# Set up and qualify the sending mailbox

Connect the intended mailbox, inspect test evidence and control real-provider qualification.

Source: https://help.smartfact.ai/manuals/purchasing/mailbox-setup

Review edition: 25 October 2026

Roles: owner

An owner configures **Sending** at the real Purchasing site with recent Accounts verification. The mailbox supplies permission to send; supplier rules, approved documents and a supervisor's order decisions remain separate. Follow [sending orders](/manuals/purchasing/sending) for the operational communication.

## Connect the intended organisation mailbox

Open **Sending**. Under **Connect a mailbox**, or **Reconnect or replace the mailbox**, choose an available **Provider** and enter **Mailbox email address**. The offered providers are Microsoft 365 or Outlook, and Google Workspace or Gmail. If neither is configured for this installation, ask the installation administrator; the manual sending route remains available.

Choose **Continue to provider consent**. Select the same mailbox at the provider's consent screen. Your mail administrator may need to approve the consent. The permission is for sending mail and renewing that permission; Purchasing does not read messages. Check the returned mailbox and provider rather than assuming any signed-in provider account is the intended sender.

When replacing a connection, the earlier connection remains until the replacement completes. The replacement needs its own accepted test. If a token refresh remains in progress or was interrupted, investigate the connection and reconnect when needed; do not treat an old ready badge as current permission.

## Queue and inspect one test

When the current connection offers **Send a test**, enter an authorised **Test recipient email** and choose **Queue test message**. This sends a fixed test message with no supplier order or attachment. It is a real communication when the installation's provider transport is active, so agree the recipient and purpose first.

Read **Recent test messages** and use **Refresh outcomes**. Queued, preparing or attempting states are still in progress. Provider acceptance is not confirmed delivery, reading or supplier acknowledgement. An unknown outcome needs investigation before deliberately queueing another test. If the command itself has an unconfirmed result, recover its original action through [uncertain results](/manuals/purchasing/uncertain-results).

## Record the actual provider qualification

Read **Mailbox qualification** separately from the accepted-test time. **Practice evidence only** does not qualify a real mailbox. An accepted test alone also does not supply real-provider qualification.

When a current candidate is available, inspect the named mailbox, reviewer, verification time, expiry and every displayed check under **Record reviewed provider checks**. The recording control is available only when all candidate checks have passed. Enter **Reason for recording qualification** and choose **Record mailbox qualification** only for the evidence actually reviewed.

If the page says no current provider evidence is available, arrange the provider checks with the installation administrator after an accepted test. There is no ordinary evidence-upload form on this page. Do not replace missing checks with a general note or mark synthetic evidence as a real-provider result.

Recording current qualification permits automatic supplier sending under the reviewed rules. Eligible queued messages may proceed, so coordinate the decision with the supervisor responsible for pending communications. Keep the connection and accepted test identities with the qualification evidence.

## Withdraw or disconnect deliberately

To stop automatic messages that have not started, enter **Reason for withdrawing qualification** and choose **Withdraw mailbox qualification**. An attempt already in progress may still complete. Retained send records and qualification evidence remain, so review unknown or attempting communications rather than assuming withdrawal recalled them.

**Disconnect mailbox** requires **Reason for disconnecting** and removes the saved credentials while retaining existing send evidence. Reconnecting and requalifying is separate work. Use **Mailbox history**, the current connection state and the relevant order's send history to leave a traceable handover.