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Mailboxes

Mailboxes allow Helpdesk MX to automatically receive customer emails and convert them into support tickets. They also enable the system to send professional, branded email replies directly from your support address - ensuring every customer interaction stays consistent and organized.

What is a Mailbox?​

A mailbox is a connection to your support email account (like [email protected]). Once configured, Helpdesk MX will:

  • Automatically check for new emails
  • Convert each email into a support ticket
  • Track customer conversations with unique ticket codes
  • Send your replies back through email

Types of Mailboxes​

Helpdesk MX supports several ways to connect your mailbox:

Mailbox Provided by Helpdesk MX​

This is the easiest way to get started. You receive a unique Helpdesk MX mailbox address (for example [email protected]).

You can:

  • Use this address directly as your public support email.
  • Or set up a redirect from your existing email (like [email protected]) to this Helpdesk mailbox. For example, in Gmail or Outlook you can configure redirecting so all incoming messages are automatically sent to your Helpdesk address.

This way, all your customer emails instantly appear as tickets in Helpdesk MX.

Gmail via IMAP​

If you prefer to use your existing Gmail mailbox, connect it directly using IMAP. Helpdesk MX will securely fetch messages from your Gmail account and send replies through your Gmail SMTP.

Advantages:

  • Easy way to connect Gmail account, as it requires just your email and app password.
  • Emails stay synchronized with your Gmail account.
  • You can use your familiar email address (no redirecting needed).

Other Email Providers via IMAP or POP3​

You can connect nearly anythird-party mailbox using IMAP or POP3.

Just provide:

  • Incoming server (IMAP/POP3)
  • Outgoing server (SMTP)
  • Login credentials and encryption details (SSL/TLS)

This method is flexible and works with most mail provider.

Email Provider Setup​

To connect your support email to Helpdesk MX, you need to configure IMAP or POP3 settings for incoming emails and SMTP settings for outgoing emails. The process is similar for all email providers:

Steps to Configure Your Mailbox​

  1. Ensure IMAP or POP3 is enabled in your email account settings.
  2. Obtain your mailbox credentials: username, password.
Note

Most modern email providers require using an App Password to connect third-party apps like Helpdesk MX. In most cases you need to generate and use an App Password.

  1. Configure incoming email settings:
  • Host: your mail server (e.g., imap.gmail.com or mail.yourdomain.com)
  • Port: 993 for IMAP (SSL) or 995 for POP3
  • Protocol: IMAP or POP3
  • Encryption: SSL/TLS
  • Username: [email protected]
  • Password: App Password
  1. Configure outgoing email settings via SMTP (see below).

To send outgoing emails (your team’s replies to customers), configure SMTP settings. This ensures all messages are delivered securely through your email provider while keeping a consistent sender identity.

  • SMTP Host: outgoing mail server address (e.g., smtp.gmail.com)
  • SMTP Port: typically 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
  • SMTP Username: your email account username
  • SMTP Password: App Password used for authentication
  • SMTP Encryption: choose between TLS or SSL
  • SMTP Authentication Method: usually LOGIN
  • Sender Email Address: email address shown as sender
  • Sender Display Name: friendly name displayed to recipients

Multiple Mailboxes​

You can configure multiple mailboxes for different purposes and automatically assign tickets to corresponding department, for example:

How Email-to-Ticket Works​

New Customer Email​

When a customer sends a new email to your support address:

  1. Helpdesk MX fetches the email
  2. Creates a new ticket with a unique code (e.g., ABC-123-45678)
  3. The ticket code is added to the email subject
  4. You see the ticket in the ticket grid

Customer Reply​

When a customer replies to a ticket email:

  1. Helpdesk MX fetches the email from your mailbox
  2. Adds the reply to the existing ticket conversation
  3. Notifies the assigned team member
  4. Keeps all messages in one thread

Your Team's Reply​

When you reply to a ticket in Helpdesk MX:

  1. Your message is sent via email to the customer
  2. The ticket code stays in the subject line
  3. Customer can reply directly to the email
  4. Their reply is automatically added to the ticket

Mailbox Status​

Active Mailboxes​

When a mailbox is Active:

  • Helpdesk MX checks for new emails at the configured frequency
  • New emails are automatically converted to tickets
  • Email notifications are sent to customers

Inactive Mailboxes​

When a mailbox is Inactive:

  • No emails are fetched
  • Configuration is saved for later use
  • Can be reactivated anytime