Search Atlas Help Center

📧 Connect Gmail to Authority Building Outreach

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Camilo Aponte

Camilo Aponte

Last updated on Sep 30, 2026

📋 Before You Begin

Connecting Gmail to Search Atlas requires three things to be in place: 2-Step Verification enabled on your Google account, IMAP access turned on inside Gmail settings, and a Google App Password generated for this integration. Browser troubleshooting such as hard refresh or incognito mode will not resolve connection errors — the fix lies entirely within Gmail and Search Atlas settings.

🔧 Step 1: Enable IMAP in Gmail

IMAP must be active in Gmail before Search Atlas can communicate with your inbox.

  1. Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top-right corner, then select See all settings.
  2. Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
  3. Under IMAP Access, select Enable IMAP.
  4. Under Auto-Expunge, confirm that Auto-Expunge on is selected.
  5. Click Save Changes.

🔑 Step 2: Generate a Google App Password

An App Password is a 16-character code that lets Search Atlas access your Gmail securely without using your main Google password. 2-Step Verification must already be enabled on your account before this option appears.

  1. Go to myaccount.google.com and select Security from the left-hand menu.
  2. Under How you sign in to Google, click 2-Step Verification.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and click App passwords.
  4. Enter a name such as Search Atlas and click Create.
  5. Copy the 16-character password shown on screen. Do not close this window until you have saved it — Google will not display this code again.

Google Workspace users: If you do not see the App passwords option, your account is managed by an administrator. Contact your admin to enable App Passwords or generate one at the domain level.

📬 Step 3: Configure SMTP/IMAP in Search Atlas

With IMAP enabled and your App Password ready, link your Gmail account inside the platform.

  1. In Search Atlas, go to Authority Building in the left-hand navigation.
  2. Open Campaigns and click Manage connected emails.
  3. Click Add email account or the + icon.
  4. Select Configure SMTP/IMAP as the connection method.
  5. Fill in the connection details as follows:
  • Email address: your full Gmail address (e.g. name@gmail.com)
  • Password: paste the 16-character App Password — not your regular Gmail password
  • IMAP Host: imap.gmail.com | Port: 993 | Encryption: SSL/TLS
  • SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com | Port: 465 | Encryption: SSL/TLS

Click Save or Test connection. A successful test confirms your Gmail is connected and ready for outreach.

⚠️ Common Errors and How to Fix Them

  • Authentication failed / Invalid credentials: Confirm you entered the App Password, not your regular Gmail password. If unsure, delete the existing App Password in Google and generate a new one.
  • IMAP not enabled: Return to Gmail settings and verify IMAP is toggled on and that changes were saved.
  • Auto-Expunge warning: If Search Atlas reports a mailbox configuration issue, revisit Step 1 and ensure Auto-Expunge is set to on.
  • Connection timed out: Double-check the host addresses and port numbers listed above for typos.

💬 Need More Help?

If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.