Email Setup - Turn Email into a ChatMaxima Channel

Overview

The Email channel turns an email address into a shared, ticket-style channel so customer emails land in the same inbox as your chats. You add the address, verify it, set up forwarding to a ChatMaxima address, and optionally add DNS records for reliable sending. This guide follows the actual connect flow in the dashboard.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• The email address you want to connect
• Access to that mailbox to confirm verification
• Access to your domain DNS settings (for best sending deliverability)

Step 1: Open the Email Channel

1. Go to Settings > Channels in the dashboard
2. Select Email

Step 2: Add the Email Account

Fill in the fields:

Field	Description
Email Account Friendly Name	A label that identifies this account
Email	The email address you want to integrate
Forwarding Email	The ChatMaxima address to forward mail to, shown as your-alias@mailservice.chatmaxima.com

Click Submit. A verification email is sent to the address you entered.

Step 3: Verify the Address

1. Open the verification email sent to your address
2. Click the link to verify the account
3. Once verification succeeds, the email account is integrated

Note: If the verification email does not arrive, open the Email account and click Resend Verification Link.

Step 4: Set Up Forwarding

Forward incoming mail from your provider to the Forwarding Email address ChatMaxima shows (for example your-alias@mailservice.chatmaxima.com). The dashboard includes step-by-step forwarding guides for:

• Gmail (Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings)
• Outlook.com (Forwarding and IMAP settings)
• Yahoo (Mailboxes settings)
• Microsoft 365 (Admin Center mail forwarding)
• Other providers (generic forwarding rule)

Follow the guide for your provider to add the ChatMaxima forwarding address.

Step 5: Add DNS Records for Deliverability

Once the account is active, add the recommended DNS records to your domain so outbound replies are authenticated and not marked as spam:

Record	Purpose
MX	Routes mail for authentication
TXT (SPF)	Authorizes sending servers
TXT (DKIM)	Signs messages so they are not tampered with
DMARC	Tells receivers how to handle failed checks

Add the exact records shown in the dashboard, then click Check Status to confirm verification.

Note: DNS changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate. Both MX and TXT records are required for proper email authentication. Without them, emails may be marked as spam or rejected.

Troubleshooting

Verification email not received

1. Check your spam or junk folder
2. Click Resend Verification Link in the Email account
3. Confirm the address was entered correctly

Incoming emails not appearing

1. Confirm forwarding is enabled and points to the exact ChatMaxima address
2. Verify the account status shows as active
3. Re-check the forwarding steps for your provider

DNS shows "Pending" or "Failed"

1. Confirm each record's Type, Name/Host, and Value match the dashboard exactly
2. Wait for propagation, then click Check Status again
3. Make sure both MX and TXT records are present

Next Steps

• Connect SMS →
• Set up ticketing →
• Back to all channels →