Email Connections
Overview
Email connections allow IB-X Agents to connect to email servers and services for reading, processing, and sending emails from workflows.
IB-X supports the following email connection types:
| Connection | Description |
|---|---|
| IMAP | Connect to mail servers for reading and managing emails. |
| SMTP | Connect to mail servers for sending emails. |
| Outlook (Microsoft 365) | Connect to Microsoft 365 mailboxes using Azure AD application authentication. |
The connection type to use depends on the email provider and the operations required by the workflow.
IMAP
The IMAP connection is used to connect to mail servers for reading and managing emails.
Typical Use Cases
An IMAP connection can be used for operations such as:
- Reading incoming emails
- Processing email attachments
- Monitoring mail folders
The configuration required for the connection depends on the target mail server and its authentication requirements.
Ensure that IMAP access is enabled for the mailbox and that the configured credentials have the permissions required by the workflow.
SMTP
The SMTP connection is used to connect to mail servers for sending emails from IB-X workflows.
Typical Use Cases
An SMTP connection can be used for operations such as:
- Sending task notifications
- Sending alerts
- Sending emails from workflow activities
The configuration required for the connection depends on the target SMTP server and its authentication requirements.
Ensure that SMTP access is enabled for the configured account and that the mail server permits the required email-sending operations.
Outlook (Microsoft 365)
The Outlook (Microsoft 365) connection allows IB-X Agents to access Microsoft 365 mailboxes using Azure AD application authentication and Microsoft Graph.
Authentication
The connection uses application credentials configured through Microsoft Azure.
Connection Properties
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Client ID | Application (client) identifier of the registered Azure application. |
| Tenant ID | Identifier of the Microsoft Entra ID tenant associated with the application. |
| Client Secret | Client secret configured for the registered Azure application. |
The registered application must have the Microsoft Graph permissions required by the email operations performed by the workflow.
Additional Resources
Testing Email Connections
After configuring an email connection, click Test Connection, where available, to verify that IB-X can connect to the configured email service using the supplied configuration and credentials.
Testing the connection can help identify issues such as:
- Incorrect server configuration
- Invalid credentials
- Authentication failures
- Network connectivity problems
- Incorrect Microsoft 365 application configuration
A successful connection test confirms that IB-X can authenticate using the supplied configuration. Access to individual mailbox operations can still depend on the permissions assigned to the configured account or application.
Used By
Email connections can be used by IB-X workflow activities that interact with email services.
Depending on the connection type and workflow activity, these operations can include:
- Reading emails
- Processing incoming messages
- Accessing email attachments
- Monitoring mail folders
- Sending emails
- Sending workflow notifications and alerts
The available operations depend on the connection type, workflow activity, and permissions granted to the configured email account or application.
Security Considerations
When configuring email connections:
- Use credentials with only the permissions required by the Agent.
- Protect passwords, client secrets, and other authentication credentials from unauthorized access.
- Ensure that Microsoft 365 applications are granted only the Microsoft Graph permissions required by the intended operations.
- Rotate passwords and application secrets according to your organization's security policies.
For information about creating, editing, testing, cloning, deleting, and auditing connections, see Connections.