What’s the email sync feature in Pipedrive?
The email sync feature is one of the many useful features Pipedrive offers (check availability per plan here and attend our webinar How Email Sync works in Pipedrive for a live demonstration and Q&A).
Whichever method you use, Pipedrive calculates which contacts, leads, and deals your email conversations belong to based on the email address of the recipient. This means you can see all your email conversations from the detail view of both the person and the linked deal.
You can customize your newly composed emails to fit your needs, including text formatting, inline images, and smart fields that can pull information from your Pipedrive deals and contacts.
Please see the image below for context:
For further customization, learn more about the email templates and email signature functions within the email sync feature.
You also have a dedicated Pipedrive inbox where you can see all of your emails, control the linking and sharing of those emails, and compose new ones by clicking the green pencil icon.
Is there any file size limit per email?
The file size limit per email will depend on your provider. i.e., The limit in Gmail is 25MB, while the limit in Outlook is 20MB.
Does Pipedrive support right-to-left language input?
If you use a keyboard for right-to-left languages – like Persian, Urdu, Hebrew, and Arabic – Pipedrive will recognize this and format your typed content appropriately. Learn more in this article.
What if I have some blocked email addresses? What will happen to those blocked addresses?
Emails from blocked addresses will only be screened if the blocked address is the only sender. If a non-blocked email address is CC’d or included as a recipient, the email will not be screened even if a blocked address is included.
If the email address you’ve synced receives emails you don’t want in Pipedrive, you can register a specific email address (example@domain.com) or a broad domain (@domain.com) as emails that should be ignored in Pipedrive.
To do this please navigate to Company settings > Email sync > Blocked addresses > Add the email address you want to see blocked
After the email is blocked any email received from that address will not appear in the Mail tab of your Pipedrive account
How does the automatic email linking feature work?
Regarding the email automatic linking feature, Pipedrive will automatically associate emails with the appropriate person contact by recognizing the email address associated with that received email.
To set this option please navigate to: Company settings > Email sync > General settings > Link emails to Pipedrive items > And tick the option in case you want to have the automatic linking on
Selecting Automatically will also allow Pipedrive to associate that email with an open deal linked to the email’s recipient if an open deal exists in your Pipedrive account.
If you have a lot of open deals with the same email recipient in Pipedrive, it may be more efficient to choose Manually to prevent any confusion.
This can be done directly in your Pipedrive Mail box, please navigate to: Pipedrive Mail box (It can be to the Inbox or Sent box) > Open one of your emails > In the right side of the screen you will see a menu with the option to link that email to a Deal, Lead or Project
It is also possible for you to link projects or leads from your Leads Inbox to your emails using Pipedrive's email sync. Learn more about emailing your leads in this article.
Note: If you delete a linked email from the Mail tab of your Pipedrive, it will no longer appear in the detail view of that associated deal.
How can I find my IMAP and SMTP information to sync my email?
To enable the email sync in Pipedrive, you may need to provide IMAP and SMTP information. Also, ensure you have IMAP enabled in your email account. Pipedrive supports native sync with Gmail and Microsoft, so this custom connection should be used only if the native way doesn’t work.
General IMAP/SMTP Configuration Guidelines
To set up email sync in Pipedrive, follow these general guidelines:
IMAP Settings:
Use IMAP port 993 with SSL/TLS for secure email retrieval.
SMTP Settings:
Use SMTP port 465 with SSL/TLS for secure email transmission.
If port 465 is not supported by your provider, try port 587 with STARTTLS.
Email Provider Documentation:
Verify the correct IMAP/SMTP settings in your email provider's documentation to ensure compatibility with Pipedrive.
If you don’t know that information, we’ve provided the typical host addresses and port numbers for the most common email providers:
iCloud IMAP host: imap.mail.me.com IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtp.mail.me.com SMTP port: 587 |
AOL IMAP host: imap.aol.com IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtp.aol.com SMTP port: 587 or 465 |
Yahoo! IMAP host: imap.mail.yahoo.com IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtp.mail.yahoo.com SMTP port: 587 or 465 |
Verizon IMAP host: imap.verizon.net IMAP port: 995 SMTP host: smtp.verizon.net SMTP port: 465 |
AT&T IMAP host: imap.mail.att.net IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtp.mail.att.net SMTP port: 587 or 465 |
OVH IMAP host: ssl0.ovh.net IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: ssl0.ovh.net SMTP port: 465 |
IONOS IMAP host: imap.ionos.com IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtp.ionos.com SMTP port: 465 |
For IONOS-hosted mailboxes, use the following settings:
IMAP Host: imap.ionos.de (port 993, SSL/TLS)
SMTP Host: smtp.ionos.de (port 587, STARTTLS)
Use your IONOS mailbox credentials when prompted.
Rzone.de (Strato) IMAP host: imap.strato.de IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtp.strato.de SMTP port: 465 |
Email Servr IMAP host: secure.emailsrvr.com IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: secure.emailsrvr.com SMTP port: 465 |
GoDaddy IMAP host: imap.secureserver.net IMAP port: 993 SMTP host: smtpout.secureserver.net SMTP port: 465 |
For GoDaddy-hosted mailboxes, use the following settings:
IMAP Host: imap.secureserver.net (port 993, SSL/TLS)
SMTP Host: smtpout.secureserver.net (port 465, SSL/TLS)
Ensure the SMTP hostname is entered exactly as shown.
You can find here a list of custom providers and links to their support pages, where you can find more information about their ports and connection details. If your provider is not listed in the list below – or if you use an email provider specific to your company – we suggest contacting your system administrator for the IMAP and SMTP information required to sync your email to Pipedrive:
Proofpoint
– Connection details
– SMTP authenticationAll-inkl.com
– Outlook für Android
– Thunderbird: IMAP-Ordner abonnieren
Pipedrive email sync is not compatible with Amazon WorkMail using the Exchange protocol.
If you connect a Microsoft account, you can check for updated IMAP and SMTP settings by going to Settings > View all Settings > Sync email > POP and IMAP.
For Microsoft 365 mailboxes, use the following settings:
IMAP Server: outlook.office365.com (port 993, SSL/TLS)
SMTP Server: smtp.office365.com (port 587, STARTTLS)
Select “Other” as the provider in Pipedrive Email Sync and enter these values along with your mailbox credentials.
What’s not supported in email synchronization?
Although the email sync feature has many functionalities, there are some limitations:
Troubleshooting Common Issues
SMTP Timeout or Connection Closed Errors
If you encounter an SMTP timeout or "server closed the connection" error, it indicates that Pipedrive can reach your IMAP server but cannot establish a connection to the SMTP server. Common causes include:
Incorrect SMTP server address or port.
The SMTP server blocking external connections or rate-limiting.
Solution:
Verify the SMTP host and port settings.
Ensure your email provider allows external SMTP connections from Pipedrive.
Alternative SMTP Port Options
If SMTP port 587 fails during setup, try using port 465 with SSL/TLS, provided your email provider supports it. Ensure the security type matches the provider's requirements.
Email aliases are not supported. If customers add an email alias the authentication flow will revert to the main account.
Currently, POP3 is not supported as a server for the Pipedrive email sync. The email sync feature only supports IMAP or Exchange credentials for establishing the sync. The IMAP server using port 143 is not supported as it’s not encrypted.
Always use secure ports (IMAP 993, SMTP 465/587) with SSL/TLS or STARTTLS to protect your email data.
Avoid using unencrypted ports or outdated protocols.
Which provider is best for email sync?
Pipedrive's email sync feature is compatible with most email providers. Still, some are more intuitive than others: Gmail, Office365, and Microsoft Exchange.
We don’t recommend using email providers that require IMAP and SMTP credentials for a few reasons:
IMAP connections tend to be less modern and therefore less secure. For example, they require users to enter their password directly into Pipedrive, which is inadvisable.
IMAP connections are more prone to technical difficulties due to multiple available versions and configurations.
What's the difference between an Email provider and an Email client?
Given the similarities between these three concepts, here’s what those items mean in relation to Pipedrive.
An email account is the specific address – example@email.com – that you access using your login credentials in your email client.
An email client is the application – Apple Mail, Android Mail app, Thunderbird – you use to access your emails. In some scenarios, this can be the same as your email provider, but that is not guaranteed. An email client may have specific rules or behaviors regarding the deletion, archiving, or threading of your emails.
An email provider is a service – Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo – that provides the technical efforts behind the sending and receiving of your emails. The email provider often has specific rules or behaviors regarding the deletion, archiving, or threading of emails, and those rules or behaviors typically take precedence over any other rules that your email client may have.
Many customers may use a specific email provider but use a different email client to access that email provider. A good example is if a user uses the Apple Mail app on their iPhone to access emails in their Gmail account. In this case, the Apple mail app is the client and Gmail is the provider. If that user uses the Gmail app to access their Gmail account, they would be using Gmail as both a provider and the client.
How do Email Sharing and Email Privacy work in Pipedrive?
Much like your own email inbox, the Mail tab in Pipedrive is a feature that provides privacy to its users. Each user's Pipedrive inbox is unique, containing the information that they choose to sync or forward over – either through the email sync or the Smart Bcc. Your Pipedrive inbox will remain private and separate from other users in the company Pipedrive account, no matter what visibility or permissions you or the other users in your Pipedrive account may have. However, this doesn't mean that you will not be able to share email content with your team. If you are working with other users on the same deal or with the same contact, Pipedrive will allow you to share those relevant emails so everyone involved can stay up to date with the latest progress in your sale.
Sharing emails:
Another user in your Pipedrive account will only be able to see an email from your inbox if three conditions are met:
The email thread you wish to share is set to "Shared"
The email thread is linked to a deal or contact
The other user has visibility access to the linked items
Once the three conditions are met, other users will be able to see these shared emails on the detail view of the linked deal or contact.
Note: While you can see emails that are shared with you, you can only reply to or forward emails if you are a participant in that thread.
You can share your emails individually by going to your inbox and marking each one as shared on the right-hand side.
You can also share your emails in bulk by checking the boxes next to the email threads you want to share in your inbox and clicking on the "Share" button:
If you want all of your emails set to Shared or Private by default moving forward, you can do so by updating the Default email sharing section under Personal preferences > Email sync. Any emails that are shared or made private individually will override this default setting.
How do I share my emails?
Once the email has been shared, other users will be able to see the shared email on the Detail view of the linked deal or contact.
Note: The detail view of linked items is the only place to see any shared emails from other users.
How can I view or adjust email visibility?
The visibility of emails is controlled by users, not by admin users. Each user’s inbox is always private – as personal emails can be synced into Pipedrive – meaning that each user is responsible for the contents of their Mail tab, and that information cannot be adjusted by any other user in the account.
The default setting for Pipedrive – found under Settings > Email sync – is that all emails linked to an item are shared on that item page. This makes each linked email visible to any user who has the ability to see that deal or contact.
Note: If this default email sharing setting is adjusted, it will only affect future emails arriving in the Pipedrive user account. If you wish to share email conversations that are linked to a deal or contact, this can be done using the global setting or on a case-by-case basis.
The email visibility of any emails currently in the Pipedrive account can be adjusted by that email's owner from within the Mail tab of their Pipedrive user account, both before and after it is sent.
When drafting an email, there is a dropdown menu on the top that allows you to choose whether your email is shared within your company before it is sent.
When emails appear in the Inbox of a user’s Mail tab, they will be marked with a blue Shared icon if that option has already been selected. Pressing that blue Shared icon allows you to toggle between Shared and Private email visibility for that specific email.
An email marked as shared will appear in the detail view of its associated item and will be visible to any user who has permission to see that item.
Can I make an email private again?
If you want to make a shared email private, you can easily do so from the mail tab or the detail pages of any linked items. Once an email is marked as private, any users who once had visibility to it will no longer be able to see it.
How does deleting and archiving shared emails work?
A deleted email will no longer be in your Pipedrive account, so it will no longer show up on the detail pages of the linked deals or contacts.
If you archive a shared email, it will be removed from your inbox, but still retain all of the relevant information. This means that whoever has visibility to the shared email will still be able to see it on the detail pages of any linked items.
What happens if I archive an email in Pipedrive?
Emails will be archived in the provider if you enabled this setting in your Pipedrive account:
If the setting is disabled, emails archived in Pipedrive won’t be archived in the provider.
Archiving emails in the email provider won't automatically archive these emails in Pipedrive.
An archived email will remain on the detail views of any linked deals or contacts.
Archiving emails is a good option if you do not want to see the email thread in your inbox but still want it to remain in Pipedrive.
What happens if I delete an email in Pipedrive?
Once an email is deleted in Pipedrive, it will no longer be visible in the detail view of any of its linked deals or contacts. This is because the information shown on detail views is drawn from emails that currently exist in the Pipedrive account.
If you want to keep your emails linked to contacts and deals but have them not visible in your inbox, we recommend archiving the email to hide the thread while still keeping the information available.
To automatically delete emails from the email client when deleting from Pipedrive, you can toggle on the option after going to Personal Preferences> Email sync.
Note: Unless this option is enabled, emails deleted in Pipedrive will not be automatically deleted in the provider.
What is the email sender name?
The email sender name is the name the recipient of an email will see in their inbox. When using Pipedrive's email sync feature, users can change their email sender name from their account.
How do I change my email sender name?
To change an email sender name in Pipedrive, you must go to your Email sync settings page by clicking Personal Preferences > Email sync, or click on the gear symbol from your draft email. You can then change your email sender's name.
Once you’ve added your email sender name, you should click on "Save" and your recipients will see that name on the emails you send them.
Note: This feature is not available on Microsoft services as Microsoft servers do not allow editing the sender name. You can use this feature on Gmail and any other IMAP service, as long as the server allows it.
My email sender name is not updating. What should I do?
Overview of Sender Name Issues
Incorrect sender names or email displays in Pipedrive can result from several factors like incorrect configuration, domain authentication failures, or email address association errors.
Understanding common sender name issues can help resolve unexpected behaviors with sender name display in Pipedrive. They include: misconfigured settings, incorrect email associations, unauthenticated email domains, or outdated cached data.
Please clean the cache and cookies on your browser;
Try adding the name again;
Try sending a test email to yourself from Pipedrive to see if the email sender name got updated;
If the issue persists, please reach out to support.
Additional Troubleshooting Steps
Ensure your email provider settings (like Gmail or Outlook) match the configurations in Pipedrive.
Check if your domain is authenticated in
Campaigns > Settingsto verify sender credibility.Audit contacts in Pipedrive to prevent incorrect email associations and promptly resolve mismatches.
How are emails threaded in Pipedrive?
Email threads are Pipedrive's way of showing you the full email conversation you have had with specific participants. If you have email sync enabled, when an email is composed by replying to or forwarding a previous message, it will always be threaded together with the original email.
Note: To ensure this works smoothly and as intended, we highly recommend you send emails from within the Pipedrive app using email sync.
How does email threading work?
Pipedrive identifies email threads using the following internet message headers:
Message-Id – the message being sent
In-Reply-To – the message being replied to
References – the thread where the message originated.
When synced emails match these rules, they’ll be threaded together on Pipedrive.
To keep in mind:
Pipedrive has its own threading rules, so threading in Pipedrive VS provider is not the same which means the results might be different between the two.
Emails in Pipedrive can’t be unthreaded.
Once emails have been threaded together, they can only be linked to one deal and contact person.
How can I prevent email thread problems?
When sending out emails, it’s best to start a new thread instead of using the reply or forward button. If you use the reply or forward button, then this new email will be threaded into the same thread. And if emails are threaded together, there’s no way to undo that.