Gmail Direct Connect is currently in beta. If you’d like to try it, please contact us and we’ll enable it for your team.
If you’re interested in trying it out, get in touch and we’ll see about adding you to the beta.
What Gmail Direct Connect Does
When you connect your Gmail account directly to Jelly:
- Incoming emails arrive automatically — No need to configure forwarding rules. When someone emails you, it appears in Jelly within seconds.
- Outgoing emails go through Gmail — Replies you send from Jelly are delivered via Google’s servers and appear in your Gmail Sent folder.
- Optional history import — You can import your recent email threads from Gmail so you have context for ongoing conversations.
Requirements
- A Gmail account or Google Workspace account with a real mailbox (not just a Google Group)
- Your team must have Gmail Direct Connect enabled (contact us if you don’t see the option)
Setting Up Gmail Direct Connect
1. Start the Connection
- In Jelly, click your profile photo in the top-right corner
- Select Email Setup
- Click Connect a team address
- Enter the email address you want to connect (e.g., support@yourcompany.com)
- Click Save
2. Connect to Gmail
If your email address is hosted by Google, Jelly will detect this and offer to connect directly:
- Click Connect to Gmail
- Google will ask you to sign in — use the account that owns the mailbox
- Review the permissions Jelly is requesting and click Allow
Make sure you check all the permission boxes. Jelly needs permission to read your emails (to receive them) and send emails on your behalf (to reply).
3. Import Your Email History (Optional)
After connecting, Jelly will ask if you’d like to import your recent emails:
- Click Yes, import my recent emails to bring in your last 100 conversations
- Or click No thanks, start fresh to start with an empty inbox
Importing gives you context for ongoing threads — you’ll see the full conversation history, not just new messages.
4. You’re Done!
That’s it. Your Gmail account is now fully connected to Jelly:
- New emails will appear in Jelly automatically
- You can reply from Jelly and the messages will go through Gmail
- Sent messages will appear in your Gmail Sent folder
Managing Your Connection
To view or manage your Gmail connection:
- Go to Email Setup and click on your connected address
- You’ll see the connection status showing that emails are received directly from Gmail
- You can disconnect at any time (you’ll need to set up forwarding and re-verify to continue using Jelly)
If You Previously Set Up Forwarding
If you connected via Gmail Direct Connect but previously had forwarding configured, you can now disable the forwarding rule in Gmail. Jelly receives emails directly, so forwarding is no longer needed.
Disabling forwarding is optional but recommended — it simplifies your setup and avoids any chance of duplicate messages.
Upgrading from Send-Only Google Connection
If you previously connected your Google account just for sending (before Gmail Direct Connect was available), you can upgrade to the full experience:
- Go to Email Setup and click on your connected address
- In the Receiving Setup section, you’ll see an option to Enable direct receiving
- Click the button and Jelly will set up the direct connection
- You can then optionally import your email history
After upgrading, remember to disable any forwarding rules you had set up.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see the “Connect to Gmail” option
Gmail Direct Connect is currently in beta. If you don’t see the option:
- Make sure your email address is actually hosted by Google (Gmail or Google Workspace)
- Contact us to enable the beta for your team
Emails aren’t appearing in Jelly
If you’ve connected but emails aren’t arriving:
- Check that you granted all the requested permissions during setup
- Try disconnecting and reconnecting your Google account
- Make sure the emails are arriving in your Gmail inbox (not spam)
The connection shows an error
If your connection shows an authentication error:
- Go to Email Setup, click on the address, and look for a Reconnect button
- Click it to re-authenticate with Google
- This can happen if you changed your Google password or revoked Jelly’s access
Import is taking a long time
When importing your email history, you’ll see a progress message on your inbox. The import runs in the background and typically completes within a few minutes. Large mailboxes may take longer.
Comparison: Direct Connect vs Forwarding
| Feature | Gmail Direct Connect | Traditional Forwarding |
|---|---|---|
| Setup complexity | Single OAuth connection | Configure forwarding rules + verify sending |
| Receives emails | Directly from Gmail | Via forwarding |
| Sends emails | Via Gmail | Via Gmail (if connected) or Jelly’s servers |
| Sent mail sync | Automatic | Automatic (if connected to Gmail) |
| History import | Yes | No |
| Works with Google Groups | No (use forwarding) | Yes |
Privacy & Permissions
When you connect via Gmail Direct Connect, Jelly requests these permissions:
- Read your emails — So we can receive incoming messages and import history
- Send emails on your behalf — So we can send replies through Gmail
- See your email address — So we know which account you’re connecting
Jelly only accesses emails in your Inbox and Sent folders. We don’t access other labels, drafts, or settings. You can revoke Jelly’s access at any time in your Google Account settings.