Zoho CRM provides a variety of emailing options that users can choose based on their requirements. One such option is the Zoho Mail Add-on. With Zoho Mail Add-on, you can configure your email client within Zoho CRM using either one of the two protocols - POP3, IMAP or by using Gmail API.

IMAP - It lets you work with emails without downloading them to the computer first. IMAP allows storing of emails on remote servers. This two-way protocol also allows synchronization of emails among multiple devices.

POP3 - POP downloads email to your computer and usually deletes the email from the remote server. This protocol does not allow the synchronization of emails among multiple devices. If you have more than one device where you read your mail, you could see read emails as unread with no indication of which you deleted, read or flagged. The folders you created on one device won't be replicated on the other devices.

GmailAPI - For Gmail users Gmail API is the best choice for authorized access to a user's Gmail data. This does not store any of the emails in third-party database providing more security and privacy to your emails.

Gmail users can get their emails within Zoho CRM using any of these methods.
One main difference is, by using the protocol POP3/IMAP emails are stored in Zoho CRM's database whereas the Gmail API does not store the emails in Zoho CRM's database. All the emails displayed within your account are directly called from the Gmail servers using APIs.

Only when MailMagnet is enabled, some details of the email are stored which included Mail ID (alphanumeric ID), From Address and Mail Received Time.

On setting up the Gmail account using Gmail API, you can:

• Send and receive emails.
• Contextually view the emails along with the contact details.
• Share the emails with other users of Zoho CRM.
• Segregate emails based on three categories in your Gmail account - Deals Closing This Month (CTM), Open Deals, and Customers.

Availability

Set up Gmail Account

To set up a Gmail account

1. In Zoho CRM, click Setup > Personal Settings > Email Settings > Gmail API.
2. Click Authenticate to get started.
3. In the pop-up, enter the Emailaddress and Password of your Gmail account and click SignIn.
4. In the pop-up, check the access details permission and click Access.
5. Select one of the Email Sharing Permissions.(Refer to the table below for details.)
   Based on the option selected, email corresponding to the contacts in your CRM account, will be accessible to other users.
6. Enable MailMagnet if you want to receive notifications of incoming emails from customers.
7. Enable Label your email in Mailbox, if required. This option will be available only when MailMagnet is enabled in the previous step.
   Three labels will be created in your Gmail account. Emails from contacts will be categorized under these labels based on criteria.
   • Deals Closing This Month (CTM) - Contacts who have at least one deals closing in the current month.
   • Open Deals - Contacts who have at least one deal in the pipeline. This does not include contacts with deals closing in the current month.
   • Customer- Contacts who have at least one deal closed and won. This does not include email that fall under the above two categories.
8. Click Save.