User guide

v.01/2024

Messages Messages Calendar Calendar Contacts Contacts Documents Documents Instant messaging IM SMS SMS Fax Fax Groups Groups

Send messages

  1. Recipient types
    There are 3 recipient types:
    • To: main recipient(s)
    • Cc: recipients in Carbon copy
    • Bcc: recipients in Blind Carbon copy
    Note: The addresses in the Cc field are visible to all recipients, while the addresses in the Bcc field are invisible to all recipients.

    Cc and Bcc fields are hidden by default: click on Cc/Bcc in the right part of the window to display them.

    You can drag and drop recipients from one type to another.

  2. Address autosuggest (autocomplete)
    Enter some letters from a first name, a last name or an email address to display a list of suggestions. These suggestions come from:
    • your collected addresses (email addresses that are not in your private Contacts and you have written to recently using the Web interface)
    • your private Contacts
    • your sender addresses (in the From pull-down menu)
    • your groups (@group addresses, to send a mail to all group members)
    • your private contacts lists (@list addresses)
    If the email address you search for does not appear in the suggestions, launch a search by clicking on To, Cc or Bcc.

    The autosuggest may contain up to 1000 addresses. If you have more than 1000 in the categories listed above, addresses not recently used will be ignored. You can still search for them.

    Note: in previous versions, suggestions came from private Contacts, group Contacts and group members. The number of Contacts involved made the suggestions inefficient, hence this new approach.
  3. Create a draft
    When writing a message, click on Save and then on Save as draft to save it as a draft. It is not sent and is placed automatically in the Drafts folder.

    To resume the writing and/or send the message, go to Drafts. To open the message, either select it and click on Edit or double click it.

    Each time you write a message, it is automatically saved as draft from time to time, so that you can get it back if something goes wrong.

  4. Lay-out (colours, etc.)
    An email can be sent in text format (default format) or in Rich text formatting (fonts, alignment, colours, etc.), images, etc.

    To send a rich text formatting email, create a new email and select Rich text formatting in Plus (on the right). A button bar (similar to a word processing button bar) appears. Move the mouse over each button to get its legend.

  5. Insert an image
    To insert an image directly in the message content and not as an attachment, make sure that the message format is Rich text formatting (using Plus for a specific message or Settings for all messages). Images are indeed visible in this format only. Click on the last but one button in the lay-out menu bar, representing an image. Choose the image on your computer or in the Documents. Finally, apply some styling (alignment) after clicking on the image.

    Mind that the image weight must be acceptable for an email.

    Note: The image is stored in the Mail images folder in your private Documents.

  6. Reply
    When you reply to a message with several correspondents, you can reply to the sender only (by selecting Reply) or to all correspondents (by selecting Reply to all).

    Messages that have been replied to are indicated by pictogram.

  7. Forward
    By default, a message is transferred in the body of a new message and you can delete unnecessary lines. In Messages Settings, heading General, you can activate the forwarding as attachment (.eml file). In this case, you won't be able to remove unnecessary lines.

    Messages that have been forwarded are indicated by pictogram.

  8. Sender addresses
    You can have several sender email addresses (up to 50). These addresses have to be entered in your personal data.

    When writing a message, click on From to edit your personal data and add (or edit) an email address.

    When writing a message, select a sender address in the pull-down menu next to From. You can set the default sender address in Settings > Messages > General.

  9. Send a SMS
    Enter the complete number in international format (country + zone + number) followed by @SMS (eg: 32475123456@SMS). Attachments are not sent to these recipients.
    Note: We advise you to sign your SMS so that the recipients know from who they are coming from. Besides, if you wish an answer by SMS, write your own number in the message.

    Within the same message, you can have email and SMS recipients.

  10. Send a fax
    Enter the complete number in international format (country + zone + number) followed by @fax (eg:322123456@fax). The body of the message is sent on the first page, while attachments are sent on following pages.
    NB: We advise you to sign your faxes so that the recipients know from who they are coming from. Besides, if you wish an answer by fax, write your own number in the message.

    Within the same message, you can have email and fax recipients.

Collected addresses

  1. What are collected addresses?
    Collected addresses are email addresses you have sent a mail to recently using the Web interface and which are not already in your private Contacts. Email addresses in mails sent from external software such as an IMAP client (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.) won’t be collected.

    Collected addresses will appear in the email autosuggest when you write a mail in the Web interface.

    If you wish to synchronize recipient email addresses with other software or devices, add these to your private Contacts and sync with CardDAV or Exchange ActiveSync.
  2. How to view collected addresses?
    Go to Settings > Messages > Collected addresses.
  3. Edit a collected address
    If the name or address is or has become wrong (the recipient has switched mail provider or company for instance), you can edit both by clicking on the collected address.
  4. Turn a collected address into a contact
    Click on the collected address and then on Create contact and save the new contact. All email addresses in your private Contacts will automatically be suppressed from your collected addresses.
  5. Delete a collected address
    If you do not wish a collected address to appear in the recipient autosuggest anymore, you can delete it. Move the pointer to the collected address and click on the deletion icon that appears.

Address books

  1. Using the Address Book
    When writing a message, you can fill the To, Cc and Bcc fields using the Address Book tool: click on To, Cc or Bcc.
  2. Using the Address Book for SMS and fax
    When you call the contacts by clicking on A, Cc or Bcc, email addresses are displayed. In the pull-down menu on the right, select Phone numbers so that you can select recipients for SMS or fax.
  3. Send a message to all group members
    Click on Bcc. Select the group in the pull-down menu then select Group members in the left column. Tick the All members checkbox. This way, email addresses will not be shown to all group members. If you wish that addresses are displayed, click on To or Cc at the start.
  4. Add to contacts
    You can add data to contacts in several ways:
    • Click on a correspondent name and choose Save in Contacts to create a new contact with this email address or Add to a Contact to associate the email address with an existing contact.
    • Click on a phone number and choose Save in Contacts to create a new contact with this number or Add to a contact to associate it to an existing contact.

Contacts lists

  1. Definition
    Lists allows you to group several contacts from the different address books so that you can send the same message to all these contacts in a single operation.

    You can group several addresses and combine different communication channels (email, SMS, fax) if your subscription allows them.

    The number of lists you can create and the number of recipients they may contain depend on your subscription.

    Although they can be bidirectional (if you place all addresses in Cc: and yours in to), lists are rather unidirectional.

    Note: lists cannot be used from outside ContactOffice.

  2. What are lists for?
    Create lists containing groups of people you frequently communicate with: superiors, colleagues, students, etc.

    You don't have to create a list with all members from a group, as it already exists and is automatically updated.

    Warning: lists are not designed for mass mailing, and certainly not for sending unsolicited commercial email). Abuse could result in your account being suspended. There are mass mailing solutions on the market.

  3. Create a private list
    Select Lists in the More menu and select Private in the pull-down menu. Create your list by selecting contacts in the address books (private or group).
  4. Create a group list
    All group members may always send a message to a group list. Only the group administrator may create group lists and edit them.

    If you are the group administrator, click on Lists, select the group in the pull-down menu and then create the group list just like you would create a private one. To allow members to edit a group list, click on Access next to the list name and select the appropriate boxes.

  5. Using a list
    To view the content of a list, click on its name.

    To send a message to a list, select Send an email in its Actions. From a new message, click on Bcc and select Lists.

  6. To, Cc or Bcc?
    Choose carefully which field to call your list from. To and Cc will display the recipients list to all of them. On the contrary, Bcc hides all recipients.
  7. Edit a list
    Select Edit in the list Actions.
  8. Export a list
    To export a list to a CSV (comma separated values) file, select Export in its Actions. You just have to copy/paste this file contents in another email software.
  9. Delete a list
    Select Delete in the list Actions. This deletes the list, but contacts in the list are of course not deleted.

Attachments

  1. Outgoing attachments
    To send a file stored on your computer, click on Attach and then select Attachments.

    To send a file already stored in the Documents, click on Attach and then select Documents.

  2. Send as hyperlink
    Instead of sending the Document in the email, you can send it as a hyperlink. The recipient will have a few days to download it by clicking on the hyperlink and you can be notified when he does.

    This feature is handy for large documents but you can use it with small ones as well.

    Please note that this feature will automatically send an individual mail per recipient: the recipients will not see any other recipient.

    From a message, select Add download link from the Attachment menu. Then, select one or more private or group Documents.

    From Documents, select one or more documents, open the Actions and select Send and the Send as hyperlink.

  3. Incoming attachments
    Attachments are indicated by a paper clip icon. When the message is opened, attachments can be:
    • Downloaded on your computer: click on Download
    • Saved directly in the Documents: click on Save in Documents. To save all attachments in a single operation, select Save all in Documents
    Calendar attachments (.ics files) can be imported in the Calendar by choosing Save in Calendar. Likewise, Contacts attachments (.vcf files) can be save in the Contacts by choosing Save in Contacts.
  4. Hide attachments
    You can hide attachments by clicking on the zone where they appear. They are just hidden and not deleted.
  5. Delete an attachment
    It is possible to delete an attachment in a received or sent email, to save storage in the mailbox. The deletion has no impact in your correspondents' mailboxes: once you have sent an email with an attachment, the recipients gets this attachments and nothing can be done about it.

    In the Actions of an attachment, select Delete. A trace of the attachment remains, because there indeed was an attachment when you received or sent the email.

Display

  1. Unread messages
    To display only unread emails in the current folder, select Unread only in the Actions of this folder.
  2. Display external images
    If there are external images in a message, i.e., images hosted on a server and not directly in the message, they are not displayed. Indeed, external images can inform the sender that you have opened the message. They can deduce from that, for instance, that your email address is valid and active. This is useful information for a spammer.

    However, some external images are harmless and improve the message lay-out. Therefore, an alert is displayed on top of a message when some images are hidden: "Images on third-party Web servers are filtered. Display images in this email?". Click on Yes if you wish to display them and if you trust the sender.

  3. Sort messages
    Messages are sorted out in reverse chronological order (the most recent messages appear first).

    You can sort on one of the following criteria: date, subject, sender or size. For each one, you can choose the normal order (alphabetical or ascending) or the reverse order (descending).

    To activate a different sorting, select a criterion in the Sort by menu on the right. This sorting will remain active in the folder until your next connection.

  4. Display the complete date
    In the messages list, bring the mouse on an abbreviated date to display the full date and the hour.

Threads

  1. Threads
    Threading displays emails like in a forum: messages from a same conversation are displayed hierarchically, the most recent being placed at the bottom.

    Note: ContactOffice uses a series of criteria to gather messages within threads. If you reply to a message and completely change the contents of the conversation, ContactOffice won't be able to guess it and will keep associating these messages in a same thread. Likewise, if messages from different senders have the same subject, they most probably will appear in the same thread.

  2. Activation
    To activate this view, go to Messages Settings, heading General. Tick the box next to Threads in the View section. This view will remain selected permanently.

    To get back to the normal view, deselect this same option.

  3. How to use threading
    In the list on the left, a thread is represented by a single message. The total number of messages is displayed for each thread. If a thread contains at least one unread message, it is displayed as an unread message.

    When you select a thread, all messages in it are displayed on the right. Click on a message to read it. Unread messages are displayed with the same background colour than unread messages on the left.

  4. Mark a message in a thread as read
    Select a thread on the left and a message on the right. Opening the message will mark it as read.
  5. Mark a message in a thread as unread
    Select a thread on the left and a message on the right. In the menu bar, select "More/..." and then Mark as unread.

Signature

  1. Create a signature
    Go to Messages Settings and select Signatures. If you use lay-out options (colours, alignment, etc.), make sure that the Default format in General is set to Rich text formatting.

    You can create a signature for each of your sender addresses (16384 characters).

  2. Insert an image in a signature
    To insert an image (logo, etc.) in your signature, do as follows:
    1. In Messages Settings, heading General, in the Edition section, make sure that the Default format is Rich text formatting. Images are indeed visible in this format only.
    2. In Messages Settings, heading Signatures, create the text part of your signature. You can use the lay-out options (colours, etc.). Then, click on the last but one button in the lay-out menu bar, representing an image. Choose the image on your computer or in the Documents. Finally, apply some styling (alignment) after clicking on the image.
      Note: The image is stored in the Mail images folder in your private Documents. Don't delete it, otherwise it will vanish from your signature.
    You can have several images in a signature.
  3. Use a signature
    • If you wish to sign each outgoing message, tick Automatic signature in Settings > Messages > Signatures. If you don't want to sign a specific message, just select the signature text with the mouse and delete it. You can also go to Plus (on the right) and choose Disable in the Signature section.
    • If you wish to sign some messages: write the message and then, in More (on the right), choose Insert at bottom or Insert at cursor in the Signature section.
  4. Personal data as attachment
    Another way to sign your messages is to include a vCard (electronic business card, which contains the information stored in your personal data). To do so, click on Attachment and choose vCard when writing a message. All data in your personal data will be used in the vCard (except for the Comment field and Tags).
  5. Mandatory signature
    For free subscriptions, all outgoing emails have a common signature (marketing, disclaimer, etc.). This mandatory signature cannot be disabled but you can still use your personal signature.

Password encrypted messages

  1. What are password encrypted messages?
    With this feature, you can send a secure message to any email address. The recipient will be able to read your message after entering the password received from you by some other way. Just a password: nothing to install or set-up, no OpenPGP keys to create.

    The recipient will get an email containing a link and an optional password hint. Clicking on the link will open the message on ContactOffice. The recipient will be able to answer to your message with the same security level. You will read the answer using the same password.

    The privacy of the message relies on the fact that the password is not known or guessed by a third-party.
  2. Send a password encrypted message
    Compose a message as usual and click on Encryption. Two options appear. Select Password encrypted. As for OpenPGP encrypted, see "Electronic signature and encryption" in this manual.

    Carefully choose a password that you will send by some other means of communication (face to face, by phone, by SMS, etc.). Never use your ContactOffice password, your private key passphrase or any other sensitive password. Optionally, you can add a clue. Be aware that this clue won't be encrypted and therefore could be read by anyone.

    Password encrypted message have a one week default expiration date, but you can choose a different date or send a message that will never expire. After the expiration date, the recipient won't be able to read the message.

    Eventually, click on Send to send the message.

    The message is stored in your usual folder. You need the password to read it. You will be able to read it even after the expiration date. Beware: if you delete the message before its expiration date, the recipient will not be able to read it anymore.

Electronic signature and encryption

  1. Why sign your messages?
    Email was designed in such a way that it does not check whether an email has actually been sent by the owner of the sender email address. This is the reason why you might get messages that seem to come from banks, well-known suppliers or friends. Likewise, others could also use your own address as sender address. They don't need to hijack your mailbox do to that: they just have to know your email address.

    The purpose of electronic signature is to make sure that the sender of an email is really the sender email address owner and, conversely, to make sure that emails sent with your email address as sender are really sent by yourself.

  2. Why encrypt your messages?
    Email was designed in such a way that the content of an email can be read while it travels across servers. The journey between two servers may be very long and rely on many intermediaries. Besides, robots working for intelligence services or criminal networks are listening. It is also noteworthy that it is technically possible to alter the content of an email while it travels on the Internet.

    The goal of encryption is to make email content unreadable for third parties: the recipient alone will be able to read it. Likewise, you alone will be able to read the emails he sends you. Be aware that the subject of an encrypted e-mail is never itself encrypted.

  3. Your key pair
    Electronic signature and encryption both rely on a pair of keys. These keys are electronic files:
    • A private or secret key, that you will really keep private. Besides, it is protected by a password, called a "passphrase". The system security is based on the privacy of the private key and the passphrase.
    • A public key, that you can send freely and also publish on the Internet.
    1. Electronic signature means signing an email with your private key.
      The recipient's email software will compare your signature with your public key and will confirm that the email is correctly signed.
    2. Encryption means encoding an email with the recipient's public key.
      The recipient's email software will compare the email content with the recipient's private key and will confirm that the email is correctly encrypted and that its content has not been modified. It will decode the message so that the recipient can read it, but will keep on storing it in its encrypted form.
    Note: when you send an encrypted message, ContactOffice will sign it as well. Exchanging encrypted messages in ContactOffice therefore requires that both correspondents have the public key of one another. On the contrary, you could get from outside encrypted messages that are not signed.

    Note: publishing a public key on public key servers is a non-reversible process. It will also publish your given first and last name along with your associated email address that you will not be able to delete or modify once published. However, this will allow other users to find your public key easily.

    This key pair architecture is a standard. Its name is OpenPGP.

  4. Your keystore
    Your keystore contains not only your own key pair but also the public keys you add in there. The system security is based on the trust you give to each public key. Before you add a public key, you have to make sure that it belongs to the right person.

    Adding a public key enables ContactOffice to: validate messages electronically signed by this person, decode messages encrypted by this person and send this person encrypted messages.

  5. How to start?
    Here are a few tips to start using these features
    • You don't necessarily have to switch to a situation where you would only send and receive encrypted emails. Depending on the message confidentiality and the technical capability of the recipient's mail system to handle encryption, you send a normal or encrypted message, on a case-by-case basis. Contrary to other encryption platforms that force you to encrypt all your messages and to communicate only with users on the same platform, ContactOffice lets you free.
    • You can electronically sign all your messages. On the recipient side, even if their email system does not handle electronic signatures validation, he will be able to read your messages.
    • Because encryption means encoding an email with the recipient's public key, it requires that the recipient has created their own key pair and that you are in possession of their public key. A good way to start is identifying a few correspondents who may be interested in exchanging encrypted messages with you. If these correspondents are also ContactOffice users (colleagues, members of your organization for instance), it will be much easier.
    • For optimal performance, keeping total attachment(s) size up to 5 MB or lower in end-to-end encrypted and/or digitally signed messages is recommended.
  6. Part of a security policy
    Encryption is just part of a security policy. If your ContactOffice password and/or your passphrase are too easy to guess or written on a Post-It next to your screen, email encryption is at great risk to be compromised.
  7. Technical information
    We support RSA-algorithm based OpenPGP keys for both encryption/decryption and digital signing operations. ECC (Curve25519) algorithm based OpenPGP keys are also supported for encryption/decryption operations. All OpenPGP keys should be ASCII Armored.

    If you already have your keypair and if it was generated using RSA-algorithm, it is recommended to keep the message attachment(s) total size between 3 MB to 5 MB for optimal encryption/decryption performance.

Filters

  1. Definition
    Filters perform actions on incoming emails (including external POP3 accounts) matching certain conditions. They do not apply to spam messages, unless senders are whitelisted.
  2. Access to filters
    Go to Settings, choose Messages and then Filters.
  3. Create a filter
    Click on New. Enter the following data:
    • Description: give an explicit name to the filter to be able to manage it easily.
    • Conditions: use at least one condition. To add another one, click on the + button. To delete a condition, click on the - button. If you enter several conditions, decide if they must all be true (all) or if at least one has to be true (any).
    • Actions: enter at least one action using the pull-down menu. To add one, click on the + button. To delete an action, click on the - button next to that action. According to the action you choose, you might be asked to enter some additional information (folder wherein the message has to be moved to, etc.).
  4. Blacklist
    There is no feature named "blacklist" but you can get the same result with Filters. If you wish to block sender addresses or domains, create a filter with action Delete. In such case, the sender will still be able to send you messages, but you will not see them in your mailbox, nor will they use any of your mailbox space. Be careful when you create the condition for such a filter. You can also use the Move to Trash action to avoid any immediate deletion.
  5. Edit a filter
    You can edit a filter at any time by clicking on its name.
  6. Filter order
    The filters are executed in the order of appearance in the filters overview (the filter on top of the page is executed first). This means that a different order of appearance will give a different result. Use the Abort further evaluation if necessary: next filters won't be executed.

    To raise a filter in the list, display its Actions and select Upwards. To lower a filter in the list, display its Actions and click on Downwards.

  7. Deactivate a filter
    Click on the sliding button on the right of the filter. The filter is then deactivated but not destroyed. You can reactivate it when necessary.
  8. Delete a filter
    Display the filter Actions and select Delete.
  1. Search in tools and environments
    The search field is located in the upper right part of the screen. Enter a word or its first letters to launch a search.

    Search and tools:

    • If you are using a tool (Messages, for instance) and launch a search from there, it will search in this tool.
    • If no tool is selected when you launch a search (in the homepage, just after you have logged in, for instance), it will search in all tools. The results list will display the data type for each result. To get back to the homepage, click on the logo in the upper left corner.
    Search and environments:
    • If your private environment is selected when you launch a search (your private documents, for instance), it will search in this environment.
    • If a group is selected when you launch a search, it will search only in this group.
    • You can broaden or narrow the search by clicking on the triangle to display the advanced search options. In the Search in section, select Private or Private + Groups. If you select the latter, search will be done in all groups at the same time.
  2. Advanced search
    Most tools have an advanced search, the search criteria being specific to each tool.
  3. Results
    Results are limited to 200 items and are sorted by relevance.
  4. Last search
    You can display the results of the last search by clicking on Search results in the left part of the screen.
  5. Search from a correspondent
    Click on a correspondent (sender or recipient) name and select Received and sent messages to search for all messages sent to and received from him.
  6. Sorting results for Messages
    Search results for messages are sorted by date by default. Go to Settings, then Messages, then the General section if you want results to be sorted by relevance.
  7. Search field syntax
    • If you enter several words, you will get data that contain all these words. If you enter "OR" between words, you will get data that contain one of the words.
    • The search does make a difference between uppercase and lowercase.
    • You can add a star (*) after at least 4 characters to search on all words starting with these characters.
    Examples:
    • holiday Hawaii (equal to holiday AND Hawaii) will return data containing holiday and Hawaii.
    • Maui OR Hawaii will return data containing Maui or Hawaii.
    • "great holiday" (with the quotation marks) will return data containing the "great holiday" expression.
    • "info*" will return data containing words starting with info (information, informative, informed, etc.)
    • virus -computer will return data containing the word "virus" but not the word "computer".

Templates

  1. Definition
    A template is an already drafted email ready to be sent which allows you to deal with recurrent messages: requests for information, questions, etc.

    As with all emails, the template may have attachments.

    Once the template is called (as a new message or as an answer to a received message), its message can be customized without the template itself being altered.

  2. Create a template
    Create a new message, write the template and enter a subject to identify it. Click then on Save and select Save as template.
  3. Using a template
    To answer to a message with a template, click on Reply and then With template, choose the appropriate template, make the necessary changes to the message (the template will not be altered) before sending the message.

    To send a new message from a template, select Message from template from the New menu.

Folders management

  1. Folders
    Every message has to be stored in a folder. The number of unread messages contained in a folder is displayed. A folder appears in bold if one of its subfolders contains unread messages.

    Some folders are created automatically and cannot be renamed nor be moved: Inbox (received messages), Sent (messages sent), Trash, Drafts, Templates and Spam?.

    You can create additional folders to store your messages in. You can also use filters to automatically place incoming messages in the appropriate folder.

  2. Create a folder
    Select the root folder (one level above the Inbox), display its contextual menu (click on it with the right mouse button or click on the 3 dots next to it) and select New folder. Enter a name and hit the Enter key.
  3. Move a folder
    You have two ways to do this:
    • Select the folder with the mouse and drop it on the destination folder.
    • Display the folder Actions and select Move.
  4. Rename a folder
    Go to a folder and then choose Rename in the Actions menu associated to the folder.
  5. Delete a folder
    Beware:
    • Deleting a folder means deleting all messages it contains, as well as its subfolders and contents.
    • Once the Trash has been emptied, you can't get the messages back. So, be careful when you empty the Trash.
    • Instead of deleting folders, you can archive them (see the corresponding help section).
    Select the folder, display its Actions and select Delete.

    Note: the folder will be actually deleted when the Trash will be emptied. If you have sent a folder to the Trash by mistake, you will find it there and will be able to move it back. Don't leave it in the Trash as it may be emptied automatically.

  6. Subfolders
    You can create subfolders in all folders except "Sent" and "Spam?".

    To create a subfolder, choose a folder in the left part of the screen and display its contextual menu (click on it with the right mouse button or click on the 3 dots next to it)New folder in the Actions menu associated to the folder.

  7. Number of messages in a folder
    Display the folder Actions to show how much messages they contain. This number does not include messages in subfolders. Of course, subfolders also display how many messages they contain.

    The folders tree displays the number of unread messages, and not the total number of messages.

  8. Move a message to a folder
    You have two ways to do this:
    • Select the message with the mouse and drop it on the destination folder.
    • Display the message Actions and select Move.

Delete messages

  1. Delete one message
    Tick or select the message, display its Actions and select Delete. You can also drag and drop it to the Trash.

    Note: the message will be actually deleted when the Trash will be emptied. If you have sent a message to the Trash by mistake, you will find it there and will be able to move it back. Don't leave it in the Trash as it may be emptied automatically.

  2. Delete a selection of messages
    Beware:
    • Once the Trash has been emptied, you can't get the messages back. So, be careful when you empty the Trash.
    • Instead of deleting messages, you can archive them (see the corresponding help section).
    The deletion is done folder by folder. You need to a select a folder first. Tick the messages (or select them using the keyboard or mouse), display the Actions and select Delete. You can also drag and drop messages to the Trash.

    Note: messages will be actually deleted when the Trash will be emptied. If you have sent messages to the Trash by mistake, you will find them there and will be able to move them back. Don't leave them in the Trash as it may be emptied automatically.

  3. Empty the Trash
    Display the Trash Actions and select Empty trash.
  4. Automatic deletion of messages in the Trash
    Messages that are in the Trash since a few days are automatically deleted. The number of days is displayed in a warning message on top of the Trash folder.

Shared mailboxes

  1. What is a shared mailbox?
    A mailbox is shared when the main email address in Messages is shared with one or more group members.

    If you share your own mailbox, members you have chosen will have full access to it and will therefore be able to manage it with you. They will be allowed to read and send messages, reply, move messages to folders or delete them, etc.

    Likewise, you could also access shared mailboxes.

    Shared mailboxes can be accessed only in the Web interface.
  2. What is a shared mailbox for?
    Share a mailbox to:
    • Delegate its management. For instance, a manager shares their mailbox with this personal assistant(s).
    • Manage a common mailbox (service, department, generic address such as info@example.com, etc.) with several people
  3. Share a mailbox
    Note: not every subscription allows to share one's mailbox, but all subscriptions allow to access a shared mailbox.

    Just like for the other tools, you can only share a mailbox within a group: to share your mailbox with another user, he has to be in at least one group with you.

    Users that connect to a shared mailbox have full access: all folders can be accessed (including those containing messages that you have already sent) and can do anything. They may also see the contacts in your private environment. However, they may not edit them or add new contacts.

    Warning! Don't share your mailbox with just anybody: besides obvious privacy concerns, this could also lead to messages being deleted by anyone you would have shared your mailbox with.

    Please note the following consequences when your share your mailbox:
    • All your private Contacts names and email addresses will be displayed in the recipient email address autosuggest (autocomplete). However, only you may still add, edit or delete private Contacts.
    • All your sender addresses including your aliases are shared as well, so that the right address is selected when replying to a message.
    To share your mailbox, go to Settings, in the Messages section and click on Mailbox sharing. Then, select one or more group members.

    Note: Sharing with all group members in a single click is disabled on purpose. Someone might indeed join the group later and be allowed to access your mailbox without you being warned.
  4. Access a shared mailbox
    If you may access at least one shared mailbox, the environment selector (the pull-down menu which displays "Environment: private" by default) appears in the Messages tool. Browse this menu to get to the shared mailbox. If the sharing has just occurred and the pull-down menu does not appear, please log out and then log in again.

    Please note the following consequences when you access a shared mailbox:
    • If you wish, you may create a signature for the shared mailbox sender address(es). These signatures will be available to you only.
    • Your own Settings for View and Lay-out will be used (default font, for instance).
    • You may manage filters, out of office message and collected addresses.
    • Search looks into the shared mailbox messages.
    • When you open the contacts while writing a new message, mailbox owner contacts will be displayed as well as contacts from groups you and him/her are both members of.
    • When you save a sender as contact from an email, only the groups you and the mailbox owner are both member of are displayed. Of course, you won't be able to add a contact to the group if you have not been granted the Add content right.
  5. Access to Settings (filters, away message)
    If you have access to a shared mailbox, you can manage its filters, away message and collected addresses. Go to the Settings and select the shared mailbox email address in the pull-down menu. Make sure that the Settings are convenient for all the shared mailbox users.

    The following filters are not available for shared mailboxes because they may not access the mailbox owner personal data: notifications (SMS, email, Jabber/XMPP) and tagging.
  6. Address autosuggest (autocomplete) and shared mailboxes
    When you access a shared mailbox, the suggestions come from:
    • the shared mailbox collected addresses (email addresses that are not in the shared mailbox contacts and that have been written to recently)
    • the shared mailbox owner private Contacts
    • the shared mailbox owner sender addresses (in the From pull-down menu)
    Only the shared mailbox owner may create Contacts from collected addresses, because only he/she may create Contacts in their private Contacts. The created Contacts will be available to anyone accessing the shared mailbox.

    Users that access the shared mailbox may only edit and delete collected addresses.
  7. Tags and shared mailboxes
    Each user has their own tags. For tags to work within a shared mailbox, all users that access this mailbox have to agree on a tag list and everyone must create them in their own account. Everyone can also have their own personal tags, provided they are not used in the shared mailbox.
  8. Access from third-party software
    Shared mailboxes you have access to are automatically displayed in IMAP software. Each mailbox appears in a folder with its name after a tilde (~) and has its own folder tree.

    Please note:
    • Third-party mail software display the primary mail account (your own account) and the secondary mail accounts (each shared mailbox you have access to) in a single view, and therefore display several inboxes, trashes, spam folders, etc. Unfortunately, they don't handle operations such as moving a mail to the trash using the keyboard: you will have to manually drag and drop the e-mail to the trash of the shared mailbox, otherwise it will end up in the trash of your own account. {0} just handle commands sent by mail software and cannot move messages in another trash that the one it is asked to use.
    • Shared mailboxes are not available in the mobile synchronisation (Exchange ActiveSync)
    • Although iOS devices display the shared mailbox in IMAP, they don't display messages.
  9. Stop sharing a mailbox
    You can stop sharing your mailbox at any time. Go to the Mailbox sharing, set the mouse on the person you wish to delete and click on the - icon. The changes are taken into account immediately.

Check external email addresses (POP3)

  1. POP or IMAP external address?
    If you have other email addresses, you can add them here to get and send messages with these. Most third-party email servers offer POP and IMAP.
    • Choose POP to gather all your email addresses in a single mailbox, the one provided by the Messages tool.
    • Choose IMAP to manage your email addresses in distinct mailboxes. Besides, IMAP makes it easier to manage a single mailbox from several accesses: Web interface, email software on your computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.
  2. Access to external email addresses
    Go to Settings, then Messages, then choose External addresses.
  3. Features
    ContactOffice can check most of external email addresses: POP3 (ISP), Google, Yahoo, etc. You can therefore gather all your email addresses in a single interface that you can use everywhere.

    You can set filters to organize your messages.

  4. Add a POP3 account
    In External addresses, click on New. Click on one of the main providers if your address comes from them; the server name and the connection security will be handled automatically.

    If your email address is linked with another server, click on Other (POP3). In this case, you have to manually enter the server name. We also advise a secure connection (if available).

    Be careful with the options: messages are deleted from the server by default. You will find more information about the options in this help section.

  5. Option: leave messages on the server
    Messages will be kept on the external server. Be careful when you activate this option, because it can cause two kinds of issues.

    On one hand, if the server is never cleaned up, your inbox might get full and therefore refuse new incoming messages. Be sure to regularly clean up your mailbox on the external server.

    On the other hand, to be able to tell which messages are new, ContactOffice stores a list of already downloaded messages. This list has a limited number of items. If the external server has more messages than the number of items the list can contain, the automatic check will be disabled and the manual check will fail.

  6. Option: download new messages only
    If you leave messages on the external server, be sure to enable this option, so that only new messages are downloaded.
  7. Option: automatic check
    Messages will be downloaded automatically, even if you're not logged in.
  8. Manual check
    Display the external address Actions and select Download this account only or click on Download all accounts in the menu bar to download all external addresses. A progress bar is displayed. You can cancel the download at any time by clicking on Cancel.

    Use automatic check to avoid the hassle of manual checks.

  9. Sender address for replies
    If you check external addresses with POP3, add these addresses in your Personal data. The right address will automatically be selected when you reply to a message.
  10. Edit a POP3 external address
    Editing may be necessary if a setting is wrong, if your password has changed or if you wish to change the options.

    Display the external address Actions and select Edit.

  11. Delete a POP3 external address
    Display the external address Actions and select Delete. Messages you already have downloaded are not affected by the external address destruction. If you had put it in your Personal data, you can delete it there as well.

Check external email addresses (IMAP)

  1. POP or IMAP external address?
    If you have other email addresses, you can add them here to get and send messages with these. Most third-party email servers offer POP and IMAP.
    • Choose POP to gather all your email addresses in a single mailbox, the one provided by the Messages tool.
    • Choose IMAP to manage your email addresses in distinct mailboxes. Besides, IMAP makes it easier to manage a single mailbox from several accesses: Web interface, email software on your computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.
  2. Features
    You can check mailboxes hosted on third-party IMAP server

    Using the IMAP client, messages are simply viewed in ContactOffice interface, but are not stored, to avoid duplicate storage. The third-party server is the only one to store the messages.

    It is normal that the IMAP client is a bit slow, because it must fetch the messages from the third-party server through Internet, which is much slower than fetching them from its own local servers.

    Messages you sent from ContactOffice are stored in the sent messages folder on the third-party server. When you write a message, make sure that the selected sender address is the one set-up in the remote server settings.

    The following features are available if the remote server handles them:

    • Tags (Note: in this case, a tag can't have spaces)
    • Search
    • Sort
    Note: This IMAP client without storage is not recommended for importing or exporting messages.
  3. Limitations
    Because messages are not stored in ContactOffice, the IMAP client has limitations. The following features are not available:
    • Read receipts
    • Filters
    • Comments on a message
    • Archiving
    • Threads
    • Import messages in a remote server

    Besides:

    • It is not possible to move a folder between an IMAP address and your main address. This feature is not designed for importing messages.
    • Messages with attachments are not displayed as such (no attachments icons)
    • Messages that have been answered or forwarded are displayed as such, but no longer than the current session.
    • To use the IMAP client, you need a main address in ContactOffice, even if you don't use it.
  4. Access to external email addresses
    Go to Settings, then Messages, then choose External addresses.
  5. Settings
    • In External addresses, click on New
    • Click on Other (IMAP).
    • In the email field, enter the exact email address on the remote server. This address will be automatically added in your personal data, so that you can send messages with it.
    • In the type field, choose between an IMAP or IMAP-S (secured) connection.
    • Finally, enter the remote server address, as well as your login and password.
    • Click on Save and tick the box in front of the remote server to activate it.
    When the set-up is done, a new folder appears in the Messages tool. Its name is the email address on the remote server.

    Note: Some IMAP servers store all folders in the Inbox. Therefore, ContactOffice will display messages from the Inbox in the main folder (the one called with the email address on the remote server) and not in a folder named "Inbox". The other folders will also appear in this main folder.

Access with POP3 software

  1. Features
    If your subscription allows it, you can check your mailbox with traditional software.
  2. Compatible software
    All POP3 software: Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.
  3. Software settings
    Create a new account in the email software using the following settings:
    • Username: USERNAME
    • POP3 account password: your ContactOffice password
    • POP3 server: pop.contactoffice.com
    • Port: 995
    • Security: TLS/SSL
    • Authentication: normal (also called LOGIN or PLAIN)
    These settings protect your password and secure communications.

    To get help about creating an account in your software, see your software documentation.

  4. SMTP relay
    With the SMTP relay (outgoing server), you don't have to change the SMTP server each time you connect to another network.

    Create a new account in the email software using the following settings:

    • Account: USERNAME
    • Password: your ContactOffice password
    • SMTP server: smtp.contactoffice.com
    • Port: 465
    • Security: TLS/SSL
    • Authentication: normal (also called LOGIN or PLAIN)
    These settings protect your password and secure communications.

    To get help about creating an account in your software, see your software documentation.

    Note: This SMTP relay must not be used for sending unsolicited email or for bulk emailing (solicited or unsolicited). To guarantee service quality, the number of messages you can send and the number of recipients per message are limited. In case of abuse, the administration will block your access to the SMTP relay without prior notice.

  5. POP3 access and Web interface
    If you configure the email software to leave the messages on the server, you will be able to access them anytime using the Web interface. Don't let your mailbox get full; otherwise incoming messages will be rejected.

    If you configure your software to delete the messages from the server, these will be moved to the Trash when you download them. You don't have to use the Web interface from time to time to empty the Trash: it will be automatically emptied if new incoming messages need the disk space occupied by the Trash.

    If you use filters that move messages to another folder, you won't be able to download these messages with your POP3 software. Messages in the "Spam?" folder won't be downloaded either: you have to connect to the Web interface from time to time to check if a valid message is stored in this folder. IMAP4 has not these limitations.

Access with IMAP4 software

  1. Features
    If your subscription allows it, you can check your mailbox with traditional software.

    Advantages of IMAP over POP3

    • IMAP allows you to access to all your messages (personal folders and sent messages included), while you can only get new messages in the Inbox with POP3. In others words, IMAP allows for a synchronization between ContactOffice and a mail software. The synchronization can be limited to the folders you frequently use. Besides, if you set up your software to download the complete message (not just headers), you can use your messaging offline.
    • IMAP always keeps the messages on the server. Depending on the circumstances, you access all your messages using ContactOffice Web interface or your mail software, without the risk of losing any message.
    • IMAP is faster because it downloads only the headers (sender, subject, etc.). When you want to read the message, the remaining content (message body and attachments) is downloaded. Your computer has therefore to be connected to the Internet if you want to read messages (except for the messages that have already been fully downloaded).
  2. Compatible software
    All IMAP4 software: Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.
  3. Software settings
    Create a new account in the email software using the following settings:
    • IMAP4 account: USERNAME
    • IMAP4 account password: your ContactOffice password
    • IMAP4 server: imap.contactoffice.com
    • Port: 993
    • Security: TLS/SSL
    • Authentication: normal (also called LOGIN or PLAIN)
    These settings protect your password and secure communications.

    To get help about creating an account in your software, see your software documentation.

    Tips

    • Because folder names are not standard, the software might detect only the Inbox and the Trash. Other special folders (Sent and Drafts) could fail to be detected and the software will create its own special folders. You can force the software to use the ContactOffice folders by changing the folder names settings to "Sent Items" (not "Sent") and "Drafts". In Outlook, display the IMAP account properties, select the IMAP tab and edit the folder name.
    • When Outlook first connects, only the Inbox is ticked for synchronization. Tick other folders if you want them to be synchronized as well.
    • When you answer an email using the software, the answer is stored in a folder name "Sent items". You can drag and drop this message to the ContactOffice "Sent" folder or edit your software settings to use the latter automatically.
  4. SMTP relay
    With the SMTP relay (outgoing server), you don't have to change the SMTP server each time you connect to another network.

    Create a new account in the email software using the following settings:

    • Account: USERNAME
    • Password: your ContactOffice password
    • SMTP server: smtp.contactoffice.com
    • Port: 465
    • Security: TLS/SSL
    • Authentication: normal (also called LOGIN or PLAIN)
    These settings protect your password and secure communications.

    To get help about creating an account in your software, see your software documentation.

    Note: This SMTP relay must not be used for sending unsolicited email or for bulk emailing (solicited or unsolicited). To guarantee service quality, the number of messages you can send and the number of recipients per message are limited. In case of abuse, the administration will block your access to the SMTP relay without prior notice.

  5. IMAP access and Web interface
    Using IMAP4 has no effect on the Web interface.

    When you delete a message in your software, its title appears crossed out in the ContactOffice Web interface. That means that the message has been deleted in the software but not on the server. To delete them on the server, use a special command in your software ("Empty deleted messages" in Outlook Edit menu).

  6. Import and export messages
    Using IMAP4, you can easily import emails that have already been received or sent using email software or, conversely, export received or sent emails to traditional software.

    In your software, messages are linked to an existing account; we'll call it usual account. Create another account (an IMAP4 account connecting to ContactOffice) and then move folders or messages from one account to the other using drag & drop. When you're done, delete the IMAP4 account.

    • Import messages: move the folders or messages from the usual account to the IMAP4 account.
    • Export messages to your software: move the folders or messages from the IMAP4 account to your usual account.

Mobile synchronization

  1. Features
    Synchronize your smartphone (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.) apps with the ContactOffice Messages, Calendars and Contacts. Access ContactOffice data directly in your phone apps (example: the iPhone Calendar app) and synchronize with them.

    You can synchronize several devices, ContactOffice being the synchronization server. Your subscription sets the number of devices you may synchronize.

    Should a problem occur during the synchronize process (lost connection, power failure, etc.), the next synchronization will assume that up-to-date data are on ContactOffice.

    This synchronization keeps the data already present in your smartphone.

  2. Local data and server data
    Data already present on your mobile device always remain. Data present on ContactOffice will be added in a different "layer": if you disable the mobile sync, this layer will disappear.

    Your device needs to know where the data you create has to be stored: in the device or on ContactOffice. For calendar and contacts, please make sure to select your ContactOffice account in the respective apps.
  3. iPhone/iPad
    1. Make sure you are connected to a reliable and fast network.
    2. Go to your device 'Settings'.
    3. Tap 'Passwords & Accounts'.
    4. Under 'Accounts', tap 'Add Account'.
    5. Tap 'Exchange'.
    6. Enter your ContactOffice email address and a description such as 'ContactOffice'
    7. Tap 'Next'
    8. An alert appears: "Sign in to your ContactOffice Exchange account using Microsoft?". Tap 'Configure Manually', as your ContactOffice account is not hosted on Microsoft servers.
    9. Enter your ContactOffice password.
    10. Tap 'Next'
    11. Enter the server: office.contactoffice.com. Enter the Username: USERNAME (your ContactOffice username)
    12. Tap 'Next' and your device will check the settings. By default, it will synchronize 5 data types (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders and Notes). Turn off Reminders and Notes because ContactOffice doesn't handle them. Turn off other tools if necessary.
      Tap 'Save'.
      At this point, data starts being synchronized. The time needed for the first synchronization to complete depends on the amount of data.
    13. By default, your device synchronizes Mail for 1 month. You can set a different setting in 'Passwords & Accounts' > 'ContactOffice' > 'Mail Days to Sync'.
    Note: help for iOS 12.
  4. Android (Samsung, etc.)
    As many versions of the Android platform coexist, it is impossible to give a step-by-step guide for each of them.

    As a general rule:

    1. Make sure you are connected to a reliable and fast network.
    2. Go to your device 'Settings'.
    3. Go to the 'Accounts' tab and tap on 'Accounts' under 'My accounts'.
    4. Tap on 'Add account'.
    5. Tap on 'Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync'.
    6. Enter connection settings for ContactOffice, probably in 'Manual settings':
      • email address: your ContactOffice email address
      • Login: USERNAME
      • Password: your ContactOffice password
      • Server: office.contactoffice.com
      • TLS/SSL: yes
    7. Your device now tries to communicate with the server.
      Note: It can take a few minutes for data to show up.
    8. Change the settings to your liking.
    9. Give a name to this connection and tap on 'Done'.
    10. The data sync starts.
      Otherwise, you can start it manually: go back to step 2 and 3 and then tap on 'Sync all'.
      The time needed for the first synchronization to complete is related to the amount of data.
  5. Other
    All devices and software that can synchronize with an Exchange server (ActiveSync protocol) can synchronize with ContactOffice:
    • Windows Mail (Windows 8 & Windows 10)
    • eM Client
    • etc.
    Use as settings your username (USERNAME) and ContactOffice password, your email address and as server name: office.contactoffice.com. Use a secure connection if it's available.

Synchronization with Outlook

  1. Features
    Outlook (>= 2013) can synchronize directly with ContactOffice.

    You can synchronize your mail, contacts and calendar between ContactOffice and Outlook. Data in ContactOffice will appear in Outlook, but in a separate account. Data already present in Outlook will not appear in ContactOffice, unless you import them in ContactOffice.

    Note: Outlook will disconnect from the server if something goes wrong with the sync. To reconnect to the server, select the "Send/Receive" tab, then click twice on the "Work Offline" button.

  2. Settings
    1. Select the "File" tab
    2. Select "Info" in the left column (if not already selected), then click on the "Add Account" button
    3. Select "Manual setup or additional server types". Click on "Next".
    4. Select "Outlook.com or Exchange ActiveSync compatible service". Click on "Next".
    5. Fill in your name, your email address, the server (office.contactoffice.com), your username (USERNAME) and ContactOffice password. Click on "Next"
    6. Click on "Finish"


    "The server cannot be found" (Outlook 2016)
    If you have entered the correct server value above and get the error "The server cannot be found" in Outlook 2016 (version 16.0.8431.2079 or later), it is because a Microsoft upgrade set your Outlook to connect to Office 365 using Simplified account creation". You can disable this behaviour by following the steps explained here.

Read receipts

  1. Definition
    A read receipt confirms that the message has been opened by the recipient, but it does not guarantee that the message was really read. Besides, the recipient is not obliged to send a read receipt, even if he/she has read the message. Their email software could also lack this feature.

    The read receipt is an email; its content changes according to the email software. Usually, its subject quotes the subject of the original message.

  2. Ask for a read receipt
    When writing a message, select the box Read receipt under More (on the right).
  3. Send a read receipt
    When an incoming message asks for a read receipt, the following text appears on top: "The sender of this message has asked to be notified when you read this message. Do you wish to send a read receipt?". Click on Yes or No.

Priorities

  1. Definition
    The priority of an email informs the recipient about the urgency of the message. It has no effect on the electronic mail servers: a message with high priority will not be sent faster.
  2. Set the priority
    When writing a message, select High priority in Plus (on the right).
  3. View the priority
    A message with a high or the highest priority is displayed with a red exclamation mark.

Tags

  1. What are tags for?
    Tags allow for organizing your data with labels such as Urgent, Important, etc. and/or by project, client, etc. The first step is to create your own tags.
  2. Access to the tags
    Select any data, display its Actions and select Tags.
  3. Create a tag
    Display the tags of any data and click on Add. Enter the new tag name and choose a colour (optional).
  4. Edit a tag
    Tag names cannot be edited. However, you can change their colours.
  5. Delete a tag
    In the left part of the screen, display the tag Actions and select Delete.
  6. Tag an item
    Select Tags in the item Actions. In the tag window, tick one or more checkboxes, depending on the tags you wish to set. Later, you will be able to select other tags or unselect the current ones.

    Another method: select a Tag on the left without releasing the mouse button and move it to the item (drag & drop). You can also start from the item and drop it on the Tag.

  7. Display data with a given tag
    There are two ways to do this:
    • Click on a tag in the left part of the screen. If the tag list is not displayed, open it by clicking on the triangle. To get back to the normal display, click on the current folder (My calendar, My contacts, etc.)
    • Open the advanced search and select a tag.
  8. Set a tag with the filters
    Filters can set a tag automatically on some conditions (sender, subject, etc.)
  9. Tags synchronisation with third-party software
    If you access your emails with third-party IMAP software that handle tags, these will be synchronised provided they exist both in the IMAP software and in ContactOffice. Tags won't be created automatically.

    Note: Outlook 2016 does not support tags (or categories).

Comments

  1. Add a comment
    You can add a comment to an email. It will be separate from the email itself and only you will view it.

    Select Comment in a message Actions. Messages with a comment appear with a special icon.

  2. Set a comment with the filters
    Filters can set a comment automatically on some conditions (sender, subject, etc.)

Antispam

  1. Definition
    The antispam acts at an email server level and scans every incoming message to automatically delete spam (unsolicited commercial emails).

    Filters are run after antispam: automatic reply (which is a special filter) won't answer to spam email.

  2. Notifications
    Messages considered as spam are automatically placed in the Spam? folder. Check from time to time that a valid message has not been considered as spam.
  3. Mark a message as not spam
    It happens that a normal message is flagged as spam and is therefore located in the Spam? folder. If you wish to report this message, select Mark in the Actions and then choose As not spam. The message is automatically moved to the Inbox and the system will improve over time.
  4. Mark an email as spam
    If a spam has not been detected as such and you wish to report it, select Mark in the Actions and then choose As spam. The message is automatically moved to the Spam? folder and the system will improve over time.
  5. Empty the Spam folder
    In the Spam folder Actions, select Delete all spams to delete them immediately, without moving them to the Trash.
  6. Whitelist
    No antispam filter will be applied to incoming messages from email addresses and domains in your white list: they will never be refused or end up in the Spam folder. Messages containing known viruses will still be refused.

    Warning: the whitelist contains email addresses and not persons: a spammer could use an email address in your whitelist as sender address.

    Go to Settings, then Messages and then Whitelist. Click on Add email address or domain.
    • To whitelist all email addresses of your organisation, simply add the right part of your email address (for instance: "company.com"). We advise not to add domains with millions of email address such as gmail.com
    • To whitelist a single sender, enter their email address
    • To completely disable antispam, tick the box labelled Disable antispam for all incoming emails.
  7. Spam folder and white list
    If you move a message from the Spam folder, you will be asked if you want to whitelist the sender email address or domain. No more emails sent by this address or domain will end up in the Spam folder then.

Import

  1. Import files
    This feature is currently not designed to import a large number of messages: the import file size is limited to 50 MB.

    You can import emails in the .eml format (Outlook).
    1. Store the .eml files in a folder named "mail"
    2. If you wish, store the .eml files in subfolders whose names match the interface folders names: "Inbox", "Sent", etc. If the subfolder does not exist, it will be automatically created.
    3. Zip the mail folder.
    4. Click on Import and select the zip file.
  2. Import and export messages
    Using IMAP4, you can easily import emails that have already been received or sent using email software or, conversely, export received or sent emails to traditional software.

    In your software, messages are linked to an existing account; we'll call it usual account. Create another account (an IMAP4 account connecting to ContactOffice) and then move folders or messages from one account to the other using drag & drop. When you're done, delete the IMAP4 account.

    • Import messages: move the folders or messages from the usual account to the IMAP4 account.
    • Export messages to your software: move the folders or messages from the IMAP4 account to your usual account.

Archiving

  1. Definition
    Archiving allows you to export messages to free disk space without deleting old messages.

    The messages are archived in a file with the .eml extension (Outlook format), compressed in a .zip file and placed in the Documents tool (provided enough space is available).

  2. Create an archive
    • Go to the folder (or subfolder) you want to archive the messages from.
    • If you only want to archive some messages, select them by selecting all appropriate boxes.
    • Then click on Archive and decide whether to archive only selected messages, all messages, or all messages in the folder older than a given date. An option allows you to delete all messages after archiving.
    • The archive is created automatically and is placed in the Documents tool, provided enough free space is available. The name of the archive file is its creation date but you can rename it.
  3. Use an archive
    You may store your archive in the Documents tool and/or download it to your computer.

    To read an archive, download it and open it with a double click. The list of all archived messages appears; they are in the .eml format (Outlook compatible). Open a message with a double click.

Print

  1. Print messages
    Display the message Actions and select Print.

Settings

  1. Access to Settings
    There are several ways to access the Settings:
    • From any tool, click on the "..." button in the Actions and then choose Settings.
    • Click on your name in the right upper part of the screen to display the menu and choose Settings.
    • In the horizontal toolbar, choose the Settings icon. Note: this icon has been removed in the latest versions.
  2. Display external images
    If there are external images in a message, i.e., images hosted on a server and not directly in the message, they are not displayed. Indeed, external images can inform the sender that you have opened the message. They can deduce from that, for instance, that your email address is valid and active. This is useful information for a spammer.

    However, if you wish external images to be always displayed, activate this option.

  3. Compact mode
    In compact mode, the messages list in a folder displays a larger number of messages, because each of them is reduced to one line instead of two.
  4. Automatic transfer
    Enter an email address next to Automatic forwarding. The forwarded messages are automatically deleted.

    To cancel the automatic forwarding, erase the address you typed in.

    Warning: Check that you do not create a loop! If the address you enter for automatic forwarding forwards to the first email address, this will create a loop and will end up in an unbridled multiplication of messages. If you check an external POP3 address and forward all incoming messages to that same address, this will create a loop as well.

  5. Away message
    Enable the away message when you won't be able to access your email for some time (vacation, travel, etc.). You can set the start and end dates. You can also edit the default subject and message. We advise to enter a personal message to inform senders of your return date, who they should contact for urgent matters, etc.
  6. Email notification
    Incoming emails can be notified to your primary external email address. Select "Once" to be notified if at least one new email has arrived or select "Each email" to be notified for each incoming email. Spam messages do not trigger notifications, unless senders are whitelisted.

    If you wish to be notified for some recipients or subjects only, create a filter instead.
  7. SMS notification
    Incoming emails can be notified to your mobile phone number. Select "Once" to be notified if at least one new email has arrived, or select "Each email" to be notified for each incoming email. Spam messages do not trigger notifications, unless senders are whitelisted.

    If you wish to be notified for some recipients or subjects only, create a filter instead.

Account

  1. Maximum incoming message size
    Whatever your subscription, an incoming message may not exceed 50 MB.

    The maximum size for an incoming message (text and attachments) is also set by the available space in your mailbox, depending on both the available disk space for your subscription and on the space you have already used. A gauge appears below the folders list.

    To increase the available space, archive or delete old messages or get a higher subscription level.

  2. Email address suffixes ("plus addressing")
    You can give to someone or enter in a Web form a suffixed email address, so that you are aware if your email address has been transmitted to a third party. If your email address has the form firstname.lastname@example.com, a suffixed address has the form firstname.lastname+suffix@example.com. Example: with john.smith@example.com, you can use john.smith+amazon@example.com. This feature is known as "plus addressing" or "sub addressing".
  3. Alias
    An alias is a second email address for one and only account.

Email address with your own domain name

  1. What is an email address with own domain?
    Instead of an email address created on the ContactOffice domain name, you may use your own domain directly on our servers. Our servers will then become the official email servers of your domain name.

    Conditions

    • You must own a domain name. We do not sell domain names: if you don't have one, contact a reseller.
    • You must have a paid subscription.

    Implications

    • You keep your email address with the ContactOffice domain and the address with your own domain name is added as an alias.
    • All emails sent to whatever address of your domain name will end up on our servers: it is therefore not possible to transfer only certain addresses.
  2. Add an email domain
    Go to Settings > Messages and then Email domains. Click on Add an email domain. Enter a domain name. Choose a validation method to prove that you own the domain: add a file on the domain website or a record in the DNS. Follow the instructions on the screen and click on Validate.

    Once the domain is validated, the next steps will appear in the wizard: email servers for your domain (MX) and precautions to prevent sending messages by a third-party (SPF, DKIM and DMARC). Follow the instructions in the wizard.

    Your subscription sets the number of email domains you may add.
  3. Delete an email domain
    You can delete an email domain only if there are no email addresses using it in ContactOffice. If there are still addresses using the domain, you may keep the accounts but you will need to replace these.

    In the domains list, bring the pointer on the domain and click the deletion icon.
  4. Replace your own email address with an address on your domain
    If your main address is on the ContactOffice domain, you can replace it by an address on one of your domains.

    First, create the domain in your ContactOffice account. Then:
    • If you have no Users and don't plan to have any: please contact support.
    • If you have Users: go to Settings > Administration > Users. Select your account and edit your email address.

      Note: if you have just validated your email domain, you will need to log out and log in again for the users list to be displayed.
    If you wish to keep your ContactOffice address, recreate it as an alias.
 

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