Connect your email account
MailDesk supports multiple email providers and connection methods.
Choose the guide that matches your email provider and follow the steps carefully.
Each setup guide explains both the connection flow and the required server configuration.
What these guides cover
Each setup guide explains:
what you need before you start
how to configure incoming and outgoing mail servers
how authorization works (OAuth or credentials)
how to fetch folders and start synchronization
what behavior to expect after syncing
common issues and how to fix them
⚠️ MailDesk requires explicit configuration — it does not auto-detect mailbox settings.
Important: Odoo server confirmation is required
Connecting via OAuth or credentials only grants access.
MailDesk will not fetch emails until the Incoming Mail Server is Confirmed in Odoo.
To verify: open Odoo search and type Incoming Mail Servers → open the server → click Test & Confirm.
Status must become Confirmed and Last Fetch Date must update.
Gmail (Google & Google Workspace)
Recommended if you use:
Gmail
Google Workspace
How it works
Secure OAuth 2.0 authentication
Gmail OAuth (Gmail API) — recommended
Gmail via IMAP (App Password) — supported fallback (when OAuth is blocked)
Fast incremental sync
Gmail labels mapped to folders
✔ No password stored
✔ Access can be revoked at any time
Incoming and outgoing servers are created via OAuth and must be verified.
Outlook / Microsoft 365
Recommended if you use:
Outlook.com
Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online
How it works
Secure OAuth 2.0 authentication
Microsoft Graph API
Reliable delta synchronization
Native Outlook folder structure
✔ No password stored
✔ Enterprise-ready authentication
Requires Microsoft Azure App registration and permission consent.
IMAP (other email providers)
Recommended for:
Custom domains
Hosting providers
Providers without OAuth support
How it works
Standard IMAP for incoming mail
SMTP for sending
Username + password or app password
⚠️ For Gmail and Outlook, OAuth is usually faster and more secure than IMAP.
Which option should I choose?
Use this rule of thumb:
Gmail → OAuth guide (recommended)
Gmail → IMAP guide (only if OAuth not possible; needs App Password)
Outlook / Microsoft 365 → Outlook setup (OAuth)
Everything else → IMAP setup
If you’re unsure, start with the provider you use most often.
What happens after connection? (important)
After you connect an account and fetch folders:
Synchronization starts per folder
Newest emails are fetched first
Older emails are loaded progressively (backfill)
Full email bodies are fetched when you open a message
⏳ Large mailboxes take time to fully synchronize
⚠️ Short delays are normal and expected
Next steps
After connecting your account:
→ Fetch folders and select which folders to sync
→ Send and receive a test email
→ Explore Daily use
→ Add more mailboxes if needed
Tip
Avoid connecting many mailboxes at once.
Verify one account completely (servers, folders, sync) before continuing.
Account Settings & Customization
In addition to connection settings, MailDesk allows you to customize the following on every account:
Email Signature
You can set a separate HTML Signature for each MailDesk account. This signature will be automatically appended to all emails you compose or reply to from this mailbox.
Max Email & Attachment Size
While MailDesk does not impose its own hard limits on email size, your Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) usually has a maximum allowed size for emails and attachments (typically 25MB or 35MB). If your email exceeds this limit, the server will reject it.