Manage your email connections

Overview of your connected inboxes: status, sync, reconnection and security best practices.

Your connected inboxes feed your Inquiries: every email received in a mailbox linked to Joinways is synced there, so all your inquiries land in one place. If a connection breaks, the flow stops silently — and an inquiry can slip through. This page centralizes the status of your inboxes and helps you keep them healthy.

This article explains how to read a connection's status, reconnect an interrupted inbox, and apply security best practices, so you never miss an incoming inquiry.

Prerequisites

Before managing your connections, meet the following conditions.

Have at least one mailbox (Gmail, Outlook or another source).
Have access to the Settings then Email connections page.
Know the credentials or OAuth access for the inbox to connect.
Depending on your plan, the number of connectable inboxes may vary.

What you'll learn

See the status of your connections.
Reconnect an interrupted inbox.
Understand how the sync works.
Apply security best practices.

Check your connections

The Email connections page lists each linked inbox with its status. A regular glance is enough to catch a broken connection before it costs you an inquiry.

Go to Settings then Email connections: your inboxes list appears.
Review each inbox status (active, needs reconnection).
Reconnect those that need it.
Once reconnected, the inbox resumes syncing and the status returns to active.

Reconnect an inbox

An inbox marked "needs reconnection" has lost its access authorization, most often after a password change or a session expiry. Reconnecting restores access without losing any of your history.

Find the inbox with the "needs reconnection" status in the list.
Start the reconnection and follow your provider's authentication (Gmail, Outlook).
Confirm the permissions: syncing resumes automatically.

Reference: the connection states

Here are the states an inbox can show, each with a one-line meaning.

Active: the inbox is connected and syncing normally — no action required.
Needs reconnection: access was interrupted — restart the connection to resume syncing.

Reference: a connection's elements

Each connection shows a few key pieces of information to identify and track it.

Email address: the identity of the connected inbox.
Source: the inbox provider (Gmail, Outlook or another).
Status: the state of the connection (active or needs reconnection).
Sync: the routing of received emails into your Inquiries.

These elements let you tell at a glance which inbox is working and which one needs your attention.

How it works

When you connect an inbox, Joinways gains authorization to read incoming emails and syncs them into your Inquiries in real time. As long as the authorization stays valid, the status shows "active." If access is revoked — a password change, an expired session, an authorization removed on the provider side — syncing stops and the status switches to "needs reconnection." Reconnecting simply re-grants the authorization, without losing your history or already-received inquiries.

Edge cases

Password change: it can break the connection; simply reconnect the inbox.
Unused inbox: disconnect it to reduce the access surface and keep a clean list.
Multiple sources: depending on your plan, you can combine Gmail, Outlook and other inboxes.

💡 Good to know: a password change on your email can interrupt the connection; simply reconnect the inbox.

Best practices

Check your connections after any password change.
Disconnect inboxes you no longer use.
Prefer OAuth for security: access stays revocable without sharing your password.
Glance at the page regularly to catch an inbox to reconnect before it causes trouble.

Troubleshooting

Problem: inquiries stopped arriving. Cause: a connection switched to needs reconnection. Solution: check the status of the relevant connection and reconnect it if needed.

Problem: the inbox keeps reverting to needs reconnection. Cause: password changes or provider security. Solution: prefer an OAuth connection, more stable than credentials.

Problem: I can't add another inbox. Cause: a limit tied to your plan. Solution: check the number of allowed inboxes or disconnect an unused one.

Real-world example

A manager changes his Gmail password on a Monday morning. In the afternoon, he notices no inquiry has arrived. He opens Email connections, sees the inbox marked "needs reconnection," restarts the connection in 30 seconds and instantly gets his inquiry flow back.

Another example

A team uses two inboxes: a "contact" Gmail and an "events" Outlook. A former sales rep leaves; they disconnect the inbox he managed to keep only active sources, and verify the two remaining ones still show the active status.

FAQ

Can I connect several inboxes at once?

Yes, depending on your plan, combine Gmail, Outlook and other sources.

What does the "needs reconnection" status mean?

That access was interrupted and syncing is paused until you reconnect.

Will I lose my old inquiries by reconnecting?

No, reconnecting restores access without touching your history.

Why prefer OAuth?

Because it avoids sharing your password and stays revocable at any time on the provider side.

What happens if I disconnect an inbox?

Its new emails are no longer synced, but inquiries already received stay in Inquiries.

How often should I check the page?

After any password change, and periodically, to catch an inbox needing reconnection early.