Can you import previous email messages against a contact?

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1

We’re bringing a client over from another CRM and they would like to keep all associated email messages synced from Outlook against the contact.

While I understand you need an open deal to sync new email messages from a users mailbox, the goal is to bring in past messages.

Are there any suggestions on how to achieve this via code or otherwise. Our current ideas are:

  • Write a script to iterate via a PST file to extract emails linked to a contact then post to AC via the API
  • Import the PST in Gmail and write a script using the Gmail API and AC API to search and post.
  • Hopefully a simpler solution exists!

Thanks,
Adam

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2

Hi @Adam,

ActiveCampaign doesn’t retroactively add emails from anywhere. This is a great idea though, so please be sure to submit it as an idea to our product team. I will also pass the idea on to the team as well.

Cheers,

Perry

3

Hi Perry,

I see, I thought that API method - message_add will allow us to add an email to the system - https://www.activecampaign.com/api/example.php?call=message_add. The description says: Add a new email message to the system. However this must mean a campaign email?

So then the only other option is to use the contact_note_add - https://www.activecampaign.com/api/example.php?call=contact_note_add and write a script to add past emails as notes. Would you agree?

Thanks,
Adam

4

Hi @Adam,

You are correct the API method, message_add is referring to a campaign email. To be more specific the message_add call is a way of adding your HTML message to ActiveCampaign.

I agree with you and would either use the contact_note_add or deal_note_add API method.

Hope this helps,

Perry

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5

Hey @Adam I feel your frustration, there should be no reason to need to import past emails, this is a standard feature of a 2 way IMAP sync. I have yet to see a CRM that doesnt offer this, I ended up buying a year Enterprise solution and overlooked this insanely basic feature. The issue is not even that you cant sync past emails, you cant sync any emails at the contact level. You can only sync emails once a Deal is created and even then you will only be able to sync emails sent after the deal was created. If I find a workaround I will let you know

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6

Hi @mexhome, any joy in finding a workaround?

7

Hello there! Currently, when syncing an email account we’ll attempt to sync emails previously exchanged with the contact.
Connect your email account to ActiveCampaign
The sync will bring over emails from the last 12 months maximum.

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ActiveCampaign Customer Experience Team.