IMAP (CMIS Connection Type)

⚠	This article was migrated from an older version and has not been updated for the current version of Grooper. This tag will be removed upon article review and update.

This article is about the current version of Grooper. Note that some content may still need to be updated.
2025	2023	2.72

IMAP is a CMIS Connection Type that connects Grooper to email messages and folders through an IMAP email server for import and export operations.

The mail server must use the IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) protocol to retrieve messages.  However, virtually all email clients support IMAP, including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo! Mail. Once connected, you can import, export, search, and browse inboxes from Grooper.

Messages will be imported as a .eml file.  Attachments can be extracted from the message using the "Expand Attachments" command.  This is accessible to a Batch Process by using the "Execute" activity.

FYI	If you use Microsoft Outlook, the Exchange binding has increased functionality for importing and exporting via email using Microsoft Exchange servers.  You'll want to use that one over the IMAP binding.

Version Differences

Prior to version 2.72, connections to IMAP servers were made using the Mail Import and Mail Export providers. The IMAP binding replaces the old Mail Import provider. Mail Import is still available as a Legacy provider. While these providers still exists in Grooper as Legacy Import and Legacy Export providers, they are depreciated components and no longer recommended for use. For increased functionality in 2.72, create a CMIS Connection using IMAP Connection Type (or Exchange if connecting to an Outlook inbox) and utilize the new CMIS Import and CMIS Export capabilities.

How To: Create a New IMAP Connection

Step 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6

Open your Projects folder. Right-click a Project, select "Add", then "CMIS Connection."
Name your CMIS Connection, then click "Execute."

Select IMAP from the Connection Settings drop-down menu.

Expand the "Connection Settings" heading. Enter the mail server and the user name and password to access that server.

Optionally, you can choose not to use SSL by turning that property to "False".

You can change the port number by editing the "Port No" property.

The "Folders" property allows you to choose which mailbox folders to expose. If nothing is selected, all will be visible.

Last, if you have permissions to access multiple mailboxes, you can list them using the Mailbox property. They will be exposed as individual repositories. If no mailboxes are listed, a single repository is exposed for the login email account.

Press the "List Repositories" button to expose all possible email accounts Again, if nothing is entered in the "Mailboxes" property, only the login account will be visible.
Ensure that the Repository displayed is the one you want, then click "Execute".

Select the Import Repository button to bring in these repositories for Grooper to import and export to the corresponding file system. The False icon will turn to True once the repository is successfully imported.

Selecting the imported repository and switching the the Browse Repository tab, you can see all the folders within that mailbox you have access to. Note that only messages are visible using the IMAP connection. If you are connecting to an Exchange server, the Exchange binding can also access calendar, contact and task objects.