Using Gmail API

Zoho CRM provides a variety of emailing options that users can choose based on their requirements.  One such option is the Zoho Mail Add-on. With Zoho Mail Add-on, you can configure your email client within Zoho CRM using either one of the two protocols - POP3, IMAP or by using Gmail API.

IMAP - It lets you work with emails without downloading them to the computer first. IMAP allows storing of emails on remote servers. This two-way protocol also allows synchronization of emails among multiple devices.

POP3 - POP downloads email to your computer and usually deletes the email from the remote server. This protocol does not allow the synchronization of emails among multiple devices. If you have more than one device where you read your mail, you could see read emails as unread with no indication of which you deleted, read or flagged. The folders you created on one device won't be replicated on the other devices.

Gmail API - For Gmail users Gmail API is the best choice for authorized access to a user's Gmail data. This does not store any of the emails in third-party database providing more security and privacy to your emails.

Gmail users can get their emails within Zoho CRM using any of these methods.
One main difference is, by using the protocol POP3/IMAP emails are stored in Zoho CRM's database whereas the Gmail API does not store the emails in Zoho CRM's database. All the emails displayed within your account are directly called from the Gmail servers using APIs.

Only when MailMagnet is enabled, some details of the email are stored which included Mail ID (alphanumeric ID), From Address and Mail Received Time.

On setting up the Gmail account using Gmail API, you can:

• Send and receive emails.
• Contextually view the emails along with the contact details.
• Share the emails with other users of Zoho CRM.
• Segregate emails based on three categories in your Gmail account - Potentials Closing This Month (CTM), Open Potentials, and Customers.

Availability

Set up Gmail Account

To set up a Gmail account

1. In Zoho CRM, click Setup > Personal Settings > Email Settings > Gmail API.
2. Click Authenticate to get started.
3. In the pop-up, enter the Email address and Password of your Gmail account and click Sign In.
4. In the pop-up, check the access details permission and click Access.
5. Select one of the Email Sharing Permissions.(Refer to the table below for details.)
   Based on the option selected, email corresponding to the contacts in your CRM account, will be accessible to other users.
6. Enable MailMagnet if you want to receive notifications of incoming emails from customers.
7. Enable Label your email in Mailbox, if required. This option will be available only when MailMagnet is enabled in the previous step.
   Three labels will be created in your Gmail account. Emails from contacts will be categorized under these labels based on criteria.
   
   • Potentials Closing This Month (CTM) - Contacts who have at least one potential closing in the current month.
   • Open Potentials - Contacts who have at least one potential in the pipeline. This does not include contacts with potentials closing in the current month.
   • Customer- Contacts who have at least one potential closed and won. This does not include email that fall under the above two categories.
8. Click Save.

Email Sharing Permissions

Private - Do not share Emails with colleagues	In this option, your Email account configured inside Zoho CRM is private. Other users cannot view Emails received from your leads and contacts. Who can use this option? CEOs and other Top Management team can use this option to keep their communication with customers confidential What can you do? You can view others Emails that are public You can reply to others Email Other users cannot view your sent Emails from Zoho Mail Others cannot view your received Emails
Custom - Share Emails from the selected leads and contacts	In this option, users can share the Emails received from the selected leads and contacts. So other users can view your Emails from the selected customer records. Who can use this option? Sales Reps and Managers directly responsible for day-to-day customer interaction can use this option. What can you do? You can view others Emails that are public You can reply to others Emails Other users can view your sent Emails from Zoho Mail Other users can view your received Emails
Public - Share Emails from all leads and contacts	In this option, users can share the Emails received from all leads and contacts. Other users can view your received Emails from the all customer records. Since Emails from all the records are shared globally, you cannot view the Share Email check box in Lead or Contact page. Who can use this option? Sales Reps and Managers directly responsible for day-to-day customer interaction can use this option. What can you do? You can view others Emails that are public You can reply to others Email Other users can view your sent Emails from Zoho Mail Other users can view your received Emails How can I restrict sharing of Emails from colleagues and specific customer domains? You can restrict viewing of Emails from your company Email domains and specific customer domains by excluding the required Email domains. With this option, you can only view the Emails received from these excluded domains like personal account. Please note, in this option emails received from other Email domains are globally shared with all users in your Zoho CRM account. Why there is no default for a "Complete Sharing" option? To protect the privacy of Email conversation with customer. For example, John, newly joined sales manager in your organization adds CEO’s Email ID as a contact in CRM. Now Adam, another Sales manager can view the conversation between John and CEO, which is not allowed in a real-time scenario.