Emails
Package: BASIC
1. General
In the Emails module, all incoming and outgoing emails with customers and colleagues can be logged. This gives team members access to the communication history at any time, making it easier to track conversations and maintain customer relationships.
A sales employee sends a customer a quote by email. The email is automatically linked to the organization record and viewable in the Emails module for the entire team. When the customer replies, the reply is also saved when referenced and assigned to the history. This documents the entire communication without gaps.
After a customer conversation, a summary should be automatically sent the next morning at 8 a.m. Via the Delayed Send button, the desired time is configured. The email is saved as a draft and automatically sent at the defined time.
This section only describes special fields or functionalities of the module, as all general brainX functionalities are described elsewhere in the manual.
2. List View
The list view in the Emails module has the usual functionalities of a list view. For more detailed information, see the section Structure/Layout – List View.
In addition to the standard actions, special actions are also available in the list view.
2.1. Actions
In the list view, general actions are available. An overview and description of all general actions can be found in the section Actions (List View).
There are no module-specific actions in this module.
2.2. Special Actions
In the last column of the list view, the "Actions" icon ("three dots") is in each row.
After clicking, a flyout menu opens. In addition to the standard actions Edit, Delete and Subscribe, two further email-specific actions are available:
Flyout menu Actions
2.2.1. Preview
After clicking the "Preview" action, a popup opens with a preview of the email.
Email Preview popup
The following actions are available in the top right of the popup:
| Action | Functionality |
|---|---|
| Reply | Replies to the sender of the email |
| Reply All | Replies to the sender and all recipients in the To and CC fields |
| Forward | Forwards the message to recipients who are not in the From, To or CC fields |
2.2.2. Recipient List
After clicking the "Recipient List" action, a popup of the same name opens.
Recipient List popup
It displays Name, Email Address and Type (To, CC, BCC) of all recipients.
3. Detail View
For the Emails module, no custom layouts can be created in Global Settings – Module Management – Layout. However, the layout of the default view can be edited.
3.1. Fields
The following table describes fields with non-obvious functions. All other fields are self-explanatory.
Email Header Block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Bulk Email | Indicates whether the email was sent as a bulk email. With a bulk email, only ONE message is sent to all recipients; module-related placeholders from Email Templates are not replaced – see Section 4.2.3. |
| Status |
|
| Read Confirmation | Indicates whether a read confirmation was requested |
| Delayed Send | Indicates whether the email was sent with a delay – see Section 4.2.2. |
| Save Email in CRM | Can be deactivated to not save an email in brainX.
Example: When replying to an unreferenced email from the Email accounts module, unwanted saving can be avoided this way. |
3.2. Actions
The following actions are available in the detail view:
3.2.1. General Actions
- PDF Export
- Recipient List → Displays the recipient list in a popup – see Recipient List action
- Recommend
- Delete
- Change Tracking
For detailed information on the actions, see the section Actions (Detail View).
3.2.2. Module-Specific Actions
| Action | Requirement | Functionality |
|---|---|---|
| Add to History | – | Creates a reference to another email |
| New Email | Configured email inbox | Opens the email editor to create a new email |
| Reply | Configured email inbox | Replies to the sender of the email |
| Reply All | Configured email inbox | Replies to the sender and all recipients |
| Forward | Configured email inbox | Forwards the email to additional recipients |
| – | Opens the print dialog of the operating system |
4. Create/Send Email
A new email can be created in the following ways:
- Button "Create Email" in the list view of the Emails module
- Actions "New Email", "Reply", "Reply All" or "Forward" in the detail view of an email
- Button "New Message" in the Email accounts module
- Action "Create Email" in the Navigation Bar – "Create" Action
- Clicking an email address in a field of type "Email" in any module
After starting the creation, a popup with the email editor opens.
Email Creation popup
4.1. Functions During Creation
The following illustration shows the email creation popup with numbered functions described in the table below.
Email Creation popup
The following functions are available in the email creation popup:
| No. | Element | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Send | Sends the email |
| 2 | Add Attachments | Adds attachments to the email – see Section 4.2.1. |
| 3 | Delayed Send | Configures delayed sending – see Section 4.2.2. |
| 4 | Save as Draft | Saves the email as a draft in brainX |
| 5 | Priority | Marks the email with High priority |
| 6 | Responsible | Selection of the responsible user; default: logged-in user |
| 7 | Read Confirmation | Requests a read confirmation |
| 8 | Bulk Email | Marks the email as a bulk email – see Section 4.2.3. |
| 9 | Save Email in CRM | Determines whether the email is saved in brainX; default: is saved |
| 10 | Sender Inbox | Selection of the sender inbox |
| 11 | Email Template | Selection of a signature or template – see Section 4.2.4. |
| 12 | Close Popup | Closes the popup; asks whether the email should be saved as a draft |
| 13 | Recipient (To) | Input or selection of the recipient – see Section 4.2.5. |
| 14 | CC | Shows the input line for CC recipients |
| 15 | BCC | Shows the input line for BCC recipients |
| 16 | Find Recipients | Opens the "Add Recipients" popup to select multiple recipients |
| 17 | Subject | Input line for the subject of the email |
| 18 | Toolbar | Formatting tools for the email body |
| 19 | Email Body | Input area for the email content – see Section 4.2.6. |
| 20 | Send | Sends the email |
| 21 | Cancel | Aborts the creation and closes the popup; all inputs are lost |
4.2. Notes on Functions
4.2.1. Add Attachments
After clicking the "Add Attachments" button (icon "paperclip"), a flyout menu opens with the following options:
- Document → opens the Documents popup to select a file from the Documents module
In addition to documents, Wiki file attachments can also be added as an attachment to an email. They are inserted just like other attachments. - Upload File → opens the file explorer of the operating system to select a local file
Flyout menu Actions
4.2.2. Configure Delayed Send
For delayed sending, the background task "Delayed Send" must be active.
After clicking the "Delayed Send" button, a calendar popup opens to configure the date and time of sending.
Calendar popup
The email is saved in brainX and recognizable in the list view by the status "Delayed Send". The delayed send can be cancelled by deleting the email draft.
4.2.3. Bulk Email
With a bulk email, only ONE message is sent to all recipients. Module-related placeholders from Email Templates are not replaced.
Recipients in the To and CC fields can see the email addresses of all other recipients in these fields – this behavior corresponds to a normal email client.
If an email is not marked as a bulk email, each recipient receives a separate email. Only this ensures correct replacement of module-related placeholders from email templates. There is no distinction between To, CC and BCC – each of these recipients receives exactly one email, and the addresses from CC and BCC are transferred to the To field of the respective email.
4.2.4. Templates
When creating a new email, templates from the Templates module of type Email Template can be used. The functionality is described in detail in the section Email Templates.
4.2.5. Enter/Select Recipient
In the To input field, either an email address can be entered directly or a search can be used to select recipients from brainX. After clicking the input line, the search field opens.
Search input field
The search starts from the first character entered and shows matches from various modules – recognizable by the preceding module icon. By clicking a match, the email address is adopted.
4.2.6. Email Body
In the email body, text can be formatted using the toolbar. This offers functions for text formatting (font, size, lists, images, links, tables, etc.).
On mouseover of the "Email Body" area, the "Keyboard Shortcuts" icon is displayed in the bottom right.
Keyboard Shortcuts icon
After clicking, the "Keyboard Combinations" popup opens with all available keyboard shortcuts for block and text formatting and history.
Keyboard Combinations popup
5. Editing an Email
Saved emails can be opened in the list view via the "Edit" action icon or in the detail view via the "Edit" button.
For already sent or received emails, editing is restricted – only fields such as "Responsible" or custom fields can be changed.
Emails with the status "Saved" or "Delayed Send" can be fully edited. The available functions correspond to those for email creation – see Section 4.
6. Email Templates
In the email creation popup, the "Templates" button opens a flyout menu with the following options:
- Add Signature → inserts the signature stored in the Email accounts module into the creation view
- Load Template → opens the "Load Template" popup to select an Email Template
Flyout menu Actions
Load Template popup
After selecting a template, its content is transferred to the creation view.
7. Referencing Emails
A sent email is automatically referenced to every record that was added via the recipient selection popup. Further references can be added afterwards via the Relations Tab in the detail view.
The following modules are available for references:
- Leads
- Contacts
- Organizations
- Partner
- Deals
- Sales Orders
- Invoices
- Cancellations
- Tickets
- Projects
- Licenses
- Incoming Invoices
- Purchase Orders
- Documents
- Campaigns
- Vendors
- Wiki
- Appointments
- Tasks
- Products
- Delivery Notes
- Timesheets
- Website Visits
- Contingents
When emails are imported into brainX or sent from brainX and linked to contacts, they are automatically also linked to the main organization of these contacts.
A reference between two emails is created either automatically (when replying or forwarding), via the Relations Tab or via the action "Add to History" in the detail view.
Replying or forwarding an email from the Email accounts module does not result in an automatic reference to the original message of the inbox.
8. Global Settings
The global settings are almost identical to those of other standard modules. The only exception is the Layout Editor in Global Settings – Module Management:
- No custom layouts can be created for the Emails module.
- The layout of the default view can generally be edited, but for some blocks it is not possible to add or move fields. Some blocks cannot be hidden and some fields cannot be edited.
All other settings such as record visibility or permissions via Profiles can be made as usual.
9. Automation with Email Task
As the sender of an email task in an Automation, only inboxes for which the "Automation Allowed" toggle is active can be selected – see Email accounts.
Emails sent by an automation are in the "Sent Folder" of the sender inbox and are created as records. They are referenced to the recipients and the triggering record, provided this record supports references to emails.
If the configured sender inbox no longer exists at the time of sending, the email is saved as a draft. The administrator automatically receives a notification with a link to the draft.
10. Special Emails/Notifications
Some functions in brainX that send emails deviate from the usual behavior:
- Email File as Attachment → This action is available in the detail view of the Documents module. The email creation view opens and the document is already pre-selected as an attachment. The email is automatically linked to the recipients.
- Wiki Recommendation → When a wiki article is recommended, a bulk email is sent to all recipients. The email is not stored in the system but can be found in the outbox of the recommending person. A recommendation is only possible if the current user has a configured inbox.
- Email Notifications → For subscribed records with email notification enabled, brainX automatically sends a message to all subscribers when the record changes. This email is not stored in the system and not referenced. The same applies to notifications due to newly created comments.
11. Notes on Changing the Email Provider
When the email provider is changed, the following places in brainX must be considered:
- Global Settings – Company Information – Central Mail Server → The data of the new mail server must be entered.
- Module Email accounts → Every user with a configured inbox must set up the new inbox and delete the old one. It may be useful to temporarily operate both inboxes in parallel.
- Automations, that send emails → In all affected automations, a new inbox with the Automation Allowed toggle enabled must be stored as sender.
- Automation with Email Scanner → If the email scanner is used, the new inboxes must be configured, possibly temporarily in parallel with the old ones.
- Change of email addresses → Email addresses must be updated in the following places: My Settings, Email Templates, PDF Templates and Company Information.
12. Troubleshooting
Error message: Address in mailbox given [...] does not comply with RFC 2822, 3.6.2.
This message means that unauthorized characters are used in the user part of the email address (before the @ sign), e.g., ü, ö, ä or ß.
13. Practical Examples
1 – Documenting Communication History with a Customer Without Gaps
A sales employee conducts a multi-part email correspondence with a potential customer – from the first contact through the quote to the order confirmation. So that the entire history is traceable for the team, each email is linked in brainX with the corresponding contact, organization and deal record.
When sending an email directly from brainX, the recipients are selected from the system via the search function in the To field – the email is thereby automatically referenced to the corresponding records. Incoming replies are opened in the Email accounts module and also referenced via Link to Records. Via the Add to History action, replies can be subsequently linked to the original email so that the complete conversation history is visible in chronological order on the record.
2 – Preparing a Follow-up Email with Delayed Send
After a customer conversation on Friday afternoon, a structured conversation summary should be automatically sent on the following Monday at 8 a.m. – without the employee having to manually act on Monday morning.
The email is created on Friday, a suitable email template is loaded and the content is adjusted. Via the Delayed Send button, the date and time for automatic sending is configured. The email is saved as a draft with the status Delayed Send in brainX and automatically sent at the defined time as soon as the Delayed Send background task is executed. The employee receives a notification after successful sending.
3 – Serial Sending with Individual Placeholders to Multiple Recipients
The sales team wants to send a personalized follow-up email to 20 contacts after a trade fair – each recipient should receive their own, individually addressed email without the other recipients being visible.
An email template with placeholders for First Name, Last Name and Company is loaded into the email editor via Load Template. All 20 contacts are selected via Find Recipients in the Add Recipients popup. The Bulk Email toggle remains deactivated so that each recipient receives a separate, individually filled email and the placeholders are correctly replaced. After sending, all 20 emails are automatically referenced to the respective contact records.
14. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a bulk email and a normal email with multiple recipients?
With a bulk email, only a single message is sent to all recipients – all recipients in the To and CC fields can see the addresses of the others, and placeholders from email templates are not replaced. If the Bulk Email option is deactivated, each recipient receives a separate email with individually filled placeholders, and recipients do not see each other.
Can I subsequently link an email with additional records?
Yes. Subsequent references can be created via the Relations tab in the detail view of an email. A reference between two emails can additionally be created via the Add to History action in the detail view.
What happens to an email sent via automation if the sender inbox no longer exists?
If the configured sender inbox no longer exists at the time of sending, the email is saved as a draft. The administrator automatically receives a notification with a link to the draft so that the sending can be followed up manually.
Can I save an email in brainX without sending it?
Yes. Via the Save as Draft button in the email editor, the email is saved in brainX without sending. Drafts can be opened, edited and sent later at any time. Alternatively, the Save Email in CRM toggle can be deactivated if an email is explicitly not to be saved in brainX.
How can I proceed when changing the email provider?
When changing providers, several places in brainX must be updated: the central mail server in Global Settings, the inboxes in the Email accounts module, all automations with email sending, and if necessary email addresses in templates, PDF templates and company information. It is recommended to temporarily operate old and new inbox in parallel to ensure an uninterrupted transition.
Why do I receive the error message "does not comply with RFC 2822"?
This error message appears when unauthorized characters are used in the user part of an email address – i.e., before the @ sign – such as umlauts like ü, ö, ä or the special character ß. The affected email address must be corrected accordingly.