Email accounts

How to connect Gmail or Google Workspace

1. Open Email → Accounts.
2. Select Connect Account or, on an empty account list, Connect Your First Account.
3. Choose Google. The same option connects a personal Gmail mailbox or a managed Google Workspace mailbox.
4. Sign in to the exact mailbox you intend to connect and complete the Google authorization screens.
5. Return to Spacebrain and confirm that the displayed email address is correct. If the status says that reauthorization is required, choose Reconnect OAuth and finish the authorization again.
6. Confirm that sending and inbound synchronization are enabled as intended, send a message to an internal mailbox, reply to it, and use Sync now if a manual check is needed.

The Google connection requests read access to synchronize messages and send access for messages you choose to send. Provider choices can depend on workspace context and configuration. If Google is not offered, confirm the active workspace and ask its administrator which connection method is enabled rather than authorizing a different person's mailbox.

Google OAuth or custom SMTP?

Use the Google OAuth option when it is available. It can be reauthorized with Reconnect OAuth without replacing the account.

If your administrator requires Custom SMTP, choose the Gmail preset and use a Google app password, not the mailbox's normal password. Configure an inbound method as well if Spacebrain must receive replies: the custom connection flow supports IMAP or a supported inbound webhook. Sending successfully over SMTP does not prove that inbound synchronization is working.

Connect another account

Open Email → Accounts and choose the connect action. Select the provider or connection method shown for your workspace. For OAuth, sign in to the exact mailbox or administrator-approved identity, review the requested access, and finish every provider screen. For manual mail settings, use provider-issued credentials and encryption settings rather than a personal password when supported.

Connection methods currently shown

• Google: connect a Gmail or Google Workspace mailbox through Google authorization.
• Custom SMTP: enter your own outbound server settings, then optionally configure IMAP for inbound synchronization. Provider presets fill server names and ports only; they do not supply credentials or grant provider access.
• Microsoft: Outlook and Microsoft 365 authorization is currently marked Coming soon and cannot be started from the connection picker.

An Outlook or Microsoft 365 mailbox may work through Custom SMTP and optional IMAP only when the tenant permits those protocols and you have an administrator-approved credential method. A Microsoft preset is not Microsoft OAuth. Provider policy can block password-based or legacy mail access even when the server values are correct.

Connection methods can change by rollout, so treat the picker shown in your workspace as the source of truth. For the authorization and removal model, see the connection lifecycle.

Verify the connection

After the account appears:

• Confirm the displayed address and sender name.
• Check inbound sync and sending status separately.
• Send a test to an internal mailbox and reply to it.
• Run Sync now if available and confirm the thread appears where expected.
• Inspect headers and spam placement in the destination mailbox.
• Set a default only if the account is appropriate for most sends in that workspace.

Account controls

Depending on the account, the list can allow you to enable or disable sending, synchronize now, set the default, reconnect OAuth, edit connection details, or disconnect.

Disabling sending is useful during investigation while preserving configuration. Reconnection refreshes authorization but cannot restore provider permissions removed by an administrator. Disconnecting can affect inbox sync, workflows, sequences, templates, and scheduled sends.

Shared and personal mailboxes

Prefer organization-managed accounts for durable workflows. If a personal mailbox is required, document the owner and offboarding plan. Verify whether the provider permits delegated or shared access and whether the connected identity has access to the displayed mailbox.

Troubleshoot an invalid account

1. Open the account and read the exact status.
2. Check the provider for lockout, password or policy changes, revoked app access, quota, or administrator restrictions.
3. Reconnect from the owning account.
4. Test sync and sending separately.
5. Inspect dependent automations before re-enabling sending.

Do not repeatedly reconnect with different provider users; that can obscure which identity owns the authorization. If messages still do not synchronize or send, continue with Inbox channel checks, templates and deliverability, and communication troubleshooting.

Gmail connection FAQ

Why doesn't Gmail appear under Connect Account?

Connection choices vary by workspace context and configuration. Verify the active workspace and your access, then ask a workspace administrator which method is enabled. Use the options actually shown in Connect Account; do not connect another user's Google identity as a workaround.

Does Connected mean Gmail inbox sync is healthy?

Not necessarily. Sending and inbound synchronization have separate controls and failure states. Check both, send an internal test, reply to it, and verify that the reply reaches the expected Inbox channel.

What should I check before disconnecting Gmail?

Identify any inbox routing, workflows, sequences, templates, or scheduled sends that use the account. If the issue is expired Google authorization, try Reconnect OAuth before disconnecting and recreating the account.