The platform's email subsystem is bidirectional — it sends emails out (to users, customers, partners) and receives them in (to be processed automatically). The two directions are configured separately and have distinctly different uses.
Outgoing flow
Most email traffic from an ActiveManage install is outbound — the platform telling someone something. Common categories:
Transactional
Triggered by user actions or system events. Confirmation emails after a form submission, password reset links, account verification emails, order confirmations, shipping notifications. Should always be sent (the user is expecting them).
Notification
Triggered by workflow state changes. "Your request was approved", "A new message is waiting for you", "The deadline is tomorrow". Sent to relevant parties when the platform's logic decides they need to know about something.
Periodic
Scheduled. Weekly digest emails, monthly reports, end-of-month invoices. Driven by Tasks rather than user actions.
Marketing-style
Bulk emails to opted-in audiences. Promotional offers, product updates, newsletters. Subject to anti-spam regulations (CAN-SPAM, GDPR).
Incoming flow
Inbound emails can trigger workflows in the platform. Common use cases:
Auto-creating tickets from a support email address
Customer emails support@; the platform creates a new support ticket with the email's subject, body, and attachments. The reference number is included in the auto-reply so further emails can be threaded.
Threading replies into existing records
Customer replies to a notification email; the platform extracts the reference number from the subject and appends the reply to the original ticket/order/case.
Processing structured emails from automated senders
An external system sends emails with specific subjects and structured bodies; the platform parses them and creates corresponding rows.
Triggering tasks from email commands
Authorised senders email admin@ with commands like "close ticket 1234"; the platform parses and acts.
Configuration differences
Outbound
Requires:
- SMTP credentials (or Microsoft Graph credentials, or a Relay Client).
- From-address configured with SPF/DKIM/DMARC for the domain.
- Templates for each type of message.
- Optional: E-mail Designs for branded wrappers.
Inbound
Requires:
- IMAP credentials (or POP3, or Microsoft Graph).
- An E-mail Inbox configuration with polling schedule.
- Processing rules that match patterns and define actions.
- Optional: a Task to handle complex post-processing.
Three real-world bidirectional setups
Example 1: Customer support flow
Outbound: confirmation, status update, resolution emails from noreply@. Inbound: support@ creates tickets; replies thread by reference number.
Example 2: Order management
Outbound: order confirmation, shipping notification, delivery confirmation, review request. Inbound: orders@ from suppliers acknowledging dispatch — auto-updates internal order status.
Example 3: Lead capture
Outbound: welcome emails, lead nurturing sequence. Inbound: hello@ creates lead records and forwards to the sales team.
