> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.yo-lead.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Email channel

> Understand email conversations, subjects, recipients, and current content limitations.

YoLead can use a connected email mailbox as a company channel. Incoming messages are received from the mailbox, and employees can start or continue email conversations from the YoLead UI and embedded iframe.

Email is exposed through the existing integration surfaces:

* webhook tickets use `channel.type: "email"`;
* webhook clients can include `email`;
* webhook and Public API history messages can include `subject` and attachment descriptors;
* the Embed outbound composer can start email conversations when `startOutboundChat` is enabled.

## Chats and recipients

An email chat is identified by the connected company mailbox and the client's normalized email address. The same client address in two connected company mailboxes creates two separate chats.

For an incoming message, YoLead uses a single valid `Reply-To` address as the client identity when one is present. Otherwise it uses the `From` address. The original `From` address remains available as the message `fromId`.

Starting an outbound email chat requires a recipient with an email identity. One message is sent to one recipient; multiple `To` recipients, CC, and BCC are not currently supported.

## Subjects and replies

A subject is optional when starting a new email chat. The maximum supported subject length is 998 characters.

When an employee replies in an existing email chat, YoLead preserves the subject of the latest message and links the reply to that message when its email message id is available. A subject supplied while replying does not replace the existing subject. If the previous message did not have a subject, the reply is sent without one.

The subject does not affect chat identity: messages between the same connected mailbox and client email address belong to the same chat and follow the normal ticket restore-period rules.

## Message content

Email messages support plain-text content, an optional subject, and metadata for ordinary attachments received through the Inbox or discovered through Sent-folder synchronization. Multiple attachments preserve their original MIME order. Inline or related MIME parts such as signatures, logos, and tracking pixels are excluded.

The following content is not currently available through YoLead's public integration surfaces:

* sending outbound attachments from YoLead;
* downloadable incoming email attachments;
* HTML message bodies as HTML;
* multiple recipients, CC, or BCC.

Incoming HTML is converted to text for the message body when needed. Webhook and Public API messages expose attachment descriptors, but the Public API does not provide an API-key-authenticated endpoint for downloading the underlying files. Attachment metadata is available only for messages processed after attachment support was enabled; existing messages are not backfilled. See [Message attachments](/concepts/message-attachments).

## Public integration fields

| Surface                                          | Email-specific data                                                                                             |
| ------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `GET /v1/tickets/{ticketId}/history`             | Optional `messages[].subject` and attachment descriptors                                                        |
| `ticket.created` and `message.incoming` webhooks | `ticket.channel.type: "email"`, optional `client.email`, optional `message.subject`, and attachment descriptors |
| Embed outbound composer                          | Email company channels, email recipients, and a subject for new chats                                           |

Email mailbox connection, authentication, and credential management are performed in the YoLead application. They are not part of the public `/v1` REST API.