Set up email: let your AI answer your emails

What it does

• Your AI replies to each customer email in the same email thread, with your business name on it. Replies are sent through Frontivo.io's mail server.
• When the customer writes back, their reply lands in the same conversation in your Inbox.
• It answers questions, books appointments (it uses the email address they wrote from and asks for their name and phone number), takes messages and brings in your team when needed.
• Your team can take over any email conversation from the Inbox. Your reply goes out as an email in the same thread.
• Your AI can also email customers during chats, texts, social messages and calls, for example their booking details. See Let your AI email customers below.

Before you start

• Email is included in the Growth and Email Only plans, and in the free trial. It isn't part of Starter or the other single-channel plans. To add it, upgrade on Plan & Billing.
• You need to be able to change the settings of your business mailbox (for example info@yourbusiness.com). Someone else looks after it? The Email page can email them the steps (see Send the steps to someone else).
• Use a computer for the forwarding steps. Most email apps on phones can't set up forwarding.

Step 1: Copy your AI's email address

1. 1Click Integrations in the menu, under Setup, then click the Email tile (under Channels). Email has no menu item of its own.
2. 2On its card, click Set up email. The Email page opens.
3. 3Click Copy next to Your AI's email address. You'll paste it into your email settings in step 2.

The address is made from your business name, for example bright-smile-dental@in.frontivo.io. Your AI's replies come from it, with your business name on them.

At the top of the page, the status says Not set up yet until forwarding works. After your test in step 3, it says Working.

Don't see an address? The page says email is being switched on for your account, and the address shows up shortly. If it doesn't, email support@frontivo.io.

Step 2: Forward your business email to your AI

1. 1On the Email page, check the box called The email address your customers write to. It should show your business address, for example info@yourbusiness.com. If it's empty or wrong, type it in.
2. 2Click Find my steps. The page works out which email service you use and shows its steps, with the exact buttons to click.
3. 3Click the Open button above the steps, for example Open Gmail forwarding settings. Your email settings open in a new tab. Sign in if you're asked.
4. 4Follow the numbered steps on the Email page, one at a time. Your AI's address is shown in them, ready to paste.
5. 5Choose to keep a copy of each email in your own mailbox, so you still see every email.
6. 6Save the change in your email settings.

The page has steps for Gmail, Google Workspace, Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, Hostinger, Zoho, GoDaddy, iCloud, Yahoo and any other email service. Not the right one? Click your email service in the list on the page.

Using Gmail or Google Workspace? Gmail sends your AI a confirmation request. When it's for the address you typed on the Email page (or your account's email), Frontivo.io confirms it for you, usually within a minute. The page then says Gmail forwarding was confirmed automatically, so there's no code to type.

Otherwise, the page shows the code and the Gmail address that asked for it (Gmail sent a code, with a Copy code button), and it's also in your notifications (the bell at the top) as Gmail forwarding code. Check it's your own Gmail address, then type the code into the box in Gmail and click Verify.

Other services, like Zoho, GoDaddy, Hostinger or Yahoo, may also send your AI a confirmation. Within a minute it shows on the Email page and in your notifications: a code (with a Copy code button) or a link (click Open the confirmation link).

Prefer to read the steps here? They're below for Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365, Hostinger and cPanel, Zoho, GoDaddy, iCloud and Yahoo and others.

Step 3: Check it works

1. 1Go back to the Email page in Frontivo.io.
2. 2Click Send a test email. Frontivo.io sends a short test email to the address you typed in step 2.
3. 3Keep the page open while it waits. It checks every few seconds, for up to 3 minutes.

When the test email comes through your forwarding, the page says Forwarding works and the status at the top changes to Working. You're done!

The test email also lands in your own mailbox, and you can delete it. Your AI doesn't reply to it, and it doesn't show in your Inbox.

Didn't come through? The page lists the most likely reasons for your email service. Fix the one that fits, then click Send another test email. There's more help in Troubleshooting below.

Want to see a real reply too? From your personal email, send a question like "What are your opening hours?" to your business address. Your AI's reply arrives within about a minute, and the conversation shows in your Inbox (choose Email in the All channels menu). Test chats in the Channel tester don't send real emails.

No reply after 2 minutes? Look in your Spam or Junk folder. Your AI's first emails to a new address sometimes land there. Mark the reply Not spam and later ones arrive in the inbox.

Send the steps to someone else

Does someone else look after your email, like your IT person or web designer? Send them everything they need from the Email page.

1. 1Click Find my steps first, so they get the steps for your email service.
2. 2Under Need someone else to do this?, type their email address in the Their email box.
3. 3Click Send them the steps.

They get an email with your AI's email address and the exact steps. They don't need a Frontivo.io login. When they're done, come back and click Send a test email.

Gmail or Google Workspace: step by step

Shortcut: Open Gmail forwarding settings on the Email page opens the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab for you, so you can start at step 4.

1. 1Open Gmail on a computer and sign in to the email address your customers write to. Forwarding can't be set up in the Gmail phone app.
2. 2Click the gear icon at the top right, then See all settings.
3. 3Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. 4Click Add a forwarding address.
5. 5Paste your AI's email address and click Next.
6. 6Click Proceed, then OK. Gmail sends a confirmation to your AI.
7. 7Wait about a minute while Frontivo.io confirms it with Gmail for you.
8. 8Reload the Gmail settings page and open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab again.
9. 9Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and pick your AI's address.
10. 10Choose keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox in the box next to it.
11. 11Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Gmail still asks for a code after you reload? The code is on the Email page (Gmail sent a code) and in your notifications (the bell at the top) as Gmail forwarding code. Type it into Gmail, click Verify, then do steps 9 to 11.

Signed in to more than one Google account? Check that the account at the top right is your business one before you change anything.

That's it. Every new email (except spam) still lands in your Gmail inbox, and a copy goes to your AI. For about a week Gmail shows a reminder that forwarding is on. That's normal.

Outlook.com, Hotmail or Microsoft 365: step by step

Shortcut: Open Outlook forwarding settings on the Email page opens the forwarding settings for you, so you can start at step 4.

1. 1Sign in on a computer to the email address your customers write to: outlook.office.com for Microsoft 365, or outlook.com for Outlook.com and Hotmail.
2. 2Click Settings (the gear icon) at the top right.
3. 3Click Mail, then Forwarding. On Outlook.com it may be called Forwarding and IMAP, and Outlook may ask you to sign in again.
4. 4Turn on Enable forwarding.
5. 5Paste your AI's email address as the address to forward to.
6. 6Tick Keep a copy of forwarded messages, so you still get every email.
7. 7Click Save.

Many Microsoft 365 accounts block forwarding to outside addresses until an admin allows it. Send a test email to check. If it's blocked, see Troubleshooting below.

No Forwarding option, or a shared mailbox like info@? Your Microsoft 365 admin can set it up in the Microsoft 365 admin center: Users > Active users > the mailbox > Mail > Manage email forwarding.

Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy? Turn on outside forwarding in GoDaddy first: in the Email & Office Dashboard (productivity.godaddy.com), click Email Forwarding, then Forwarding Status, and turn on the switch under your domain. Then do the steps above.

Hostinger or cPanel: step by step

Shortcut: Open Hostinger email settings on the Email page opens Hostinger's Emails page for you, so you can start at step 2.

1. 1Sign in to Hostinger and open Emails.
2. 2Click your domain (the part after the @ in your business email).
3. 3Click Forwarders in the menu on the left.
4. 4Click Create a forwarder.
5. 5Pick the mailbox your customers write to, for example info@yourbusiness.com.
6. 6Paste your AI's email address as the address to forward to.
7. 7Leave Save copies of forwarded emails turned on, so you still get every email.
8. 8Click Create.

If Hostinger emails your AI a confirmation, it shows on the Email page and in your Frontivo.io notifications (the bell at the top) within a minute. Click Open the confirmation link and follow its steps to finish. If the forwarder already shows as active, there's nothing more to do.

Using cPanel? Open Email > Forwarders and click Add Forwarder. Type the part before the @ in Address to Forward, pick your Domain, choose Forward to Email Address, paste your AI's address and click Add Forwarder. cPanel keeps a copy in your mailbox for you.

Zoho Mail: step by step

1. 1Sign in to Zoho Mail on a computer.
2. 2Click the Settings gear at the top right.
3. 3Click Mail Accounts.
4. 4Click the email address your customers write to.
5. 5Scroll to Forwards, paste your AI's email address and press Enter.
6. 6Wait about a minute. Zoho sends your AI a confirmation code, and it appears on the Email page and in your Frontivo.io notifications (the bell at the top).
7. 7Back in Zoho, click Verify next to your AI's address.
8. 8Type the code and click Confirm.
9. 9Check that the switch next to your AI's address is on.
10. 10Leave Delete original email copy after forwarding unticked, so you keep every email.

Don't see Forwards? Zoho's free plan doesn't include forwarding. Upgrade to a paid Zoho Mail plan, or ask your Zoho admin to turn it on for you.

GoDaddy: step by step

These steps are for GoDaddy's Professional Email. If you read your email at outlook.office.com, it's Microsoft 365: use the Outlook and Microsoft 365 steps instead.

1. 1Go to email.godaddy.com and sign in with your business email address and its password (not your GoDaddy account password).
2. 2Click Settings (the gear icon) at the top right, then Preferences.
3. 3Click Forwarding on the left.
4. 4Click Add next to Forward emails out.
5. 5Paste your AI's email address under Forward emails to.
6. 6Choose to keep a copy of incoming email in your inbox, then click Next.
7. 7Wait about a minute. GoDaddy sends your AI a confirmation code, and it appears on the Email page and in your Frontivo.io notifications (the bell at the top).
8. 8Type the code into GoDaddy and click Start forwarding.

Don't see Forward emails out? Forwarding to outside addresses needs the Pro Plus, Premium or Ultra Professional Email plan. Upgrade in your GoDaddy account.

iCloud Mail: step by step

1. 1Go to icloud.com/mail on a computer and sign in with your Apple Account.
2. 2Click the Settings button at the top of the mailbox list, then click Settings.
3. 3Click Mail Forwarding.
4. 4Tick Forward my email to.
5. 5Paste your AI's email address into the box.
6. 6Leave Delete messages after forwarding unticked, so you keep every email.
7. 7Close the settings window (click Done if you see it).

Yahoo and other email services

• Yahoo Mail: free Yahoo Mail can't forward emails automatically. Yahoo Mail Plus can, though not in every country: click More options > Settings > Mailboxes, click your address, paste your AI's address under Auto-forwarding and click Verify. Yahoo then emails a confirmation to your AI, and it shows on the Email page and in your Frontivo.io notifications: click Open the confirmation link to finish.
• Free Yahoo Mail: put your AI's email address on your website's contact page and in your email signature instead. Your AI answers emails sent there 24/7.
• Any other email service: sign in where you manage your business email and look for Forwarders, Forwarding or Auto forward. The steps are almost always the same: add your AI's email address, keep a copy in your own mailbox, and save.
• If your email service sends your AI a confirmation code or link, it appears on the Email page and in your Frontivo.io notifications (the bell at the top) within a minute.
• Can only forward with a rule or filter? Make it send all incoming email to your AI's address. If it lets you choose Redirect or Forward, pick Redirect, so your AI sees who really sent each email and replies to them.

Your email service has no forwarding option? Email support@frontivo.io and we'll help you find another way.

Turn AI email replies on or off

1. 1Click Integrations in the menu, then click the Email tile (under Channels).
2. 2On its card, click Manage email (or Set up email).
3. 3Use the AI replies to emails switch.

Takes about 1 minute. When it's off, emails still arrive in your Inbox, but the AI doesn't reply. Your team can answer them from the Inbox.

Get a copy of each AI reply in your own mailbox

Want to see what your AI said without opening Frontivo.io? Have each reply copied to your own mailbox, right next to the customer's email.

1. 1Click Integrations in the menu, then click the Email tile (under Channels).
2. 2On its card, click Manage email (or Set up email).
3. 3Turn on Send me a copy of each AI reply. The switch shows which address the copies go to.

Takes about 1 minute. Copies go to the address your email is forwarded from (for example info@yourbusiness.com), so each reply sits in the same thread as the customer's email.

Your customer doesn't see the copy. It's off until you turn it on.

Each copy counts as one more email sent, so leave it off if you don't need it.

Add your logo and contact details to your emails

Choose the name customers see on your emails, and add your logo, phone number, website and address under each message.

1. 1Click Integrations in the menu, then click the Email tile (under Channels).
2. 2On its card, click Edit how emails look. (Or open the Email page and click Edit on How your emails look.)
3. 3Under Sender name, pick how your name shows in your customer's inbox: your business name, your AI's name with your business (for example "Audrey at Bright Smile Dental"), or your business name with "Team".
4. 4Under Logo, click Choose logo, or Use my logo from Settings if you added one under Settings > Profile.
5. 5Tick the details to show under each message: Phone, Website and Address. They come from Settings > Profile, so change them there.
6. 6Add a short Tagline if you like, for example "Licensed and insured since 2005". Web addresses aren't allowed in it - tick Website instead.
7. 7Check the Preview, then click Save.

Takes about 2 minutes. Your next emails use it: your AI's replies, your team's replies from the Inbox, and emails your AI sends during chats and calls.

Your team's replies always go out under your business name, even when you pick your AI's name.

The logo shows small, under your message. Some email apps (Outlook, for example) hide pictures until the customer clicks to show them; your details still show as text.

Until you save it here, your emails look exactly as before: your business name, no logo.

The small line at the bottom saying your AI is an AI receptionist always stays, so customers know who they're talking to.

The small round picture next to your name in a customer's inbox (for example in Gmail) isn't part of the email, so it can't be set here: the customer's email app picks it. Gmail shows one when the sending address belongs to a Google account with a profile photo, or when the sending domain has a brand logo with a paid certificate (BIMI). Your AI's replies come from your AI's own address, so customers see a letter there. Sending from your own email address, so your own Google Workspace or Gmail photo can show, is on our roadmap.

Let your AI email customers

1. 1Click AI receptionist in the menu, then the What it can do tab.
2. 2Turn on Email customers.
3. 3Click Save changes.

Now, when a customer asks during a chat, text, WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger message, or a call, your AI emails them their booking details, prices, directions or a summary.

It only emails the customer's own address. On calls, it reads the address back and waits for a yes before sending. It sends at most 3 emails per conversation.

Every email it sends shows in the conversation as AI emailed the customer, with the address and subject.

When Email customers is off, the AI shares the details in the conversation instead. Test chats in the Channel tester don't really send emails.

What your AI won't answer

• Newsletters and mailing lists.
• Automatic replies, like out-of-office messages.
• Bounced emails ("message not delivered").
• Emails from "no-reply" addresses.
• Emails that look forged. These are saved in your Inbox for your team, without an AI reply.
• Forwarding confirmation emails from your email service (like Gmail's code) and Frontivo.io test emails. These never show in your Inbox.

Your AI can't open attachments. They stay in your own mailbox, so check there for files customers send.

Each email conversation counts once toward your plan's chat, social and email conversations, however many emails go back and forth.