Gmail Channel Integration

Overview

The Gmail Channel integration allows your agent to communicate with users via Gmail. Your AI assistant can receive emails from clients, respond to their inquiries, and send attachments, creating a seamless communication experience through Gmail.

Features

Receive emails from clients and process them through your AI assistant; send automated responses with your assistant's intelligence; support for email attachments (images, documents, etc.); configurable reply delay to make conversations feel more natural; integration with the email notifications system.

Setup process

1. Gmail account configuration: create or use an existing Gmail account; ensure it has the necessary permissions for API access; note the Gmail address, you'll need it during integration.

2. Connecting the Gmail channel: go to the Channels tab, select the agent, find Gmail in the list, click Connect, enter the Gmail Address you want to use, click Connect Gmail, then complete Google's authentication and grant the necessary permissions. After successful authentication you'll be redirected back to MyChatBot.

3. Gmail channel settings: Connect assistant to this channel (toggle to enable/disable); Reply Delay (seconds before responding, default 30, adjustable for a more natural flow).

How it works

Receiving emails: when a client emails your address, the system auto-detects it and extracts the sender's email (used as client identifier), subject, body (text or HTML), and any attachments; the message is processed by your assistant per its instructions.

Sending replies: the system composes an email with your assistant's response; links to images or files are automatically attached; the email is sent with appropriate formatting and attachments; all communication is tracked in your dashboard.

Email metadata: each processed email contains Subject, From (sender), To (recipients), and Attachments (list of filenames, if any).

Best practices

Ensure your assistant introduces itself in the first reply; maintain a consistent tone; program it to properly acknowledge attachments clients send; consider adding a signature for professionalism. Example instructions to include in your agent:

When responding to emails:
1. Start with a greeting appropriate for the time of day
2. Address the sender by name if available
3. Be concise but comprehensive in your responses
4. Sign off with your assistant name
5. Include relevant contact information in your signature

For emails with attachments:
1. Acknowledge receipt of the attachment
2. Reference the attachment in your response when relevant
3. If sending attachments, clearly mention what you're attaching

For handling follow-ups:
1. Reference previous email exchanges when appropriate
2. Maintain context throughout the email thread

Troubleshooting & support

Gmail not receiving: check the channel is enabled, that authentication hasn't expired, and whether emails are being filtered to spam. Attachment problems: ensure attachments don't exceed Gmail's 25MB limit, use supported file types, and check for account restrictions. Authentication errors: re-authenticate through Google, confirm all permissions were granted, and verify third-party access isn't blocked.

If issues persist, contact support at support@mychatbot.app and include specific error messages and configuration details for faster resolution.