Configuring email communication channel

To configure email communication channel there are two types of authentication

Basic Authentication

To setup basic authentication all we need is :-

• IMAP URL

  • Gmail - imaps://%s:%s@imap.gmail.com/INBOX

  • Outlook - imaps://%s:%s@outlook.office365.com/INBOX

• Port number (IMAP with SSL/TSL is assigned to port number 993)

• Username (email address)

• Password (Login / Application password)

How to setup communication channel with basic authentication.

Click on the “Create communication channel” button, select communication channel type "Email," add a name, code, default inbox, and SLA.

Click on “Next step”, and then add basic authentication details

At last, click on "Finish." The system will start polling emails from the email account in 2 minutes.

OAuth2.0

OAuth authentication is different from basic authentication, and for that, some configuration needs to be done in the respected cloud platforms, for example, Outlook → Azure.

Outlook account

To start using an Outlook email account, a one-time configuration needs to be done first in Azure.

For Outlook OAuth, we require the following field values:-

• Tenant (Realm / Directory Id)

• Client Id (Application Id)

• Client secrets

• Username(username can be any email address that you want the system to listen to new incoming emails).

Step-by-step guide to configure Azure account

Register Application

1. Login to your organizations Azure account.

2. Select Azure Active Directory in the left-hand navigation, then select App registrations under Manage.

3. Select New registration. On the Register an application page, set the values as follows.

   • Set Name to a friendly name for your app.

   • Set Supported account types to the choice that makes sense for your scenario.

   • For Redirect URI, set the value that is shown in the MXTS Communication Channel page.

     • Redirect URI - https://<concern-code>.maxxton.net/customercare/en-us/azure-oauth-callback.html

4. Choose Register. On the next page, copy the values of the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID and save them, you will need them later.

Copy the values of the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID and save them,

API Permission

Once the app is registered, then provide the API permissions that are required: -

1. Select API Permissions in the left-hand navigations under Mange.

2. Click on ➕ Add a permission , and then click on tab APIs my organization uses.

3. Search for API name Office 365 Exchange Online.

4. On the screen you will see two buttons on the screen Delegated Permissions and Application Permissions for the above API.

5. Select Application Permissions.

6. Under the Application Permissions search for the IMAP permission and select IMAP.AccessAsApp permission.

7. At last click on Add permissions.

8. Also grant the Microsoft Graph → User.read permission (this is the default permission added everytime).

Make sure the below permissions are added:-

• https://graph.microsoft.com/User.Read (To read the user basic detail like email)

• https://ps.outlook.com/IMAP.AccessAsApp (To read the user emails from outlook)

Generate client secrets

Once the API permissions are added to the registered application, it's time to generate the client secrets.

1. Select Certificates & secrets in the left-hand navigations under Mange.

2. Click on ➕ New client secret.

3. Add a meaningful description to the secrets, and select expiration time (it is recommended to set expiration time as 6 months).

4. Click on Add.

Copy the client secret values, which will be in the Values column, and save them; you will need them later.

Once Register Application, API Permission and Generate client secrets all three of this steps are completed you can start setting up outlook account in the communication channel.

Step-by-step guide to configure communication channel

TODO

References

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/client-developer/legacy-protocols/how-to-authenticate-an-imap-pop-smtp-application-by-using-oauth