Connect an IMAP mailbox
Connect Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Fastmail, or another IMAP mailbox with an app password, and add several when receipts are split across accounts.
On this page
Before you start
- You need an account with The Paper Keep and an active subscription to connect inbox scanning.
- IMAP mailbox scanning uses encrypted stored credentials, usually an app password rather than your normal mailbox password.
- The first import scans the history window you choose during setup and then switches to polling for new candidates.
- You can connect more than one inbox, and each connection can scan the folders you select.
Connect the mailbox
-
Open Settings
Go to Settings and find the Receipt sources section. -
Pick a provider pill under Connect another inbox
Choose Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Fastmail, or Other IMAP if you need to enter host and port details manually (the named providers come pre-filled). -
Generate an app password first
Google, Yahoo, Apple, and Fastmail all expect an app-specific password for IMAP access. Create that in the provider's account security area before coming back here. -
Enter the mailbox details and pick folders
Use your full email address as the username, then click Load folders — The Paper Keep connects and lists your mailbox tree so you can tick the folders to scan. Optionally set a custom start date for how far back the first import reaches. -
Save the connection
The Paper Keep validates the mailbox immediately, stores the credentials encrypted at rest, and starts the first scan. -
Add other inboxes the same way
Repeat the process if receipts also live in another account. All connected inboxes feed the same receipt library.
What the first scan does
The IMAP onboarding scan starts as soon as the connection is saved. The Paper Keep searches the selected history range for receipt-like candidates, fetches them, and runs them through the normal email ingest pipeline.
Discovered
Candidate emails found in the mailbox during the initial scan.
Fetched
Candidate emails downloaded for full parsing.
Imported
Emails that successfully became receipts.
Skipped
Candidates rejected later as duplicates, invoices, or non-receipts.
IMAP scans match on receipt-like subjects and senders, so expect some skipped candidates — newsletters that mention an "order" are checked and then ignored.
Provider notes
- Gmail: turn on 2-Step Verification, then create a Google app password. See Connect your Gmail inbox.
- Yahoo Mail: use a Yahoo-generated app password and your full Yahoo email address. See Organise Yahoo email receipts.
- iCloud Mail: use an Apple app-specific password; your normal Apple password will not work for IMAP here. See Organise iCloud email receipts.
- Fastmail: create a Fastmail app password with IMAP access before connecting. See Organise Fastmail email receipts.
- Other IMAP: start with SSL on port 993 unless your provider documents a different host or encryption mode.
When forwarding is better
Use Email forwarding setup instead if you only want a small subset of receipt emails, if your provider's IMAP support is awkward, or if you would rather avoid storing mailbox credentials in The Paper Keep at all. Forwarding also works well beside inbox scanning when you want an extra one-off path.