Email Overview
See how email works in Daylite — what happens when you add a message, where it appears afterward, and what you can create from it on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Mail in Daylite is a full email client built into Daylite, so you can read, send, and organize email without switching to a separate mail app. Emails you add to Daylite become records in your database, linked to the People, Companies, Opportunities, and Projects they relate to. This means every message sits alongside the Tasks, Appointments, and Notes for the same relationship.
Key facts:
Mail in Daylite is an email client inside Daylite — your inbox, not a copy of it.
Adding an email to Daylite stores it in your database; until you add it, the email stays in your inbox only.
Your inbox stays private. Other Daylite users cannot see your inbox or read your messages.
A linked email is an email that has been added to Daylite and connected to one or more Daylite items.
Mail in Daylite requires macOS 14.4 Sonoma or later.
What Is Mail in Daylite?
Mail in Daylite is Daylite's built-in email client. It connects to your existing email accounts, shows your mailboxes and messages inside Daylite, and displays the details of related Daylite items beside the message you are reading.
You reach it by selecting My Mail in the Sidebar on Mac, or Mail in the Sidebar on iPhone and iPad.
Mail in Daylite works with common providers including Gmail, Office 365, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, and AOL, as well as generic IMAP accounts. For setup steps, see Mail in Daylite Settings.
What Happens When You Add an Email to Daylite
Adding an email to Daylite stores a copy of that message in your Daylite database. The stored email then behaves like any other Daylite record: it can be linked, categorized, searched, and given permissions.
When you add an email:
The email is saved to Stored Emails.
A sun icon appears beside the message in the Message List, showing it is in Daylite.
Daylite recognizes any contacts on the message that already exist in your database and links the email to them.
If those contacts are linked to a single open Project or Opportunity, the email links to that item as well.
The email appears in the Activity View of every item it is linked to.
For the steps, see How to Add an Email to Daylite.
Emails in Your Inbox vs. Emails Added to Daylite
Every message in your mailbox is visible in Mail in Daylite, but only the messages you add become part of your Daylite database.
Visible in My Mail
Yes
Yes
Stored in your Daylite database
No
Yes
Appears in Stored Emails
No
Yes
Appears in a linked item's Activity View
No
Yes
Visible to teammates
No
Yes, subject to permissions
Searchable across Daylite
No
Yes
Mail in Daylite does not add messages to Daylite automatically unless you turn on Auto-Add Messages in Daylite > Settings > Mail. Until a message is added, it stays private to you in your inbox.
What You Can Create from an Email
From the Action bar on any message, you can create a Daylite item that is linked to the email and to the people on it:
New Task — a follow-up linked to the email and its sender. See Creating a New Task.
New Appointment — a meeting that appears in your Daylite Calendar. See Using the Daylite Calendar.
New Opportunity — a deal to track. See The Opportunities Board.
New Project — a Project related to the conversation. See The Projects Board.
You can also create a Person from an email when the sender is not yet in your database, and create a Company through the Link icon. Daylite fills in the name and email address for a new Person automatically.
Where Email Appears in Daylite
Once an email is in Daylite, it is reachable from three places.
My Mail
My Mail is your live mailbox inside Daylite. It shows every message in your connected accounts, whether or not you have added them to Daylite. See The Mail View.
Stored Emails
Stored Emails is the Sidebar section that lists every email you have added to Daylite, regardless of which item it is linked to. Use it to search across all added emails at once, or to find a message when you do not remember who sent it or what it related to.
The Activity View
The Activity View is the chronological history on a Daylite item. It shows the item's linked Emails, Appointments, Tasks, Files, Notes, and Forms in date order. Open a Person, Company, Opportunity, or Project and you see every email exchanged in the context of everything else that happened. See Managing Contacts.
How Email Works across Mac, iPhone, and iPad
Mail in Daylite is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, with the same underlying behaviour on each: you read email, add messages to Daylite, and link them to your records.
The interfaces differ. The Mac has a four-pane layout with a toolbar and an Action bar. On iPhone and iPad, you select Mail from the Sidebar, choose an account, and work with one message at a time, tapping Add to Daylite below the email title.
Emails added to Daylite from any device appear in Daylite everywhere, because the stored email lives in your Daylite database rather than on one device. For the differences in layout, see The Mail View.
Email Privacy and Visibility in Daylite
Adding an email account to Daylite does not expose your mailbox to your team.
Your inbox remains private. Other Daylite users cannot see your inbox or read your messages.
You control what gets added. Nothing is stored in Daylite until you add it, either by clicking Add to Daylite or by turning on Auto-Add Messages.
Auto-linking runs only on emails you add. Incoming messages are never linked to records on their own.
After an email is added, you can set permissions on it to control which teammates can view it. Added emails are visible to your team by default.
Email privacy in Mail in Daylite
Mail in Daylite gives you control over what you share with your team. Your inbox stays private to you, nothing is added to Daylite until you choose to add it, auto-linking runs only on the emails you add, and you can restrict an added email to specific users after the fact.
Priority Inbox
Priority Inbox is a view that filters your inbox down to messages involving Daylite contacts and teammates, plus anything you have flagged. Turn it on to work through client and team email first, and turn it off to see every message again. For how it groups messages and how to turn it on, see The Mail View.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Daylite add all my emails automatically? No. Messages are added only when you click Add to Daylite, or when you turn on Auto-Add Messages in Daylite > Settings > Mail, which adds messages that involve a Daylite contact.
Can my teammates see my inbox? No. Your inbox is private to you. Only emails you add to Daylite are visible to your team, and you can set permissions to restrict those further.
What is the difference between adding an email and linking an email? Adding stores a copy of the email in Daylite. Linking connects that stored email to Daylite items such as People, Projects, or Opportunities. An email must be added before it can be linked.
Do I have to use email folders to stay organized? No. Linking emails to Daylite items organizes them through the Activity View. You can still use mailbox folders if you prefer.
Can I keep using Daylite Mail Assistant? Yes. You can continue using Daylite Mail Assistant and Mail in Daylite at the same time.
What do I need to run Mail in Daylite? macOS 14.4 Sonoma or later, and the latest version of Daylite for Mac.
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