Read emails, save messages and attachments to the folder

Overview

This flow reads the email messages (including attachments) from the inbound email connection and saves them as files into the designated folder in the server storage.  

When to use this flow type

Use this flow type when you need to read hundreds or thousands of emails as fast as possible from the relatively slow inbound email connection. 

You can then process messages and attachments saved as files using any of the file to destination flow types.

You can still use a regular source-to-destination flow type, where the source is an inbound email connection to read the emails and attachments but it will be slower than a designated flow optimized for reading email messages.

Create flow

Here are the steps on how to create Flow:

Step 1. Start creating a Flow by clicking Add flow on the Flows window.

Step 2. Type in save messages in the Select flow type box and select Read emails, save messages to the folder.

Step 4. Select previously created inbound email connection in the Source connection dropdown.

Step 5. Select Parameters tab and enter flow parameters:

• From: use this if you need to filter emails based on the FROM field. Partial matching is used. For example, an etlworks.com filter will include all emails sent from the domain etlworks.com and exclude everything else.
• Subject: use this if you need to filter emails based on the Subject field. Partial matching is used. For example: important! will include all emails which include the subject important! and exclude everything else.
• Email Folder: the name of the folder to read messages from. The default is Inbox.
• Received After: the date, in a MM/DD/YYYY Format. If a date is entered, Etlworks will read only the messages received after the specified date and ignore everything else.
• Received Before: the date in a MM/DD/YYYY Format. If a date is entered, Etlworks will read only the messages received before the specified date and ignore everything else.
• Read Only New: if enabled, only new (unread) messages will be retrieved.
• Max messages to read: the maximum number of email messages to read from the folder.
• Folder to save messages to: a required parameter that specifies the folder in the server storage to save messages and attachments. Example: {app.data}/messages.
• Delete After Reading: a parameter that allows you to configure a flow to delete read messages from the inbox. Select one of the following:
  • Same as connection - the value set for the inbound email connection will be used. 
  • Yes - delete the email message after reading.
  • No - do not delete the email message after reading.
• Script:  a JavaScript to execute before running the flow. Use it to set global variables. 
• On Exception: by default, any error causes a halt of execution. When Ignore is selected, the errors will be ignored and execution will continue. Read how to configure the Flow to ignore all or specific exceptions.
• Exception Mask: you can specify what errors should be ignored while still halting execution for all other errors. Enter part or all of the exception string. This field only works when the Ignore On Exception option is selected.
• Execute on exception: a JavaScript to execute in case of any error. 
• Execute if Error: if this option is selected, Etlworks will send the email if there is an error. It could be useful if you want to notify someone that there is a problem with running the Flow and you would like to attach a report.