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Mermail can work alongside Gmail, Outlook, and other email providers. You keep using your existing inbox and forward selected messages to a Mermail mailbox. Mermail does not sign in to your provider account or read your whole inbox. Its AI can process only messages delivered to the Mermail mailbox and the thread context delivered with them. Email moves from an existing provider through a selective rule to a Mermail mailbox. An AI draft can be handled in Mermail, while a direct reply in the original provider permanently hands the thread to a human.

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Choose what the AI can process

Start with a selective forwarding rule instead of forwarding your entire inbox. Expand the rule after you confirm that it includes only the mail you want Mermail to process.
Useful allowlist criteria include:
  • Messages sent to a support or sales address.
  • Messages from known customers or partner domains.
  • Messages with a project label or a specific subject prefix.
  • Messages that match an existing provider folder or rule.
Exclude messages that should remain outside the AI workflow, such as invoices, payroll, legal correspondence, medical information, password resets, security alerts, and personal conversations.
Your forwarding rule defines the data boundary. A message that is not forwarded to Mermail is not available to the Mermail mailbox or its AI.

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Understand human takeover

Use a Mermail AI draft when you want the thread to remain in the Mermail workflow. If you reply directly from Gmail, Outlook, or another original provider, Mermail treats that action as a human takeover. The entire thread becomes human-managed, and Mermail AI permanently stops processing later messages in that thread.
Human takeover applies to the whole thread, not only the message you answered. Continue the conversation in your original provider after taking it over.

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Prerequisites

  • A working Mermail mailbox.
  • Access to the forwarding settings or rules in your existing email provider.
  • Permission from your organization administrator if external forwarding is restricted.
  • The Mermail mailbox address that should receive forwarded messages.

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Set up and test forwarding

1

Choose a provider guide

Follow the instructions for your existing email provider.
2

Create a narrow rule

Start with one sender, recipient address, label, or subject condition that is safe for AI processing.
3

Verify the destination

If your provider sends a confirmation message, open the Mermail mailbox and approve the forwarding request.
4

Send a matching test message

Send a new message that matches the rule. Existing messages are not normally forwarded retroactively.
5

Confirm delivery

Check that the message appears in Mermail and that an unrelated or excluded message does not.
Forwarding is ready when matching new messages appear in Mermail and excluded messages remain only in the original provider.

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Choose your email provider

Gmail

Forward selected Gmail messages with filters.

Outlook

Use Outlook forwarding settings or inbox rules.

iCloud Mail

Forward all mail or use iCloud Mail rules.

Proton Mail

Create a conditional forwarding rule on a paid plan.

Yahoo Mail

Configure forwarding when it is available for your plan and locale.

Lark Mail

Enable administrator permissions, then configure mailbox forwarding.

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Stop forwarding

Disable or delete the rule in your original provider. This prevents new messages from reaching Mermail. Messages already delivered to Mermail remain subject to your workspace storage and retention settings.

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Troubleshooting