# Connect an email inbox (email sync)

> How BuyingGroupPro reads order emails from Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and AOL with an app password, how often it syncs on each plan, and which retailers it reads.

Email sync is the BuyingGroupPro feature that reads the order emails in your inbox and turns them into orders. It reads order confirmations, shipping notices, delivery notices, cancellations and return emails from 18 retailers.

## Supported email providers

| Provider | How you sign in |
|---|---|
| Gmail and Google Workspace | App password |
| iCloud Mail (@icloud.com, @me.com, @mac.com) | App-specific password |
| Yahoo Mail | App password |
| AOL Mail | App password |

BuyingGroupPro reads the inbox with an app password. An app password is a separate password that your email provider makes for one app. You can delete it at any time, and it is not your normal email password. BuyingGroupPro stores it encrypted.

Signing in to BuyingGroupPro with Google does not give BuyingGroupPro access to your Gmail. Email sync always needs an app password.

## Make an app password

- **Gmail:** turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account, then make a password at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords while signed in to that Gmail account.
- **iCloud Mail:** make an app-specific password at account.apple.com, under Sign-In and Security.
- **Yahoo and AOL:** turn on 2-step verification, then make an app password under Account Security.

Copy the password exactly. Spaces in it do not matter.

## Connect the inbox

1. Go to **Settings › Inboxes**.
2. Choose the provider.
3. Enter the email address and the app password.
4. BuyingGroupPro tests the login before it saves anything. If the test fails, check that you used an app password and not your normal password.
5. Click **Sync Now** to read your recent emails. Connecting does not start a sync on its own.

## Outlook and Hotmail

Outlook.com and Hotmail cannot be connected. Connect a Gmail inbox instead and forward your order emails to it from your own address. Keep the "Fwd:" or "FW:" at the start of the subject.

## How often it syncs

| | Free | Pro | Concierge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inboxes | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Automatic sync | No | Daily | Daily |
| Sync Now (manual) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| How far back it reads | 7 days (21 days on the first sync) | 30 days | 90 days |

- Pro and Concierge members can pause the automatic sync in Settings.
- The 14-day Pro trial gets the Pro row.

## Retailers it reads

Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Costco, B&H, Staples, eBay, Lowe's, Sam's Club, Office Depot, Dell, HP, Apple, Woot, US Mint and BJ's.

For each order email it reads the order number, date, items, quantity, cost, shipping address and, when the email has one, the tracking number.

- A shipping or delivery email adds the tracking number to the order and moves it from Ordered to Shipped or Delivered.
- A cancellation email does not cancel the order. You decide.

## Buying group receipts

On Pro and Concierge, Sync Now also reads the receipts that BuyersForPoints, MaxOut Deals and the other supported groups send by email. See [other supported buying groups](https://www.buyinggrouppro.com/docs/other-buying-groups/).

## Where the orders go

New orders go to the [review queue](https://www.buyinggrouppro.com/docs/review-queue/) at **Alerts › Imports**, so you can check them first. Turn on **Skip review queue** in **Settings › Automation & alerts** to import them straight to the dashboard.

Each inbox can also have a merchant filter, a date window, and a default buyer account that new orders from that inbox get.

## Daily safety limit

A daily limit per account stops a runaway sync, such as thousands of forwarded emails at once. Normal use stays far below it. If an account reaches the limit, sync starts again the next day.

## Related

- [The Chrome extension](https://www.buyinggrouppro.com/docs/chrome-extension/) imports the same orders from retailer order pages, with details an email does not have.
- [Auto-link orders to buying groups](https://www.buyinggrouppro.com/docs/auto-link-orders/) uses the address an email was sent to.

Source: https://www.buyinggrouppro.com/docs/email-sync/ (updated 2026-10-30)