Connect iCloud, Yahoo, Zoho or any IMAP inbox

IMAP lets Gennai read inboxes that aren't Gmail or Outlook, such as iCloud Mail, Yahoo Mail, Zoho Mail, Fastmail or your company's own email server. You connect it with your email address and a password. Once it's connected, Gennai checks it for new invoices on its own.

Before you start

iCloud, Yahoo, Zoho and Fastmail don't accept your regular password in other apps. Create an app-specific password in the security settings of your account and use it in Gennai. When you choose iCloud, Yahoo or Zoho, Gennai shows a Generate password link to the right page.

On Zoho, IMAP access must also be turned on in your account. The free Zoho Mail plan doesn't include it.

Connect your inbox

1. In Gennai, open Inboxes.
2. Click Connect inbox and choose IMAP. If you have no inboxes yet, click the IMAP card.
3. Choose your provider: iCloud, Yahoo, Zoho, Fastmail or Other.
4. Enter your email address and your password. For iCloud, Yahoo, Zoho and Fastmail, use the app-specific password.
5. If you chose Other, also enter your provider's IMAP host, for example imap.example.com. Leave the port at 993.
6. Click Connect.

Gennai checks the details with your provider before saving them. When they're correct, the window closes and the inbox appears in Inboxes. From then on, Gennai checks it for new invoices automatically.

Providers

With Other, Gennai signs in with your full email address as the username and connects securely.

What Gennai reads

• Invoices, receipts and credit notes attached to your emails as PDF files, in all your folders except Sent, Drafts, Junk, Trash and other system folders. Archive folders are read too.
• Invoices written in the body of emails that arrive in your Inbox.
• Only the emails you receive. Emails you send are not read.

Password-protected PDFs and attachments larger than 30 MB can't be read.

What Gennai does with your inbox

Gennai can:

• Read your emails to find invoices.
• Keep a copy of each invoice in your Gennai account.

Gennai never:

• Sends, deletes or moves your emails.
• Marks your emails as read.

Your password is stored encrypted. To disconnect the inbox, open Inboxes, open the menu (⋮) next to it, click Disconnect and confirm. Gennai deletes the password and stops reading the inbox. The invoices already in Gennai stay where they are.

Inboxes per plan

Gmail, Outlook and IMAP inboxes all count towards the same limit. When you reach it, the Connect inbox button is greyed out.

Troubleshooting

"Requires an app-specific password" or "Zoho rejected the login"

Your provider didn't accept the password. Create an app-specific password in your account's security settings, using the Go to security settings link in the message, and enter it in Gennai. On Zoho, enter it without spaces and check that IMAP is turned on.

"Invalid credentials"

Check the email address and the password. If both are right, your provider may only accept an app-specific password in other apps: create one in its security settings.

Gennai can't connect to the server

If you see "Could not connect to this IMAP server", "Connection timed out", "Connection refused", "SSL certificate error" or "Connection failed", check the IMAP host and the port. Use your provider's IMAP host, which usually starts with imap., not the address of your website, and port 993. Gennai can't connect to a server that only works inside your company's network.

The inbox says "Needs reconnection"

Your provider stopped accepting the password, for example after you changed it. Connect the inbox again with the new password: open Inboxes, click Connect inbox and choose IMAP. Choose the same provider as before (with Other, enter the same IMAP host), then enter the same email address and the new password. Gennai updates the inbox you already have, and your invoices stay where they are. The same works if the inbox says "Paused after repeated errors".

If Connect inbox is greyed out, contact support and we'll help you reconnect it.

An invoice I expected is missing

See An invoice is missing.