Learn how to use SmartSuite's When an Email is Received trigger for Outlook to automate workflows based on incoming emails from your Microsoft Outlook account.
Plan Availability | All plan types |
Permissions | Administrators and Solution Managers can create and manage automations. |
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What is a Trigger?
An automation trigger is the "switch" that starts an automation based on specific conditions.
Here’s how it works:
When something happens (Trigger), and
These conditions are met,
Then this event occurs (Action).
The When an Email is Received trigger for Outlook lets you automate actions in SmartSuite whenever an email arrives in your inbox that meets defined conditions.
How to Set Up the Outlook Trigger
Prerequisites
To configure this trigger, you need:
An Outlook Account: Authorize SmartSuite to access your Outlook inbox and messages.
Click Add new Microsoft Outlook Credential to log in to your account and grant permissions.
A Folder (Optional): Specify a folder in Outlook to move emails matching your conditions. Note: The folder must already exist.
Conditions: Define one or more conditions that the email must meet to activate the trigger. Examples include:
Subject contains specific text.
Email is from a particular sender.
Note: When setting multiple conditions:
AND: All conditions must be true to activate the trigger.
OR: The trigger activates if any condition is true.
Permissions Required
Solution Manager or Administrator role is needed to configure this automation.
Accessing the Automations Interface
Step 1: Open the Automations Configuration Interface
Click the Automations option in the Solution drop-down menu.
Click Add Automation to create a new automation.
Step 2: Select the Outlook Trigger
From the Integrations section of the Add Trigger list, select Outlook.
Choose the When an Email is Received trigger.
Configuring the Outlook Trigger
Step 1: Connect Your Outlook Account
If you haven’t connected your account before, log in to your Outlook account when prompted.
Existing integrations will display a note about pre-configured access.
Complete the authentication process to grant SmartSuite access to your Outlook inbox.
Step 2: Define Trigger Details
Specify the folder you want the trigger to monitor.
Filter conditions include:
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Troubleshooting Permissions Issues
If you encounter permissions issues:
Delete the existing Outlook credential from the automation.
Add the credential again and reauthorize access.
Tip: If the issue persists, contact SmartSuite support via Intercom or email at support@smartsuite.com.
Practical Scenarios and Use Cases
1. Customer Inquiry Management
Scenario: A customer support team wants to automate ticket creation for incoming inquiries.
Solution: Use the When an Email is Received trigger to automatically create a new support ticket whenever an email is sent to the support inbox.
2. Lead Assignment
Scenario: Sales teams want to assign incoming leads to specific representatives based on the email content.
Solution: Set up conditions to check the email’s subject or sender and assign the lead to the appropriate team member.
3. Event Registration Notifications
Scenario: The marketing team wants to track event registrations received via email.
Solution: Configure the trigger to move emails with registration details to a dedicated folder and notify team members.