Overview
This article provides solutions and best practices for common issues partners experience when configuring and using connected email inboxes in Conversations.
Below, you will find a list of common issues and how to troubleshoot them:
Spinning Button When Testing
Issue: After connecting and configuring an email account, I am performing a forwarding test, but the button remains in a spinning state.
Solution: The spinning button indicates our system is awaiting the forwarded email. If it persists, there might be a configuration issue.
Review your email client's policies regarding forwarding to external/remote domains. There may be policies/rules preventing Element451 from receiving the test email. Navigate to your email client settings to double-check your configuration and investigate any potential policies blocking the forward. Then, retry the test.
If unsure how to check your email policies/rules, consult your IT department or refer to your email provider's help center for assistance.
Using Outlook? Check out our guide to troubleshooting forwarding inboxes to Element451 from Outlook for a list of configuration checks and solutions.
Missing Emails
Issue: I have connected and configured my email account, but only some of my emails appear in my Element451 inbox.
Solution: Only emails matching existing records in Element451 will be forwarded to Conversations and attached to student records unless you enable the anonymous conversations setting.
Default Behavior: When you add an inbox to Element451, emails sent to your connected custom address will be forwarded to Element451. We will then search for a match to an existing person record (student) in Element451. If we find a match, a threaded conversation will be created. However, if no match is found, we will exclude/not retain that email. This means only emails sent to you from an email address associated with a user’s record in your Element451 instance will be displayed in your inbox.
Anonymous Conversations: You can enable anonymous conversations to allow your Element451 inbox to receive messages from unknown numbers and email addresses. This feature enhances communication flexibility by allowing messages from new or prospective contacts to reach you directly.
Blank Emails and Forward SMS Messages
Issue: An external user (student) is receiving blank emails and/or SMS messages that start with "FW:" like the example below:
Solution: This is likely the result of forwarding emails to an email address you have configured as an inbox in Element451. Do not forward emails between addresses set up as connected inboxes. This will result in our system thinking the forwarded message is a reply and will be sent to the student. We will talk more in-depth about this below.
Unable to Confirm Inbox
Issue: I've set up the forwarding according to the instructions, but I'm unable to confirm the inbox.
Solution: Sometimes, your organization's email settings include a rule preventing email forwarding to external organizations, including @element451.com. To confirm this, contact your organization's IT support and see if there is such a rule in place and if there is a way to whitelist the Element451 domain. Search for the term 'forwarding' in your inbox and look for an email from Outlook that contains something similar to this:
Troubleshooting Outlook Email Forwarding
When connecting your Outlook inbox to Element451 using email forwarding, you may encounter issues due to Microsoft 365 security policies. This guide will help you troubleshoot and resolve common problems.
Avoid Forwarding Notification Emails
When a conversation assignee or participant receives a new inbound email message, they will receive an automatic notification email from notifications@element451.io.
If you forward this notification email to an email address that’s connected to Element451, the system will recognize it and link it to the original conversation thread. This means the student/contact will also get notified because it will be treated as a reply and be forwarded to Element451. This is likely not your intention.
To avoid this issue, do not forward notification emails to email addresses connected to Element451 inboxes. This will help ensure that internal communications remain internal and don’t inadvertently notify the wrong parties.
To communicate internally about a conversation, we recommend adding a private note and mentioning the other internal user or team. To use the mentioned feature, type the "@" symbol and select a user or team (as demonstrated in the image below). The mentioned user/team will receive an email notification.
