> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.dash.fi/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connected mailboxes

> Connect a Gmail or Microsoft 365 mailbox so vendor invoices sent to your normal work inbox become draft bills in Dash.fi automatically.

The Bill Pay **email connector** links a Gmail or Microsoft 365 mailbox directly to Dash.fi. Once connected, Dash.fi scans the mailbox for invoice-like emails, reads each attachment, and creates a draft bill — no forwarding required.

<Note>
  The email connector is rolling out behind the `emailConnectorEnabled` feature flag and requires the Bill Pay product. If you don't see **Email** in Settings → Integrations, contact [support@dash.fi](mailto:support@dash.fi) to enable it.
</Note>

## Email inbox vs. connected mailbox

Bill Pay has two ways to turn emailed invoices into draft bills. Both create the same kind of draft bill and share the [Create a bill](/bill-pay/create-a-bill) review flow — pick whichever matches how invoices already reach your team.

|                         | [Email inbox](/bill-pay/email-inbox)                                     | Connected mailbox                                                                |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **How it works**        | Users forward invoices to a dedicated `<slug>@invoices.dash.fi` address. | Dash.fi reads a real Gmail or Microsoft 365 mailbox with read-only OAuth access. |
| **Best for**            | Teams already used to forwarding invoices to a shared inbox.             | Vendor invoices that arrive at a normal work inbox (e.g. `ap@yourco.com`).       |
| **Setup**               | Bill Pay → **Email inbox** → Create inbox.                               | Settings → Integrations → **Email** → Connect a mailbox.                         |
| **Sender restrictions** | Only users in your customer, SPF-authenticated.                          | Any sender — the mailbox owner controls that.                                    |

You can use both at the same time.

## Connect a mailbox

You need the **email-connection: write** permission to connect a mailbox (Administrator, Accountant, or Bookkeeper).

1. Go to **Settings → Integrations → Email**.
2. Click **Connect a mailbox**.
3. Pick a provider — **Google** or **Microsoft 365**.
4. Pick what to import:
   * **Bill-like emails only** — Dash.fi scans for invoice-like emails. Best for a personal inbox that also receives non-invoice mail.
   * **All emails with attachments** — every email with an attachment is scanned. Best for a dedicated AP mailbox.
5. Click **Connect** and complete the OAuth flow with your provider. Dash.fi requests read-only mailbox access — we never see your password.

You're returned to the Email settings page and a **Mailbox connected** confirmation appears. New invoices arriving in the mailbox will show up in **Bill Pay → Drafts** as they're ingested.

<Warning>
  The ingest mode is fixed when you connect. To change it, disconnect the mailbox and connect it again.
</Warning>

## The connection card

Each connected mailbox appears as a card on the Email integration page. The card shows the address, the provider, the ingest mode (for example, "Google · Bill-like emails"), a status pill, and sync health.

### Status

| Pill                   | Meaning                                                                                                                  |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Active**             | The connection is valid and Dash.fi is scanning the mailbox.                                                             |
| **Reconnect required** | The provider revoked the grant (password change, permission removed, admin action). Click **Reconnect** to re-authorise. |
| **Disconnected**       | The mailbox is no longer scanned.                                                                                        |

### Sync health

The line under the address describes the most recent scan:

| Line                       | Meaning                                                                             |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Last synced X ago**      | The last scan finished successfully.                                                |
| **Checking now…**          | A scan is in flight.                                                                |
| **Last sync failed X ago** | The last scan errored. The connection is still valid — click **Sync now** to retry. |
| **Awaiting first sync**    | The mailbox was just connected.                                                     |

### Actions

* **Sync now** — trigger an immediate scan. New drafts appear in **Bill Pay → Drafts** as they're processed.
* **Reconnect** — restart the OAuth flow for a mailbox in **Reconnect required**.
* **Disconnect** — stop scanning and revoke Dash.fi's access. Existing draft bills are kept. Available on any connection.

Sync, reconnect, and disconnect all require **email-connection: write**.

## Review received emails

Open **Received emails** on the Email settings page to see an audit log of every email the connector ingested across all of your connected mailboxes, newest first. Filter by mailbox or by status. Each row shows the source mailbox, when the email arrived, its status, and the attachments.

<Note>
  For vendor privacy, Dash.fi does not record the email's sender or subject line — a row is identified by its source mailbox, receipt time, and the attachment file names.
</Note>

### Email status

| Status        | Meaning                                                                                            |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Received**  | Dash.fi is still processing the email. Refresh shortly.                                            |
| **Processed** | Dash.fi scanned the email and handled any qualifying attachments.                                  |
| **Filtered**  | The email didn't qualify for import; see the filter reason.                                        |
| **Failed**    | Processing errored unexpectedly. Contact [support@dash.fi](mailto:support@dash.fi) if it persists. |

### Filter reasons

| Reason             | What happened                                                                        |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `noRealAttachment` | The email had no attachments other than inline signature images.                     |
| `noKeywordMatch`   | Ingest mode is **Bill-like emails only** and this email didn't look like an invoice. |
| `selfSent`         | The email was sent from the connected mailbox itself.                                |
| `notInbox`         | The email lives in a folder Dash.fi doesn't scan (Sent, Drafts, Trash, etc.).        |

### Attachment outcomes

Each attachment carries its own status:

| Status         | Meaning                                                                                       |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Importing**  | The attachment is being parsed into a draft bill.                                             |
| **Imported**   | A draft bill was created — click **View bill** to open it.                                    |
| **Skipped**    | The attachment was unsupported, unreadable, or oversized — see the skip reason.               |
| **Duplicated** | The same attachment already imported as another live bill; the row links to it.               |
| **Released**   | The bill this attachment became was deleted. The content can be re-imported on the next scan. |
| **Failed**     | Import errored unexpectedly.                                                                  |

## Role-based access

The `email-connection` resource controls who can manage connected mailboxes.

| Role              | Access       |
| ----------------- | ------------ |
| Administrator     | Read + write |
| Accountant        | Read + write |
| Bookkeeper        | Read + write |
| IT Admin          | Read only    |
| Employee, Manager | Read only    |

Read access lets someone see the Email settings page and the received-emails log. You need write access to connect, reconnect, disconnect, or trigger a sync. See [User roles](/account/user-roles) for the full permission matrix.

## Related

* [Email inbox](/bill-pay/email-inbox) — the forward-to-Dash.fi alternative
* [Create a bill](/bill-pay/create-a-bill) — review and submit the draft bills produced by the connector
* [Manage bills](/bill-pay/manage-bills) — find drafts created from connected mailboxes
* [User roles](/account/user-roles) — full permission reference