> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.airlead.de/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capture leads from email

> Use an email source when a partner cannot send JSON webhooks or CSV files.

# Capture leads from email

An email source turns supported inbound lead emails into Airlead persons and interests.

Use email only when the partner cannot send a webhook or CSV and the email format is stable enough to parse reliably.

## When to use email

Use email when:

* the partner can only forward lead emails
* volume is low enough to review parsing quality
* the subject and body structure are consistent
* missing structured values can be handled manually

Do not use email as the primary high-volume ingest path if the partner can support JSON.

## What you need

* a Markets channel or Company list
* an **email** source
* a receiving address configured for that source
* agreed sender addresses
* a product and field mapping for the email content
* synthetic sample emails for testing

Airlead configures the authenticated email provider callback for the workspace. Partners send mail to the agreed address; they do not call the provider callback directly.

## Recommended setup

1. Collect 3–5 synthetic sample emails that match the expected format.
2. Create or open the email source on the intended channel or list.
3. Confirm the receiving address and allowed senders.
4. Map subject and body values to person and interest fields.
5. Send synthetic emails and inspect the resulting records.
6. Verify duplicates, missing fields, and malformed messages.
7. Enable production traffic only after the mapping is reliable.
8. Keep Delivery 1.0 off until at least one manual delivery succeeds.

## Quality expectations

Email ingest is less precise than a webhook:

* free-text fields can vary between partners
* consent and capture metadata may be incomplete
* retries and duplicates are harder to control without a stable external ID
* format changes break parsing more easily

If quality or volume grows, migrate the partner to [Connect source via webhook](/guides/lead-capture/webhook-setup) or [CSV / upload](/guides/lead-capture/csv-upload).

## Common questions

### Can any email format work?

No. The source must be configured for a supported format. Test with real sample messages before promising production support.

### What if the same email arrives twice?

Check whether the source can identify a stable message or lead identifier. Otherwise review duplicate detection by email or phone.

### Does email ingest replace Connect?

No. Connect is for Airlead-to-Airlead delivery with terms, mapping, and feedback. Email is a capture path for partners outside that model.

Next: [Understand and choose sources](/guides/channels-delivery/sources) · [Connect source via webhook](/guides/lead-capture/webhook-setup) · [Email inbound for developers](/developers/email-inbound)