Email channel

Every email sent to your support address (for example [email protected]) becomes a conversation in Conversations; your team replies from the panel, the reply reaches the customer by email and the customer's answer lands in the same conversation. The settings are in Admin Panel → Publishing → Email, on the Customer channel tab (the second tab of the same screen lists conversations waiting for a reply). This is also where you choose whether replies go out through SemAgent, from your own Gmail / Microsoft 365 account or from your own SMTP server.

How it works

1. You turn the channel on; SemAgent gives you a private forwarding address.
2. In your mail provider you forward the mail sent to your support address to it. Every new email becomes a conversation in Conversations. With Let AI reply off, each email waits for your team; with it on, the same AI that runs your chat widget answers and hands the conversation to your team when it can't.
3. Your team replies from the panel; the reply goes to the customer the way you chose. The reply's Reply-To address belongs to the conversation: when the customer answers, the thread continues in the same conversation.

Turning the channel on and forwarding

Switch the Channel on and grab the Forwarding address with Copy. Then forward the mail sent to your support address to it, from wherever your mail is managed. The Connect your support address section on the screen shows the same steps for your provider; its Step-by-step guide link opens the matching section of this page.

The channel card shows when the last email reached this address. If none ever has, the card says your forwarding rule isn't working yet; the most common cause is that your provider hasn't verified the destination address (the rule can look enabled in the list and still not forward).

Cloudflare Email Routing (recommended)

1. Open your domain in Cloudflare and, under Email › Email Routing › Destination addresses, add the forwarding address as a destination.
2. Cloudflare's verification email shows up as a new conversation in Conversations; open the verification link inside it.
3. Under Routing rules, create a rule for your support address: action Send to an email, destination the forwarding address.

A rule sends mail to a single destination. If the same mail should also reach another inbox, use an Email Worker that forwards to two verified destinations instead of a rule.

Gmail / Google Workspace

1. Settings › See all settings › Forwarding and POP/IMAP › Add a forwarding address: enter the forwarding address.
2. Gmail's confirmation email shows up as a new conversation in Conversations. Enter the confirmation code in Gmail or open the link. Until it's confirmed, the address can't be picked in filters.
3. To forward only support mail, go to Filters and Blocked Addresses › Create a new filter, put your support address in the To field and pick this address in the filter's forward option. Leave forwarding of all mail turned off.

If one Gmail account collects mail for several domains, you can set up a separate filter for each support address.

Outlook / Microsoft 365

1. Settings › Mail › Rules › Add new rule: set the condition to your support address and the action to Redirect to, then enter the forwarding address.
2. Choose Redirect to, not Forward to: Forward sends the email in your name and the customer's address is lost.

If your organization blocks automatic forwarding to outside addresses, your Microsoft 365 admin needs to allow it.

Other providers

1. Enter the forwarding address in your provider's forwarding or alias setting.
2. If a confirmation email arrives, it shows up in Conversations; confirm with the link inside it.

When you're done, send a test email to your support address from another address: it should show up in Conversations within seconds.

How replies are sent

The How should replies be sent? card offers four ways. Whichever you choose, the customer's answer lands in the same conversation; the way only decides which address and which server the reply leaves from.

Which one should I choose?

• Your mail is at Google (Gmail or Google Workspace): Gmail / Google Workspace. It's the easiest: no DNS records, and replies show up in your Sent folder.
• Your mail is at Microsoft 365 (Outlook with a work account): Microsoft 365.
• Your mail is at your hosting company (cPanel, Plesk, Yandex, Zoho and the like): SMTP server.
• You don't want any setup: stay with Through SemAgent; it works right away. Later you can add your own domain so replies go out from your own address, such as [email protected].

Way	When it's a good fit	What you need
Through SemAgent (default)	No setup. If you verify your own domain, replies go out from that address; otherwise from SemAgent's platform address with your company name.	Nothing. Three DNS records for your own domain.
Gmail / Google Workspace	Your mail is at Google: replies go out from your own account and land in your Sent folder.	Connecting with Google. No DNS records.
Microsoft 365	Your mail is at Microsoft 365: replies go out from your own mailbox.	Connecting with Microsoft. Admin approval if your organization restricts it.
SMTP server	You have your own mail server or your hosting company's.	Server name, port, username and password.

Which way is in use right now?

The coloured box at the top of the card tells you the way replies go out right now and the address they use: the Currently sending via: line names the way, the Replies are sent as: line shows the sender name and address. The same way's tab carries an In use label.

Box	What it means	What to do
Green · In use	Replies go out the way you chose.	Nothing.
Yellow · Needs reconnecting	The connection to the account or server you chose was lost (the permission expired, the password changed). No reply is lost: until it's fixed, replies go out through SemAgent.	Open that way's tab: press Reconnect for Gmail or Microsoft 365; for SMTP, fix the settings and press Save and use.
Red · Paused	Sending through SemAgent is paused for your account; replies aren't going out.	Send from your own account with Gmail, Microsoft 365 or SMTP; see If sending is paused.

To switch, open the tab you want. The line at the top of the tab says whether that way is in use; if it's ready, press Use this method next to it. Connecting Gmail or Microsoft 365, or saving SMTP with Save and use, selects that way automatically. The Step-by-step guide link on each tab opens the matching section of this page.

Through SemAgent, with your own domain

If you haven't added your own domain, replies go out from SemAgent's platform address with your company name (for example Kutu Mağaza <[email protected]>). To send replies from your own address, such as [email protected], you add three records to your domain's DNS. All you need is access to the panel where your domain's DNS is managed (Cloudflare, the company you bought the domain from, or your hosting company).

1. Add the address. On the Through SemAgent tab, enter your address in Add a sender address and press Add. A three-row DNS table appears under the domain.
2. Add the records to your DNS. Each row is one record. Copy the name and value with the copy buttons next to them; don't type them (the signature value is very long). Step-by-step Cloudflare instructions are below.
3. Verify. Press Verify now. The check takes a few minutes and the records show Waiting meanwhile. You don't need to keep the page open or keep pressing: after you add the domain, and after every press of Verify now, it's checked automatically every hour for 72 hours, and the domain shows “Checked automatically every hour (until …)”. Once all three records show Found, the domain is Verified and replies go out from this address: the box at the top of the card shows Your domain next to it.

Type	Name	What it's for
MX	send	Bounce notifications. The priority is the number in the table (usually 10).
TXT	send	SPF: says who may send from this subdomain (v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all).
TXT	resend._domainkey	DKIM: the long key that proves the reply was signed on your behalf (starts with p=).

The records only go on the send subdomain and the signature name. Don't touch your domain's existing MX and SPF records: your incoming mail isn't affected.

In Cloudflare, step by step

1. Open your domain at dash.cloudflare.com and go to DNS › Records in the left menu.
2. Add record › Type: MX · Name: send · Mail server: the value from the table · Priority: the number from the table · TTL: Auto › Save.
3. Add record › Type: TXT · Name: send · Content: v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all › Save.
4. Add record › Type: TXT · Name: resend._domainkey · Content: the long value from the table › Save.
5. Press Verify now in the panel.

Enter only the name from the table in the Name field; Cloudflare adds your domain at the end. MX and TXT records have no proxy (orange cloud) option, so there's nothing to set.

In another DNS panel (the company you bought the domain from, cPanel, Plesk) the fields may be named differently: Host or Record name instead of Name; Value, Content, Points to or Target instead of Value. These panels usually add your domain themselves too; enter send. If after saving the name contains your domain twice, like send.yourcompany.com.yourcompany.com, delete the record and add it again with just send.

Record status	What it means	What to do
Waiting	The record hasn't been seen yet, or the check is running.	Just wait: it's checked again automatically every hour. To see it sooner, press Verify now in a few minutes. A new record can take a few hours to reach everywhere.
Found	The record is right.	Nothing.
Not found	The record wasn't found, or its value differs from the table.	Compare the name and value with the table, fix them and press Verify now.
Temporary error	The record couldn't be read at that moment.	Press Verify now again in a few minutes.

• If you have several addresses, a reply is sent from the address the customer wrote to (when that address is verified), otherwise from the default one. You can add up to 3 domains and 10 addresses. Addresses at shared providers such as Gmail or Outlook can't be added: you need to manage the domain's DNS.
• A domain can be used by only one SemAgent account.
• Each verified domain gets its own sending key that can only send from that domain.
• If the records are removed later, that reply is sent again from the platform address and the domain goes back to Waiting for DNS; add the records back and verify again.

Connecting Gmail / Google Workspace

Replies go out from your Google account and land in your Sent folder; no DNS records are needed. Both personal Gmail (@gmail.com) and Google Workspace ([email protected]) accounts work.

1. Open the Gmail / Google Workspace tab and press Connect with Google. Google's page opens.
2. Pick the account. Choose the account replies should come from (for example [email protected]). If you're signed in with another account, press Use another account.
3. Allow access. The consent screen asks to let SemAgent send email on your behalf; it doesn't ask to read your mailbox. Press Continue.
4. You're back in the panel. The top of the screen says Your mailbox is connected; replies now go out from this account.; the box at the top of the card now names Gmail / Google Workspace and the tab shows your account next to Connected account:.
5. Try it. Reply to an email conversation in Conversations: the reply shows up in Gmail's Sent folder.

• For Google Workspace admins: if your organization restricts outside apps, Google says access is blocked. An admin can allow SemAgent in the Admin console, on the Manage Third-Party App Access page under Security › Access and data control › API controls.
• Google's daily sending limits apply. When you disconnect, the permission you gave is revoked too.
• If the tab shows Needs reconnecting (you changed your password or removed the permission in your Google account), press Reconnect on the tab; the steps are the same.

Connecting Microsoft 365

Replies go out from your Microsoft 365 mailbox and land in your Sent Items; no DNS records are needed. It works even if your organization has turned off password-based SMTP.

1. On the Microsoft 365 tab, press Connect with Microsoft.
2. Sign in with your work account (for example [email protected]).
3. On the permission screen, press Accept. Only permission to send email is requested.
4. You're back in the panel; the box at the top of the card now names Microsoft 365.

• If you see "Need admin approval": your organization leaves consent for outside apps to admins. Ask your Microsoft 365 admin to approve the request, then press Connect with Microsoft again.
• You can remove the permission at any time with Disconnect on the tab, or from your Microsoft account's apps page.
• If the tab says This connection isn't enabled on SemAgent's side yet. Contact our support team., this connection isn't switched on yet; contact our support team.

Your own SMTP server

If you have your own mail server or your hosting company's, replies go out from it. You'll find the details in the outgoing mail settings of your email app (Outlook, Thunderbird, your phone) or on your hosting company's help pages.

Field	What to enter
Server	The outgoing mail server; usually mail.yourcompany.com or smtp.yourcompany.com. Not an IP address.
Port	587 (STARTTLS) works on most servers; 465 if your server wants SSL. 2525 and 25 can also be picked.
Username	Usually the full email address (for example [email protected]).
Password	That mailbox's password. If two-step verification is on, the app password your provider gives you.
Sender address	The address replies go out from. Servers usually only allow sending from the address you signed in with.

1. Fill in the fields on the SMTP server tab.
2. Test connection: connects to the server, sets up the encrypted session and signs in; it doesn't send an email. You should see Connection works: we reached the server and signed in.
3. Save and use: the connection is tested again; if it works it's saved and replies start going out from this server. The box at the top of the card now names SMTP server.

• The password is stored encrypted and never shown again; when you change the settings, leave the password empty to keep the saved one.
• The connection is always encrypted: the password is never sent to a server without STARTTLS. IP addresses aren't accepted as the server name, and we only connect to servers on the public internet.
• Gmail and Microsoft 365 have turned off or discourage password-based SMTP; use their own tabs instead.
• So that mail from your own server doesn't land in spam, your domain's SPF and DKIM records must cover that server; hosting companies usually set these up for you.
• The connection can be tested at most 6 times a minute.

If sending is paused

Email sent through SemAgent shares one email reputation across all accounts. So if an account's emails bounce often or are marked as spam over the last 30 days, its sending through SemAgent is paused automatically; Sending through SemAgent is paused for your account appears at the top of the screen and the box at the top of the card turns red. The limit: with 20 or more sends, at least 3 bounces and a 4% rate; with fewer sends, 5 bounces; or 2 spam complaints.

• While it lasts, no reply goes out through SemAgent; Conversations shows Not sent: sending through SemAgent is paused under the message.
• You can keep sending from your own server with Gmail, Microsoft 365 or SMTP; the pause doesn't affect them.
• After checking your address list and typos, contact our support team to lift the pause.

Security and limits

• Emails whose sender can't be verified are flagged in Conversations: the address may be spoofed.
• Files customers attach are virus-scanned and can be downloaded once they're clean. Sending files from the panel isn't available in email conversations yet.
• To prevent abuse, at most 10 new conversations per sender per hour and 500 in total per day are opened. Bulk (newsletter) and bounced emails, and emails from senders you blocked, aren't accepted.
• The Gmail and Microsoft 365 refresh token and the SMTP password are stored encrypted; they never reach the panel or error messages. Details: Privacy Policy.
• Only people who can edit Widget Settings can change the Email channel screen (see Roles & Permissions).

Common errors

Error shown	What to do
Addresses on the SemAgent domain can't be added.	Addresses on SemAgent's own domain can't be senders; enter an address on your own domain.
Addresses at shared providers such as Gmail or Outlook can't be senders; enter an address on a domain whose DNS you manage.	To send from an address like gmail.com or outlook.com, use the Gmail or Microsoft 365 tab.
This domain is used by another SemAgent account. If the domain is yours, contact our support team.	If the domain is yours, contact our support team.
yourcompany.com isn't verified yet. The check can take a few minutes; the status updates by itself every hour.	Compare your records with the table; wait a few minutes and verify again.
Not found in the DNS table	Compare the name and value, fix a name that contains your domain twice, and verify again after 30 minutes (see your own domain).
Google: "Access blocked"	Your Google Workspace admin needs to allow SemAgent (see Connecting Gmail).
Microsoft: "Need admin approval"	Your Microsoft 365 admin needs to approve it (see Microsoft 365).
The connection couldn't be made. Make sure you approved the consent screen, then try again.	The consent screen may have been cancelled or another account picked; connect again and approve.
Wrong username or password (or the server doesn't allow password sign-in).	On most servers the username is the full email address; check the password and that the server allows SMTP sign-in.
The server doesn't support STARTTLS; unencrypted connections aren't used.	Try port 465 (SSL) or ask your hosting company about encrypted SMTP.
Check the server name (for example smtp.yourcompany.com); IP addresses aren't accepted.	Enter the server's name, not its IP address.
This server isn't on the public internet (local or private network address); we won't connect to it.	The server must be reachable from the internet; servers on an internal network can't be used.
The permission expired or was revoked; reconnect.	Press Reconnect on the tab.