Connecting your email (Gmail, Outlook & IMAP)

Connecting your email lets PitchBrand send your pitches and follow-ups from your own inbox, so brands see your real address. You can connect Gmail, Outlook, or any other provider over IMAP. Here is how.

Connect from Settings

1. Open Settings from the bottom of the sidebar.
2. Go to the Mailbox tab. You will see the Email Account section.
3. Choose your provider:
   • Gmail — connect your Gmail or Google Workspace account
   • Outlook — connect your Outlook or Microsoft 365 account
   • Other Email (IMAP) — connect iCloud, Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail, Zoho, or any other IMAP email provider
4. Follow the secure sign-in flow. Gmail and Outlook use OAuth (the same sign-in you already use for Google and Microsoft); other providers connect over IMAP with an app password.
5. You will be returned to the Mailbox tab. While the mailbox syncs you may briefly see a Finishing setup label; once it is done, your account shows a green Connected badge.

Connect from a banner

If you have not connected yet, the app may show a Connect your email prompt. Pick the same provider options there and you will be walked through the same secure flow. You can also choose Skip for now and connect later from Settings.

If you picked Other Email (IMAP)

When you pick Other Email (IMAP), PitchBrand hands you off to a secure form where you enter your email, an app password (not your regular account password), and your provider's IMAP/SMTP server details. We have a step-by-step guide for the most common providers — pick yours:

• Connecting Yahoo Mail — including @yahoo.com, @ymail.com, @rocketmail.com
• Connecting iCloud Mail — including @icloud.com, @me.com, @mac.com, and iCloud+ Custom Email Domain
• Connecting AOL Mail
• Connecting Fastmail
• Connecting Zoho Mail
• Connecting any other IMAP provider — GMX, hosted Exchange, custom domains, and more

Why an app password? Yahoo, iCloud, AOL, Fastmail, and most other IMAP providers no longer accept your regular account password from third-party apps. Instead, you generate a one-off app password from your email provider's account settings and use that. Only PitchBrand sees it, and you can revoke it from your provider any time.

If something goes wrong

• Reconnection needed — if your email access expires, the Mailbox tab shows an amber notice. Use Disconnect, then connect again to resume sending.
• Connection Error — if PitchBrand has trouble reaching your inbox, your app password is most likely wrong, expired, or revoked. Disconnect, generate a fresh app password from your provider, and reconnect.
• To switch accounts, press Disconnect on the connected account and add a new one.

Tip: Curious why this is needed at all? See Why PitchBrand needs your email connected.