2.0 for enhanced security. Recommended for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace accounts.

Select the appropriate tab based on your email provider's requirements.

1. The Email Filters (Optional) section allows you to specify which emails should be processed:

• From Filter: Only process emails from specific sender addresses (e.g., [email protected])

• Subject Filter: Only process emails containing specific keywords in the subject line (e.g., Invoice, Order Confirmation)

1. In the Connection Information section, provide the following details:

• Server URL: The IMAP server address (e.g., imap.gmail.com, imap.google.com)

• Port: The IMAP port number (typically 993 for SSL/TLS connections)

• Username / Email: The email address or username for authentication

• Password: The account password or app-specific password

1. In the Security Settings section, configure the following:

• Protocol: Select IMAP as the email protocol

• Authentication Mode: Choose Auto to let Docspire detect the best authentication method

• Use TLS/SSL: Toggle on to enable encrypted connections (recommended)

1. The Email Folder Settings section controls which folder Docspire monitors and how it handles processed emails:

• Email Folder: The mailbox folder to monitor (e.g., INBOX, or a custom folder name)

• Read Unread Only: When enabled, only processes emails that have not been read

• Mark Email As Read: When enabled, marks emails as read after processing their attachments

1. Click Save Configuration to establish the connection. Review all settings to ensure they are correct.

Docspire will validate the connection and display a success message if the configuration is valid.

Managing Active Integrations

Once configured, your email integration appears in the Active Integrations section at the bottom of the Integrations page.

Each active integration displays:

• Integration type – Email Integration

• Direction – Input Source (indicating documents flow into Docspire)

• Connection details – The connected email provider and account

• Delete button – Removes the integration and stops email monitoring

Common Email Server Settings

Reference for the following settings for popular email providers:

Provider	Server URL	Port	TLS/SSL Required
Gmail	imap.gmail.com	993	Yes
Microsoft 365 / Outlook	outlook.office365.com	993	Yes
Yahoo Mail	imap.mail.yahoo.com	993	Yes
Zoho Mail	imap.zoho.com	993	Yes

Best Practices

• Use a dedicated email account – Create a separate email address specifically for document intake to keep processed documents organized and separate from regular correspondence.

• Enable app passwords – For Gmail and other providers with two-factor authentication, generate an app-specific password rather than using your main account password.

• Use email filters strategically – Configure From Filter and Subject Filter to process only relevant emails and reduce noise in your document queue.

• Enable Mark Email As Read – This prevents duplicate processing and makes it easy to identify which emails have been handled.

• Monitor Active Integrations – Regularly check the Active Integrations section to ensure your email connection remains healthy.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Connection failed	Verify server URL and port are correct. Ensure IMAP is enabled in your email account settings. Check that TLS/SSL is enabled.
Authentication error	Confirm username and password are correct. For Gmail, use an app password instead of your regular password.
No emails being processed	Check that the Email Folder name is correct. Verify filters are not too restrictive. Ensure Read Unread Only is configured appropriately.
Duplicate documents	Enable Mark Email As Read to prevent reprocessing the same emails.

Related Features

• Document Queue – View and manage documents ingested from email and other sources.

• Document Tracking – Monitor the processing status of documents received via email.

• Process Notifications – Set up alerts for document processing events triggered by email intake.

• Workflow – Configure automated processing pipelines for documents received via email.