Who This Is For / When to Use
Use this trigger when you want to:
Capture and respond to inbound emails automatically
Route emails to the correct team (sales, support, billing)
Create or update contacts from new senders
Trigger follow-ups, assignments, or internal notifications
Process attachments or email-based requests instantly
What the Inbound Email Trigger Does
The Inbound Email trigger starts a workflow when a new email is received in a connected mailbox.
It supports:
New senders (not yet in your CRM)
Existing contacts
Replies within existing threads (optional)
This allows workflows to act immediately when an email arrives.
How the Trigger Works
An inbound email is received in your mailbox
The trigger evaluates filters (if configured)
If conditions match, the workflow starts
Actions run (e.g., create contact, assign user, send reply)
How to Add the Inbound Email Trigger
Go to Automations → Workflows
Click Create Workflow or open an existing workflow
Click Add Trigger
Search and select Inbound Email
Configure filters (optional but recommended)
Click Save Trigger
Add workflow actions
Available Filters
Use filters to control when the trigger fires.
Email Sent To / Mailbox
Matches the receiving mailbox (e.g., sales@, support@).
From
Matches the sender’s email address.
CC
Matches recipients included in CC.
Subject
Matches text in the subject line.
Body (Plain Text)
Matches content inside the email body.
Has Attachments
Triggers only when attachments are present.
Replied to Workflow
Matches emails that are replies to messages sent by a workflow.
Contact Tag
Filters based on whether the contact has or does not have a tag.
Advanced Setting: New Conversations Only
Enable Trigger only for new email conversations to:
Fire only on first inbound message
Ignore replies in existing threads
Use this to prevent repeated workflow execution on ongoing conversations.
Custom Values Available
Use these values in workflow actions (emails, SMS, notes, etc.):
{{message_id}}— Unique email message ID{{subject}}— Email subject line{{body_plain}}— Plain-text email body{{inboundEmail.bodyFullPlain}}— Full body including thread history{{from.email}}— Sender email address{{from.name}}— Sender name{{cc}}— CC recipients
Common Use Cases
Inbox Routing
Route emails based on mailbox:
sales@ → sales workflow
support@ → support workflow
Subject-Based Assignment
Route emails containing keywords like:
“refund”
“pricing”
“support”
Attachment Processing
Trigger workflows only when attachments are included (e.g., forms, documents).
First-Touch Auto Response
Use email content to send contextual replies automatically.
Common Issues and Fixes
Trigger not firing
Verify the mailbox is connected correctly
Check that filters are not too restrictive
Trigger firing multiple times
Enable Trigger only for new email conversations
Emails not captured from new senders
Ensure you are using a supported email setup (see limitations below)
Limitations and Requirements
Full cold inbound email capture is supported only for:
LC Email dedicated domains
Mailgun dedicated domains
Not fully supported for:
Gmail two-way sync
Outlook two-way sync
Shared domains or other SMTP setups
Each account should use its own dedicated email subdomain
Reusing domains across multiple accounts may cause routing issues
FAQ
Does this trigger work for new contacts?
Yes. It captures emails from senders not yet in your CRM and can create contacts automatically.
Can it trigger on replies to existing threads?
Yes. You can allow replies to trigger workflows, or restrict it to new conversations only.
What’s the difference between Inbound Email and Customer Replied?
Inbound Email captures all incoming emails. Customer Replied is specifically for replies to outgoing messages. Both can run simultaneously.
Can I filter emails by content or keywords?
Yes. Use Subject or Body filters to match specific words or phrases.
Can I trigger workflows only when attachments are included?
Yes. Use the Has Attachments filter to restrict execution.