Your AI Receptionist can help you manage emails with the same ease as calls and texts.
When you enable Draft Emails, your AI automatically prepares reply drafts for new, non-automated email threads - saved directly in your connected Gmail or Outlook inbox.
What is Draft Email?
Draft Email lets your AI Receptionist create a suggested reply for each new, legitimate (non-automated) email you receive.
Instead of starting from scratch, you'll find a ready-to-edit draft directly in your Gmail or Outlook inbox - so you stay in control while saving time.
✅ Key point: Your AI Receptionist never sends emails on your behalf. Drafts are saved in your inbox for you to review, edit, and send when ready.
Enable Draft Emails
From Beside on the web
Go to app.beside.com and click AI Receptionist in the left sidebar
Select your line from the dropdown at the top of the page
Click Draft Emails under Channels
Connect your Gmail or Outlook account and grant access
Changes save automatically.
From the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app.
Go to the Settings tab.
Tap on your line.
Then, AI Receptionist.
Switch to the Draft Emails tab at the top
Toggle the feature Suggest Draft emails on.
Tap Connect Account and choose Gmail or Outlook.
Sign in and grant access.
Once connected, you'll see your account listed.
If connection fails, you'll see an error message with the option to retry.
⚠️ Consent required: When you connect Gmail or Outlook, you'll be asked to allow Beside to read your emails. This access is necessary so the AI Receptionist can draft replies directly in your inbox. If permission isn't granted, no drafts can be created.
Customize your drafts
You can personalize how your AI drafts replies under Preferences:
Draft Instructions: provide short guidance to shape your AI's tone, priorities, or response structure.
Signature: add a custom closing line (e.g. "- Sent by Alex's AI Receptionist") to match your brand style.
📌 Note: Both settings are optional, and Signature is enabled by default.
How Draft Email works
One draft per thread: a draft is created for the first message in every new, non-automated email thread.
Stored in your inbox: drafts appear directly in your Gmail or Outlook "Drafts" folder, not inside Beside.
Full control: nothing is ever sent automatically. You choose when (or whether) to send.
FAQ
Does my AI send the email automatically?
Does my AI send the email automatically?
No. Your AI Receptionist only creates a draft in your Gmail or Outlook inbox. You review, edit, and send it yourself. Nothing is ever sent on your behalf.
Can I exclude specific senders or limit which emails get drafts?
Can I exclude specific senders or limit which emails get drafts?
Not at the moment. When Draft Emails is enabled, your AI creates a draft for every new, non-automated email thread - there's no per-sender exclusion or scope setting for email (unlike calls and texts). If you want to stop drafts for a period, you can disable Draft Emails from your AI Receptionist settings. Since drafts are never sent automatically, you can also just ignore or delete any draft you don't want.
Which email providers are supported?
Which email providers are supported?
Beside currently supports Gmail and Outlook. Other providers are not supported at this time.
Why isn't my AI creating drafts?
Why isn't my AI creating drafts?
Check that your email account is still connected. If your connection has expired, disconnect and reconnect your account from AI Receptionist, then Draft Emails at app.beside.com, or from the mobile app under Settings, then your line, then AI Receptionist, then Draft Emails. Also make sure you granted all requested permissions during sign-in.