Email Integration

[Nomartkd]

Hey guys. I am trying to find a way to email customers and have them email me back and it all through the app.

So basically I want to press the "send email" button and it takes me to a form or something and I can type out my email and then send it from the user email. This email would then get logged in the customers activity. This is the part I can manage.

Additionally I would like it to detect the responses back from the customer within the user email and log then the same way within the customer's activity profile as another line. 

Is this possible without adding zapper or anything?

[Steve]

AppSheet doesn't have this capability built-in.

[WillowMobileSys]

Look at using embedded app view email (aka dynamic email)

[Nomartkd]

I have the embedded app view within Gmail down. But I'm trying to achieve the opposite. I want the view info from Gmail within appsheet.

[SkrOYC]

I don't get it.

You want them to answer a normal email from a normal email client which are not part of your app's users list and add their response into AppSheet?

[Nomartkd]

Well yeah kind of, but I figured if there was a way to integrate Gmail with it, since they are on the same platform, then maybe it's possible. It doesn't have to be outlook or anything. Just something so I don't actually have to leave the app to view emails in and out from a particular customer.

[Jonathon]

This is possible but would require scripts to download email content to your database. The setup will vary depending on your email provider - if you're on gmail you would need to use the Google Cloud mail API for real-time notifications.

Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's worth doing. Appsheet is great for sending emails but it would make for a terrible email client.

[Nomartkd]

Right. This is just for use within the CRM that I built. I would just like salespeople to be able to do a simple email out and see their emails in from a specific customer with their profile. I also would like to see what is being sent and receive to and from my salespeople. That is the ultimate goal. So it doesn't have to function outrageously well, it just has to function on a basic level. Advanced emails can still be done with their regular work email. 

[dbaum]

I've not tried it, but it seems like this ought to be possible using the Apps Script Gmail Service. As @Jonathon noted, you'd need to solution for how you detect replies to bring that content into the app. Besides the realtime API he mentioned, you could consider scheduled automations in AppSheet or scheduled triggers in Apps Script.

[Nomartkd]

@dbaum , @Jonathon , do you guys think it would just be easier to use zapier, or cloudhq to import the emails from the Gmail account into a google sheet and just have appsheet find these and import them into the customer profile?

[Nomartkd]

If I do it that way, then is there a way to get the compose email screen from Gmail to pop up and have the customer info prefilled when I click the send email button?

[dbaum]

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@Nomartkd wrote:

is there a way to get the compose email screen from Gmail to pop up and have the customer info prefilled

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From your AppSheet app, try creating a URL using the mailto protocol. That should open the default email client on the device or whatever local or server email app is configured as the browser's default, which can be Gmail at least for Chrome.

[dbaum]

I don't know, and don't have experience with "zapier, or cloudhq". I wouldn't hesitate to try Apps Script.

[WillowMobileSys]

Catching up.  I understand you want to capture email content, sent and received,  and display it within AppSheet in an automated way.  

AS @Jonathon has said it is possible.  I have used Integromat (i believe it's now called Make) to do just that.  since you already have the outgoing portion covered then its just the incoming part you need to grab.  You would need to setup the capture process, by whatever tool you decide to use, to inspect the physical email inbox of the recipient of the returns emails.  If there could be more than one recipient, you would need to set it up for each one.  Then it's just a matter grabbing the pieces of the captured email and inserting it into the proper sheet locations.

However, I still don't understand why the dynamic email approach wouldn't be sufficient.  The whole idea is to give non-users a way to interact with the app through detached embedded app views - such as a Form.  The idea here is that you provide them the Form to give their response/information and it is inserted directly into the app - no extra collection process needed.  AND you can guide the user in the responses.  Now, I only know the concept.  I have yet to build anything to use it.