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Outband supports multiple communication channels. Each channel you connect enriches your Contact Models and provides a more complete picture of your communication relationships.

Supported Channels

ChannelWhat Outband processesPlan required
GmailEmails (read, categorize, draft, send)All plans
OutlookEmails (read, categorize, draft, send)All plans
IMAPAny IMAP-compatible email providerAll plans
SlackChannels and DMs (read, categorize, draft)Professional+
WhatsAppWhatsApp Business messagesProfessional+
Google CalendarEvents, meetings, scheduling contextAll plans
Outlook CalendarEvents, meetings, scheduling contextAll plans

Connecting a New Channel

  1. Go to Settings > Connected Accounts
  2. Select Connect next to the channel you want to add
  3. Follow the authorization flow for that provider
  4. Once connected, you will see a green Connected badge
You can connect multiple accounts of the same type. For example, you can connect both a personal Gmail and a work Gmail account.

Channel-Specific Details

Gmail and Outlook

These are the primary channels. When connected:
  • Outband imports your email history for Contact Model building
  • New emails are processed in near real-time
  • Drafts can be sent through your connected account
  • Sent messages appear in your normal sent folder

Slack

When you connect Slack:
  • Outband reads messages from channels you are in and your DMs
  • Messages are integrated into Contact Models — a contact you email and also Slack with will have a richer model
  • Slack threads appear in your Daily Briefing alongside email
  • Drafts for Slack messages are supported in Drafter mode

WhatsApp

When you connect WhatsApp Business:
  • Business messages are processed alongside email and Slack
  • Contact Models are enriched with WhatsApp communication patterns
  • WhatsApp items appear in your Daily Briefing

Calendar

Calendar connections provide temporal context:
  • Outband knows when you have meetings and with whom
  • Briefing items are enriched with “you have a meeting with this person tomorrow”
  • Meeting preparation context is surfaced proactively
  • Calendar data is read-only — Outband does not create or modify events

Managing Connected Accounts

Viewing connection status

Go to Settings > Connected Accounts to see all connected channels with their status:
  • Connected (green) — Working normally
  • Requires Re-authorization (amber) — You need to reconnect. Select Reconnect to fix.
  • Error (red) — Something went wrong. Select for details and troubleshooting.

Disconnecting a channel

  1. Go to Settings > Connected Accounts
  2. Select Disconnect next to the channel
  3. Confirm the disconnection — Outband explains what will change (“AI will no longer process Gmail”)
  4. Your data from that channel remains in Outband until you explicitly delete it
Disconnecting your only email account will significantly reduce Outband’s functionality. Your Daily Briefing will be empty until you reconnect or connect a different account.

Cross-Channel Benefits

The more channels you connect, the richer your intelligence:
  • Cross-channel Contact Models — A contact you interact with on email and Slack has a more accurate model than one you only email
  • Unified Canvas — Threads that span email and Slack are connected into a single Communication Canvas
  • Better Perception Prediction — More data points mean more accurate predictions of how recipients will perceive your messages
  • Meeting context — Calendar data enriches briefing items with upcoming meeting awareness

Next Steps