How to set up email sync in Affinity to capture all client communications

If you’re managing client relationships, there’s nothing worse than missing an important email—or scrambling to find a thread before a meeting. If your team uses Affinity as your CRM, syncing your email is one of the best ways to keep all your client conversations in one place. This guide walks you through exactly how to set up email sync, what actually gets pulled in (and what doesn’t), and the real pros and cons. If you want the straight story—no hype—on getting your email and Affinity talking, you’re in the right place.

Why bother syncing email to Affinity?

Let’s get this out of the way: you don’t have to sync your email. But here’s why most teams do it:

  • No more “who talked to the client last?” You can see all relevant emails, not just your own.
  • Automatic activity capture. No more copy-pasting email threads or forwarding stuff to the CRM.
  • Better handoffs. If someone leaves or you hand over an account, all the context is there.

But there are trade-offs: privacy concerns, setup headaches, and sometimes too much noise. We’ll talk about those as we go.

Step 1: Understand what Affinity email sync actually does

Before you flip any switches, here’s what you’re signing up for:

  • Affinity connects to your email (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365). It pulls in emails between you and contacts already in your Affinity lists.
  • Not every email gets synced. By default, only emails involving a recognized contact are pulled in. No, your “lunch plans” thread with your spouse won’t show up.
  • You choose what gets shared with your team. You can keep some emails private (more on this later).
  • Calendar sync is separate. This guide covers email only.

Bottom line: Affinity isn’t reading all your email, but it’s not as “hands-off” as some wish. If you’re ultra-paranoid, skip this feature—or set strict rules.

Step 2: Check your prerequisites

Don’t waste time trying to sync if you don’t have the basics lined up:

  • You need the right Affinity plan. Email sync is not available on all tiers. Double-check your subscription.
  • You must use Google Workspace (Gmail) or Microsoft 365 (Outlook). Personal Gmail or other providers won’t cut it.
  • Admin approval may be required. Especially in larger orgs, you might need IT to approve connecting your mailbox.
  • Browser: Chrome or Edge tend to work best. Sometimes pop-up blockers mess with the OAuth process.

Pro tip: If you’re not sure about your email provider, check your Outlook or Gmail account settings—or just ask IT.

Step 3: Connect your email account to Affinity

Here’s how to actually do it—no skipping steps:

  1. Log in to Affinity. Go to your account (top right corner, click your profile picture).
  2. Navigate to Settings > Email & Calendar.
  3. Click “Connect Email.”
    • Pick Google or Microsoft, depending on your provider.
    • A pop-up will ask you to sign in and grant permissions.
  4. Grant permissions. You’ll be asked to allow Affinity to access mail, contacts, and sometimes “manage” mail. This is normal. (If this freaks you out, read the permissions carefully—yes, Affinity needs them to sync.)
  5. Wait for sync to start. It usually takes a few minutes for the first batch of emails to show up. Don’t panic if you don’t see anything right away.

Heads up: If you hit a wall (OAuth errors, permissions denied), it’s almost always an IT/admin issue. Loop them in early.

Step 4: Tweak your sharing and privacy settings

You probably don’t want every email blasted to your whole team. Here’s how to keep things sane:

  • Default sharing: By default, Affinity only shares emails related to contacts and organizations in your lists.
  • Private mode: Mark sensitive emails as private—either one-by-one or by default. Go to Settings > Email & Calendar > Privacy.
  • Exclude domains: You can blacklist certain domains (e.g., yourlawyer.com) so those emails are never synced.
  • Manual override: On any email thread, you can mark it “private” or “shared” as needed.

What to ignore: Affinity doesn’t support custom rules like “only sync emails with this subject line.” If you need that level of control, you’ll have to do it manually.

Caution: Privacy settings are only as good as your habits. If you’re worried about specific emails getting shared, double-check before you sync.

Step 5: Test the sync and check what appears

Don’t assume it’s working. Here’s how to check:

  1. Open a contact or organization record in Affinity.
  2. Check the “Activity” or “Emails” tab. You should see recent threads with that contact.
  3. Compare against your email inbox. Make sure the right emails show up—nothing more, nothing less.
  4. Send a test email to a known contact. Give it a minute, then check if it appears in Affinity.

What works well: - Emails reliably show up for tracked contacts. - You can see who on your team has had which conversations. - No need to BCC or forward emails—sync is automatic.

What’s clunky: - Attachments don’t always sync perfectly. - Group emails (multiple recipients) can get messy in the timeline. - Sometimes there’s a lag—don’t expect real-time syncing.

Step 6: Roll out to your team (the right way)

Syncing your own inbox is just the start. If you want full visibility, your whole team needs to set up sync. Here’s how to keep it painless:

  • Train your team on privacy settings. Especially if you work with sensitive info, make sure everyone knows how to mark emails private.
  • Set expectations about what’s visible. “If you sync, emails with clients will be visible to the team unless marked private.”
  • Don’t force it. Some people are uncomfortable syncing their entire inbox—let them opt out if possible.
  • Audit regularly. Every few months, check if the right emails are showing up (and the wrong ones aren’t).

Pro tip: New hires often forget to set up sync—add it to your onboarding checklist.

Step 7: Troubleshoot common issues

Nothing’s perfect. Here’s what actually goes wrong—and how to fix it:

  • “My emails aren’t showing up.”

    • Check if the contact/org is in Affinity. No match = no sync.
    • Make sure your email account says “Connected” in Settings.
    • Sometimes you need to re-authenticate if your password changed.

  • “Too many irrelevant emails.”

    • Tighten your sharing settings.
    • Remove noisy contacts from your Affinity lists.

  • “Attachment missing.”

    • Some file types don’t sync. Try forwarding as a workaround.

  • “Privacy concerns.”

    • Use the private mode liberally.
    • Remind team members what’s shared and what’s not.

If all else fails, Affinity’s support is responsive—but be prepared to explain exactly what’s missing or not working.

What not to expect

Let’s set the record straight:

  • No, Affinity won’t magically organize your inbox. It just copies relevant threads to the CRM.
  • No, you can’t filter by complex rules. Sync is “all or nothing” for recognized contacts.
  • No, it’s not a replacement for your main email client. You’ll still use Gmail or Outlook for day-to-day.

Keep it simple: Final thoughts

Email sync in Affinity is one of those rare CRM features that mostly just works—if you set it up right and know the limits. Don’t overthink it. Start with your own inbox, check what gets synced, adjust privacy settings, and only then roll it out to your team. If something feels off, turn it off and regroup. The simplest setup is usually the best—and you can always tweak as you go.