What it is
The Email channel lets people write to a special address (or your mailbox). Letters appear as chats in Botconsole, and the constructor can answer by email — useful for support, applications, and simple mail bots.
Email is not a messenger: there are no real “buttons under the message”, and delivery depends on mail providers and spam filters.
Requirements
- A constructor bot in Botconsole
- Either:
- Unique inbound address mode (forward mail there / ESP inbound), or
- IMAP access to a mailbox (for example Gmail with an App Password)
- A sensible From name and address for replies
How to connect
Option A — Unique address (webhook / forward)
- Bots → Settings → Add connection → Email.
- Mode: Unique address.
- Copy the Inbound address and (if needed) the Webhook URL.
- Forward mail from your usual mailbox to the inbound address, or point your email provider’s inbound route to the webhook.
- Set From address and From name for outgoing replies.
- Optionally tune inbound filters (newsletters, promo domains, allowlists).
- Save. Status should show that setup is ready.
Option B — IMAP (Gmail / mailbox)
- Same connection → mode IMAP.
- Choose provider (Gmail, Outlook, Yandex, Mail.ru, or custom).
- Enter login and App Password (Gmail requires 2FA + App Password — normal password often fails).
- Set folder (usually
INBOX) and From fields. - Save. New mail after connecting is polled about once a minute.
For local or test projects without real MX, IMAP or a manual webhook test is easier than a public unique domain.
Message types and limits
Available message types
| Type | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Yes | Main body of the email |
| Image | Yes | As attachment / inline depending on delivery |
| Document | Yes | Attachments |
| Video, audio, sticker, location, poll… | No | Prefer links in the text |
Buttons
- No interactive buttons in the email client
- If the scenario uses buttons, they are turned into numbered plain-text options in the letter body
- Users reply with normal email text (or you guide them to write “1”, “2”, …)
Extra message options
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Reply in the same thread | Yes (threading) |
| Message effects | No |
| AI streaming | No |
| Edit / delete sent mail | No |
| Messenger keyboards | No |
Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Body text | very large (tens of thousands of characters) |
| Subject | up to 200 characters |
| Attachments | about 20 MB total (providers may be stricter) |
Formatting
Simple formatting is possible:
- Bold, italic
- Inline code
- Links
Complex Telegram-only markup may be flattened to HTML or plain text.
Notes and limitations
Set filters carefully if you connect a personal mailbox — otherwise newsletters can create noise chats. Prefer allowlist modes for personal Gmail.
Avoid mail loops (auto-forwarding the same address back into itself).
Email is slower than messengers. Users may wait minutes; keep scenarios short and clear.
Outbound “From” should use an address you are allowed to send from (domain reputation / provider rules).