Microsoft Outlook

Connect to Microsoft Outlook via MS Graph API to read and send emails directly from your FlowX.AI processes, using Azure AD authentication for native Outlook integration.

Available starting with FlowX.AI 5.5.0

Microsoft Outlook is a new data source type that connects to Microsoft Outlook mailboxes via the MS Graph API, enabling both email monitoring (read) and sending capabilities through a single data source.

Overview

Microsoft Outlook is a data source type in Integration Designer that provides native Outlook connectivity through the Microsoft Graph API. Unlike the Email Trigger (IMAP) and Email Sender (SMTP) data sources, Microsoft Outlook uses Azure AD authentication and the MS Graph API for a unified read and send experience.

Use cases include:

• Email-triggered workflows: Automatically start processes when emails arrive in an Outlook mailbox
• Customer communication: Send emails and replies directly from business processes
• Document processing: Trigger workflows when emails with attachments are received
• Unified inbox management: Read and send from the same data source configuration

Microsoft Outlook supports three scope modes:

• Read Emails — monitor a mailbox and trigger processes
• Send Emails — send emails from processes via notification templates
• Read & Send Emails — both capabilities in a single data source

When to use Microsoft Outlook vs Email Trigger / Email Sender

FlowX.AI offers two ways to connect to email: Microsoft Outlook (MS Graph API) and Email Trigger / Email Sender (IMAP/SMTP). Choose based on your mail provider and requirements.

	Microsoft Outlook	Email Trigger + Email Sender
Protocol	MS Graph API	IMAP (read) + SMTP (send)
Authentication	Azure AD (client credentials)	Username + password / app password
Read + Send	Single data source (Read & Send scope)	Two separate data sources
Reply threading	Native — uses MS Graph message ID to maintain conversation threads	Manual — requires Message-ID header forwarding
Provider support	Microsoft 365 / Outlook only	Any IMAP/SMTP-compatible mail server
Best for	Organizations using Microsoft 365	Gmail, on-premise mail servers, or mixed environments

If your organization uses Microsoft 365, the Outlook data source is the recommended approach. It simplifies configuration by combining read and send into a single data source with Azure AD authentication.

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How it works

1. Register an Azure AD app

   Create an app registration in Azure AD with the required MS Graph permissions for your scope.

2. Create a Microsoft Outlook data source

   Configure the connection in Integration Designer with your Azure AD credentials and select the desired scope.

3. Connect to processes

   For Read scope: link to a Message Start Event node and activate from Manage Triggers. For Send scope: link to a notification template and use the Send Notification action.

4. Process emails

   FlowX.AI monitors the mailbox (Read) or sends emails (Send) through the MS Graph API.

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Creating a Microsoft Outlook data source

Prerequisites

Before configuring a Microsoft Outlook data source, ensure you have:

• Access to Integration Designer with appropriate permissions
• An Azure AD app registration with the required MS Graph API permissions:

Scope	Required permissions (any one)
Read Emails	Mail.Read, Mail.ReadBasic, or Mail.ReadWrite
Send Emails	Mail.Send or Mail.ReadWrite
Read & Send Emails	One read permission + one send permission

• Azure AD credentials: Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret

MS Graph permissions must be configured as Application permissions (not Delegated) in your Azure AD app registration, since the connection uses client credentials flow.

Step 1: Access Integration Designer

1. Navigate to FlowX Designer → Your workspace → Projects → Your project → Integrations → Data Sources
2. Click the + button to open the Add Data Source dialog
3. Select Microsoft Outlook as the data source type

Step 2: Configure authentication

Tenant ID · string · required

The Azure AD tenant ID for your organization.

This field accepts configuration parameters. Use ${configParam} syntax to reference environment-specific values.

Client ID · string · required

The application (client) ID from your Azure AD app registration.

This field accepts configuration parameters for environment-specific credentials.

Client Secret · string · required

The client secret generated in your Azure AD app registration.

Store sensitive credentials in configuration parameters and reference them here using ${configParam} syntax.

Step 3: Test the connection

Click the Test Connection button to verify your Azure AD credentials:

Result	Message	Action
✅ Success	”Established connection”	Proceed to configure scope
❌ Error	”Failed to establish connection”	Check Azure AD credentials and permissions

The data source can be created even if the test connection fails. If the test fails on creation, you will be redirected to the Authorization tab with a failed connection message instead of the Settings page.

Step 4: Configure scope and email

Scope · select · required

The email capabilities for this data source:

Option	Description
Read Emails	Monitor a mailbox and trigger processes when emails arrive
Send Emails	Send emails from processes via notification templates
Read & Send Emails	Both read and send capabilities

Email Address · string · required

The email address of the mailbox to monitor or send from.

Validation: Must be a valid email format.

This field accepts configuration parameters for environment-specific values.

Step 5: Name and description

Name · string · required

A unique, descriptive name for the Microsoft Outlook data source.

Validation rules:

• Required field
• Must be unique within the project
• Only letters, numbers, and these characters allowed: [], (), ., _, -
• Minimum 3 characters, maximum 50 characters

Description · string

Optional description explaining the purpose of this data source.

Click Create to save the data source.

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Settings page

After creating the data source, configure monitoring and validation settings in the Settings tab. The available settings depend on the selected scope.

Read scope settings

For data sources with Read Emails or Read & Send Emails scope:

Filtering criteria

Email Address · string

The email address that will be monitored. Editable after creation.

This field accepts configuration parameters.

Mailbox Folder · string

The mailbox folder to monitor for incoming emails.

Default: Inbox

Supported well-known folder names:

• Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Deleted, Junk, Archive, Outbox

This field accepts configuration parameters for environment-specific folder names.

Scope · string

Displays the scope selected during creation. This field is read-only.

Attachment validations

Toggle ON the Add validations to Attachments option to configure validation rules for incoming email attachments.

If any validation fails, the email will not be processed and a warning will appear in the Failed Triggers section in Runtime.

Allowed File Types · array

Restrict which attachment file types are accepted:

Type	Extensions
PDF	.pdf
DOCUMENT	.doc, .docx, .txt
IMAGE	.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .tif, .tiff
EXCEL	.xls, .xlsx, .csv
ZIP	.zip

Leave empty to accept all file types.

Maximum File Size · number

Maximum allowed size per attachment file.

Maximum: 25 MB

Maximum File Count · number

Maximum number of attachments allowed per email.

All fields in the Settings section accept configuration parameters, enabling environment-specific configurations.

Send scope settings

For data sources with Send Emails scope only, the Settings tab shows a simplified view:

Email Address · string

The email address used as the sender (“From” address) for outgoing emails.

Scope · string

Displays the scope selected during creation. This field is read-only.

Send-only data sources do not display the Mailbox Folder or Attachment Validations fields, since those apply only to the Read scope. Sent emails are automatically saved to the Sent Items folder.

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Authorization page

The Authorization tab displays the Azure AD credentials and allows you to update them or re-test the connection:

Tenant ID · string · required

Azure AD tenant ID.

Client ID · string · required

Azure AD application (client) ID.

Client Secret · string · required

Azure AD client secret.

Click Test Connection to verify the credentials. The test validates both the authentication and the required MS Graph permissions for the configured scope.

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Connecting to processes

Reading emails (process trigger)

To trigger processes when emails arrive:

1. Configure the Message Start Event

   Open your process definition and add a Message Start Event (Start Catch Message) node.

2. Select Microsoft Outlook as trigger type

   In the node configuration, set Trigger Type to Microsoft Outlook. Then select the Microsoft Outlook data source (only data sources with Read or Read & Send scope are shown).

3. Activate the trigger

   Navigate to Runtime Settings → Manage Triggers and activate the trigger.

The trigger must be activated from Manage Triggers in Runtime Settings before email monitoring begins.

The Microsoft Outlook data source polls for new emails every 30 seconds by default, using the same polling scheduler as the Email Trigger (configurable via EMAIL_GATEWAY_IMAP_POLLING_INTERVAL). Each polling cycle processes up to 50 messages (configurable via EMAIL_GATEWAY_MS_GRAPH_MAX_MESSAGES_PER_POLL). Emails with the same timestamp as the last processed email are deduplicated automatically using their internet message ID.

Sending emails (notification template)

To send emails from processes:

1. Link to a notification template

   Open a notification template and set Email Server to Predefined Email Connection. Select the Microsoft Outlook data source (only data sources with Send or Read & Send scope are shown).

2. Add a Send Notification action

   Add a Send Notification action to a process node and select the notification template.

Replying to received emails

Microsoft Outlook supports replying to emails received via the Read scope, maintaining the original conversation thread in the recipient’s inbox.

1. Configure the Send Notification action

   Add a Send Notification action to a process node. In the action configuration, turn on the Reply to received emails toggle.

2. Set the Reply to Email Header

   Specify the process key that holds the original email’s header parameters (e.g., emailMessage.headerParams). This is required when the reply toggle is on.

3. Configure recipients (optional)

   By default, the reply is sent to the original sender. You can override this by adding explicit Receivers, CC, or BCC addresses. Duplicate recipients are automatically removed.

The reply mechanism uses the x-ms-graph-message-id header from the original email to thread the reply correctly. If this header is not available, the system falls back to the standard Message-ID header and looks up the original message via the MS Graph API. Sent replies are automatically saved to the Sent Items folder.

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Email data schema

When an email triggers a process, the following data structure is available in your process variables:

{
  "emailMessage": {
    "subject": "Support Request #12345",
    "dateTime": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "sender": "[e-mail]",
    "body": "Email body content...",
    "fileAttachments": [
      {
        "filePath": "email-attachments/proc-123/invoice.pdf",
        "downloadPath": "/api/internal/files/uuid-456/download"
      }
    ],
    "headerParams": {
      "Message-ID": "<[e-mail]>",
      "x-ms-graph-message-id": "AAMk..."
    }
  }
}

Schema fields

Field	Type	Description
subject	string	Email subject line
dateTime	string (ISO 8601)	Timestamp when email was received
sender	string	Sender’s email address
body	string	Email body content
fileAttachments	array	List of attachment metadata objects
fileAttachments[].filePath	string	Storage path in Document Plugin
fileAttachments[].downloadPath	string	API path to download the file
headerParams.Message-ID	string	Standard email message identifier
headerParams.x-ms-graph-message-id	string	MS Graph message ID (used for replies)

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Managing triggers at runtime

Manage Triggers

Navigate to Runtime Settings → Manage Triggers to view and control Microsoft Outlook email triggers.

Column	Description
State	Current status: Active or Inactive
Process Name	The process definition linked to this trigger
Trigger Type	”Email Trigger” for Microsoft Outlook email triggers
Event Name	The Microsoft Outlook data source name
Location	Project and branch information

Activation requirements

For a Microsoft Outlook trigger to appear in Manage Triggers:

1. Microsoft Outlook data source must be created with Read or Read & Send scope
2. Data source must be linked to a Message Start Event node
3. The process must be part of a build in the Active Policy

Failed Triggers

When emails fail validation or processing errors occur, they appear in the Failed Triggers section under Runtime Settings.

Failed triggers display the timestamp, trigger name, cause type, context (e.g., sender address), and detailed error messages. Click a row to open the details page with full diagnostic information.

Common failure causes

File type not permitted

Message: “The file {filename} could not be uploaded because it is not on the list of permitted file types.”

Resolution: Update the Allowed File Types in the data source Settings tab, or ask the sender to use an accepted format.

File size exceeded

Message: “{filename} is too large. Maximum allowed: 25 MB”

Resolution: The attachment exceeds the configured maximum file size. Ask the sender to reduce the file size.

File count exceeded

Message: “File limit exceeded. For this trigger there is a limit of {limit} per email.”

Resolution: The email has more attachments than allowed. Ask the sender to split attachments across multiple emails.

Authentication failure

Message: “MS Graph connection failed: [error details]”

Resolution: Azure AD credentials may have expired or been revoked. The system retries once on 401/403 errors by refreshing the cached client. If the retry also fails, go to the Authorization tab, verify the Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret, and click Test Connection. Regenerate the client secret in Azure AD if it has expired.

Missing permissions

Message: “MS Graph application is missing required permissions: [list]. Please add these as Application permissions in Azure AD and grant admin consent.”

Resolution: The Azure AD app registration is missing one or more required MS Graph permissions. Add the listed permissions as Application permissions (not Delegated) in the Azure portal and ensure admin consent has been granted.

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Use case: document processing with auto-reply

This example walks through a complete email-triggered workflow: an email with an attachment arrives, the process extracts and classifies the document, then replies to the sender with a confirmation.

1. Create a Microsoft Outlook data source

   Configure a data source with Read & Send Emails scope, pointed at your intake mailbox (e.g., [e-mail]). Set attachment validations to accept PDF and DOCUMENT types with a 25 MB size limit.

2. Design the process

   Create a process with a Message Start Event node configured to trigger from the Outlook data source. The email data is available in process variables under emailMessage.

3. Access email data in downstream nodes

   Use the email schema fields in Script or Business Rule nodes to route the process:

   // Access email fields in a Script node
   var subject = input.get("emailMessage").get("subject");
   var sender = input.get("emailMessage").get("sender");
   var attachments = input.get("emailMessage").get("fileAttachments");
   
   // Route based on subject keywords
   if (subject.contains("invoice")) {
       output.put("documentType", "INVOICE");
   } else {
       output.put("documentType", "GENERAL");
   }
   
4. Process the attachment

   Use the fileAttachments[].downloadPath to retrieve the file from the Document Plugin for classification, data extraction, or storage.

5. Reply to the sender

   Add a Send Notification action with the Reply to received emails toggle turned on. Set the reply header to emailMessage.headerParams. The reply is threaded under the original email in the sender’s inbox.

6. Activate the trigger

   Navigate to Runtime Settings → Manage Triggers and activate the trigger to begin monitoring.

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Best practices

Use configuration parameters

Store Azure AD credentials (Tenant ID, Client ID, Client Secret) in configuration parameters for secure, environment-specific management.

Set appropriate validations

Configure file type, size, and count limits for Read scope to prevent processing of unwanted or oversized attachments.

Monitor failed triggers

Regularly review the Failed Triggers section to identify issues with email processing or connection problems.

Use least-privilege permissions

Grant only the minimum required MS Graph permissions for your scope. Use Mail.Read instead of Mail.ReadWrite if you only need read access.

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Troubleshooting

Connection test fails

Common causes:

• Invalid credentials: Verify Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret in Azure AD
• Missing permissions: Ensure the app registration has the required MS Graph application permissions
• Permissions not consented: Admin consent may be required for application permissions
• Expired client secret: Generate a new client secret in Azure AD

Emails not triggering processes

Check:

1. Does the data source have Read or Read & Send scope?
2. Is the trigger Active in Manage Triggers?
3. Is the correct mailbox folder configured?
4. Do incoming emails pass attachment validation rules?
5. Review Failed Triggers for error details

Emails not sending

Check:

1. Does the data source have Send or Read & Send scope?
2. Is the data source linked to a notification template?
3. Is the notification template’s Email Server set to Predefined Email Connection?
4. Does the Azure AD app have Mail.Send permission?
5. Review process instance logs for error details

Permission errors

Required MS Graph application permissions by scope:

Scope	Required permission
Read	Mail.Read, Mail.ReadBasic, or Mail.ReadWrite
Send	Mail.Send or Mail.ReadWrite

Ensure:

• Permissions are set as Application (not Delegated)
• Admin consent has been granted
• The app registration is in the correct Azure AD tenant

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Related resources

Email Trigger

Configure IMAP connections to trigger processes from incoming emails

Email Sender

Configure SMTP connections to send emails from processes

Send Notification Action

Send emails and reply to received emails from process nodes

Message Start Event

Configure message-based and email-based process triggers

Integration Designer

Learn about other data source types and workflow creation

Configuration Parameters

Use environment variables for flexible configurations