Import Message with Front API on New Email from IMAP API

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New Email from the IMAP API

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Import Message with the Front API

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Getting Started#

This integration creates a workflow with a IMAP trigger and Front action. When you configure and deploy the workflow, it will run on Pipedream's servers 24x7 for free.

Select this integration
Configure the New Email trigger
1. Connect your IMAP account
2. Configure Polling interval
3. Select a Mailbox
Configure the Import Message action
1. Connect your Front account
2. Select a Inbox ID
3. Configure Handle
4. Optional- Configure Name
5. Optional- Select a Author ID
6. Configure To
7. Optional- Configure CC
8. Optional- Configure BCC
9. Optional- Configure Subject
10. Configure Body
11. Select a Body Format
12. Configure External ID
13. Configure Created At
14. Optional- Select a Type
15. Optional- Select a Assignee ID
16. Optional- Select one or more Tag IDs
17. Optional- Select a Thread Ref
18. Configure Is Inbound
19. Optional- Configure Is Archive
20. Optional- Configure Should Skip Rules
Deploy the workflow
Send a test event to validate your setup
Turn on the trigger

Details#

This integration uses pre-built, source-available components from Pipedream's GitHub repo. These components are developed by Pipedream and the community, and verified and maintained by Pipedream.

To contribute an update to an existing component or create a new component, create a PR on GitHub. If you're new to Pipedream component development, you can start with quickstarts for trigger span and action development, and then review the component API reference.

Trigger#

New Email on IMAP

Description:Emit new event for each new email in a mailbox

Version:0.0.4

Key:imap-new-email

View on GitHub

IMAP Overview#

Using Pipedream's IMAP API, developers can automate interactions with their email inbox, enabling serverless workflows that perform actions based on incoming emails. This could include parsing email contents, triggering events upon receiving emails from specific senders, attaching labels, and much more. By leveraging IMAP, Pipedream can act as a bridge between your email and other services, streamlining processes that would otherwise require manual intervention.

Trigger Code#

import imap from "../../imap.app.mjs";
import { DEFAULT_POLLING_SOURCE_TIMER_INTERVAL } from "@pipedream/platform";

/**
 * Creates an IMAP server connection and emits emails added to a mailbox after the last emitted
 * email.
 */
export default {
  key: "imap-new-email",
  name: "New Email",
  description: "Emit new event for each new email in a mailbox",
  version: "0.0.4",
  type: "source",
  dedupe: "unique",
  props: {
    imap,
    db: "$.service.db",
    timer: {
      label: "Polling interval",
      description:
        "Pipedream will poll the IMAP server for new emails at this interval",
      type: "$.interface.timer",
      default: {
        intervalSeconds: DEFAULT_POLLING_SOURCE_TIMER_INTERVAL,
      },
    },
    mailbox: {
      propDefinition: [
        imap,
        "mailbox",
      ],
    },
  },
  methods: {
    _getLastUid(mailbox) {
      return this.db.get(`lastUid-${mailbox}`);
    },
    _setLastUid(mailbox, lastUid) {
      this.db.set(`lastUid-${mailbox}`, lastUid);
    },
    _getUidValidity(mailbox) {
      return this.db.get(`uidValidity-${mailbox}`);
    },
    _setUidValidity(mailbox, uidValidity) {
      this.db.set(`uidValidity-${mailbox}`, uidValidity);
    },
    _handleUidValidityChange(mailbox, uidValidity) {
      this._setUidValidity(mailbox, uidValidity);
      this._setLastUid(mailbox, null);
    },
    hasNewMessages(box) {
      const lastUid = this._getLastUid(box.name);
      return !lastUid || box.uidnext > lastUid + 1;
    },
    generateMeta(message) {
      const date = message.attributes?.date ?? new Date();
      const ts = Date.parse(date);
      return {
        id: `${message.attributes?.uid}-${ts}`,
        ts,
        summary: message.mail?.subject,
      };
    },
    processMessage(message) {
      const lastUid = message.attributes?.uid ?? lastUid;
      this._setLastUid(this.mailbox, lastUid);
      this.$emit(message.mail, this.generateMeta(message));
    },
    async processMessageStream(stream) {
      for await (const message of stream) {
        this.processMessage(message);
      }
    },
    async getHistoricalEvents() {
      const { mailbox } = this;
      const connection = await this.imap.getConnection();
      try {
        const box = await this.imap.openMailbox(connection, mailbox);
        const startSeqno = box.messages.total > 25
          ? box.messages.total - 24
          : 1;
        const messageStream = this.imap.fetchMessages(connection, {
          startSeqno,
        });
        await this.processMessageStream(messageStream);
      } finally {
        await this.imap.closeConnection(connection);
      }
    },
  },
  hooks: {
    async deploy() {
      await this.getHistoricalEvents();
    },
  },
  async run() {
    const { mailbox } = this;
    const connection = await this.imap.getConnection();

    try {
      const box = await this.imap.openMailbox(connection, mailbox);

      const uidValidity = this._getUidValidity(box.name);
      if (uidValidity !== box.uidvalidity) {
        this._handleUidValidityChange(box.name, box.uidvalidity);
      }

      if (!this.hasNewMessages(box)) {
        console.log("No new messages since last run");
        return;
      }

      const lastUid = this._getLastUid(box.name);

      // Fetch messages after lastUid if it exists, or most recent message otherwise
      const messageStream = this.imap.fetchMessages(connection, {
        startUid: lastUid && lastUid + 1,
        startSeqno: box.messages.total,
      });
      await this.processMessageStream(messageStream);
    } finally {
      await this.imap.closeConnection(connection);
    }
  },
};

Trigger Configuration#

This component may be configured based on the props defined in the component code. Pipedream automatically prompts for input values in the UI and CLI.

Label	Prop	Type	Description
IMAP	`imap`	`app`	This component uses the IMAP app.
N/A	`db`	`$.service.db`	This component uses `$.service.db` to maintain state between executions.
Polling interval	`timer`	`$.interface.timer`	Pipedream will poll the IMAP server for new emails at this interval
Mailbox	`mailbox`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu.

Trigger Authentication#

IMAP uses API keys for authentication. When you connect your IMAP account, Pipedream securely stores the keys so you can easily authenticate to IMAP APIs in both code and no-code steps.

Below are the required fields to connect your IMAP account to Pipedream:

host: Enter the host Pipedream should connect to. Refer to your email provider's IMAP instructions if you aren't sure what to enter.
email: Enter the email address you use to sign in to the account you'd like to connect.
password: This is the password you use to sign in to your email account. Note: in order to connect a Gmail account, you must use an App Password.
port: Specify the port number, either 143 (default) or 993. Refer to your email provider's IMAP instructions if you aren't sure which to use.

For Gmail accounts, refer to these instructions.

About IMAP#

Connect Pipedream to any IMAP email provider to trigger custom workflows.

Action#

Import Message on Front

Description:Appends a new message into an inbox. [See the docs here](https://dev.frontapp.com/reference/import-inbox-message).

Version:0.1.6

Key:frontapp-import-message

View on GitHub

Front Overview#

The Front API empowers you to automate the handling of your team's email inbox, collaborate on conversations, and streamline communication workflows. By harnessing this API on Pipedream, you can craft custom integrations that trigger actions in Front in response to events, synchronize data across platforms, and augment your team's productivity with automated tasks. This can include creating or updating conversations and contacts, managing tags, or firing off custom automation rules within Front.

Action Code#

import utils from "../../common/utils.mjs";
import frontApp from "../../frontapp.app.mjs";

export default {
  key: "frontapp-import-message",
  name: "Import Message",
  description: "Appends a new message into an inbox. [See the docs here](https://dev.frontapp.com/reference/import-inbox-message).",
  version: "0.1.6",
  type: "action",
  props: {
    frontApp,
    inboxId: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "inboxId",
      ],
    },
    handle: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Handle",
      description: "Handle used to reach the contact. Can be an email address, a twitter, handle, a phone number, custom handle ...",
    },
    name: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Name",
      description: "Name of the contact.",
      optional: true,
    },
    authorId: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "teammateId",
      ],
      label: "Author ID",
      description: "ID of the teammate who is the author of the message. Ignored if the message is inbound.",
      optional: true,
    },
    to: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "to",
      ],
    },
    cc: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "cc",
      ],
    },
    bcc: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "bcc",
      ],
    },
    subject: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Subject",
      description: "Subject of the message.",
      optional: true,
    },
    body: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Body",
      description: "Body of the message.",
    },
    bodyFormat: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "bodyFormat",
      ],
    },
    externalId: {
      type: "string",
      label: "External ID",
      description: "External identifier of the message. Front won't import two messages with the same external ID.",
    },
    createdAt: {
      type: "integer",
      label: "Created At",
      description: "Date at which the message has been sent or received. A timestamp is expected as in `1655507769`",
      default: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
    },
    type: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Type",
      description: "Type of the message to import. Can be one of: `email`, `sms`, `intercom`, `custom`. (Default: `email`)",
      optional: true,
      options: [
        "email",
        "sms",
        "intercom",
        "custom",
      ],
    },
    assigneeId: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "teammateId",
      ],
      label: "Assignee ID",
      description: "ID of the teammate who will be assigned to the conversation.",
      optional: true,
    },
    tags: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "tagIds",
      ],
      optional: true,
      description: "List of tag names to add to the conversation (unknown tags will automatically be created)",
    },
    threadRef: {
      propDefinition: [
        frontApp,
        "threadRef",
      ],
    },
    isInbound: {
      type: "boolean",
      label: "Is Inbound",
      description: "Whether or not the message is received (inbound) or sent (outbound) by you",
    },
    isArchive: {
      type: "boolean",
      label: "Is Archive",
      description: "Whether or not the message should be directly archived once imported. (Default: true)",
      optional: true,
    },
    shouldSkipRules: {
      type: "boolean",
      label: "Should Skip Rules",
      description: "Whether or not the rules should apply to this message. (Default: true)",
      optional: true,
    },
  },
  async run({ $ }) {
    const {
      inboxId,
      handle,
      name,
      authorId,
      subject,
      body,
      bodyFormat,
      externalId,
      createdAt,
      type,
      assigneeId,
      threadRef,
      isArchive,
      isInbound,
      shouldSkipRules,
    } = this;

    const to = utils.parse(this.to);
    const cc = utils.parse(this.cc);
    const bcc = utils.parse(this.bcc);
    const tags = utils.parse(this.tags);

    const data = {
      sender: {
        author_id: authorId,
        name,
        handle,
      },
      to,
      cc,
      bcc,
      subject,
      body,
      body_format: bodyFormat,
      external_id: externalId,
      created_at: createdAt,
      type,
      assignee_id: assigneeId,
      tags,
      metadata: {
        thread_ref: threadRef,
        is_inbound: isInbound,
        is_archived: isArchive,
        should_skip_rules: shouldSkipRules,
      },
    };

    const response =
      await this.frontApp.importMessage({
        inboxId,
        data,
      });

    const { message_uid: messageId } = response;

    $.export("$summary", `Successfully imported message with ID ${messageId}`);

    return response;
  },
};

Action Configuration#

This component may be configured based on the props defined in the component code. Pipedream automatically prompts for input values in the UI.

Label	Prop	Type	Description
Front	`frontApp`	`app`	This component uses the Front app.
Inbox ID	`inboxId`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu.
Handle	`handle`	`string`	Handle used to reach the contact. Can be an email address, a twitter, handle, a phone number, custom handle ...
Name	`name`	`string`	Name of the contact.
Author ID	`authorId`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu.
To	`to`	`string[]`	List of recipient handles who received the message.
CC	`cc`	`string[]`	List of recipient handles who received a copy of the message.
BCC	`bcc`	`string[]`	List of the recipeient handles who received a blind copy of the message.
Subject	`subject`	`string`	Subject of the message.
Body	`body`	`string`	Body of the message.
Body Format	`bodyFormat`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu:`htmlmarkdown`
External ID	`externalId`	`string`	External identifier of the message. Front won't import two messages with the same external ID.
Created At	`createdAt`	`integer`	Date at which the message has been sent or received. A timestamp is expected as in `1655507769`
Type	`type`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu:`emailsmsintercomcustom`
Assignee ID	`assigneeId`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu.
Tag IDs	`tags`	`string[]`	Select a value from the drop down menu.
Thread Ref	`threadRef`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu.
Is Inbound	`isInbound`	`boolean`	Whether or not the message is received (inbound) or sent (outbound) by you
Is Archive	`isArchive`	`boolean`	Whether or not the message should be directly archived once imported. (Default: true)
Should Skip Rules	`shouldSkipRules`	`boolean`	Whether or not the rules should apply to this message. (Default: true)

Action Authentication#

Front uses OAuth authentication. When you connect your Front account, Pipedream will open a popup window where you can sign into Front and grant Pipedream permission to connect to your account. Pipedream securely stores and automatically refreshes the OAuth tokens so you can easily authenticate any Front API.

Pipedream requests the following authorization scopes when you connect your account: