How do I set up shared inboxes like sales@ in Zoho CRM using IMAP?

Zoho CRM's IMAP integration is built mainly around individual user mailboxes. For a shared address such as sales@, the common options are to connect it as the mailbox of one dedicated CRM user, use a shared mailbox feature if your edition and Zoho Mail setup offer it, or route the address into a group mailbox and assign leads from there. Check the current email settings help page first.

Each CRM user can connect their own mailbox through IMAP in the personal email settings. CRM then shows emails to and from known contacts and leads on the record. A shared address like sales@ does not belong to one person, so it does not fit neatly into that model. Zoho has been adding shared and organisation email options over time, so check the email settings in your edition before building a workaround.

The simplest workaround is to create or reuse a CRM user who owns the sales@ mailbox and connect it through IMAP with the mailbox's own credentials. Make that mailbox's emails visible to the sales team through email sharing permissions. If you use Zoho Mail, its shared mailbox and group features can also let several people work the same inbox, with CRM showing the relevant emails on the matching records.

Decide what should happen to new emails from unknown senders. Many teams send sales@ enquiries through a web form or an email parser so each one becomes a lead with an owner, rather than leaving them sitting in an inbox. That gives you assignment rules, response time tracking and a clear record of who replied.

Written by Flowpeak, a Zoho implementation partner. Zoho pricing and features change, so confirm current details on the official Zoho site. Free checklists | Ask us a question