Mail2KNOW
User Guide – How to Use Your AI Email Knowledge Base
Mail2KNOW turns one email account into your company’s AI knowledge base. Forward documents with your secret Learning token in the subject and Mail2KNOW converts them into organized knowledge articles. When customers email a question, it answers automatically from your knowledge — in their language. And when it doesn’t know the answer, it asks YOU, learns your reply, and answers the waiting customer. No ERP, no help-desk software, no website widget needed!
🎯 How Mail2KNOW Works
You Forward Documents
(Learning token in subject)
AI Builds Knowledge Articles
Customer Emails a Question
AI Answers from Your Knowledge
Missing Knowledge?
It Asks YOU
Mail2KNOW checks your connected email account once a day by default — weekends included (the schedule and operating hours are configurable). Emails with your Learning token become knowledge. Every other email is treated as a customer question and answered from your knowledge base!
⚙️ Three Intelligent Modes of Operation
Every email arriving at your Mail2KNOW account is handled by one of three modes — learning, answering, or the ask-back loop.
Mode 1: Learning
When YOU (the registered client email) send an email with your secret Learning token in the subject, every attachment is processed as a separate document:
- Any document type — Word, Excel/CSV, PDF (incl. scanned via OCR on Business tier), images (Business tier), HTML, plain text — and the email body itself
- AI conversion — each document becomes one or more categorized knowledge articles
- Automatic categories — created and assigned automatically (max 15)
- Duplicate detection — re-sent documents are recognized by content hash and not charged
- Confirmation email — you receive a summary of what was learned
Mode 2: Answering
Any other email arriving at the account is treated as a customer question:
- Smart article selection — AI picks the relevant knowledge articles for each question
- Configured answer language — set your answer “language” in settings; 31 languages supported
- Draft mode by default — you get a draft email
[D-xxxx]; replyAPPROVEto send it as-is, replyREJECT(orCANCEL) to discard it without sending anything, or reply with edited text to send your version - Automatic sending (optional) — with the “Send answers automatically” feature ON (Family tier+), confident answers go out without your review
- Custom signature — answers signed with your company name (Family tier+)
Mode 3: The Ask-Back Loop
The signature feature: when knowledge is missing, Mail2KNOW never guesses — it asks YOU:
- Customer acknowledgement — the customer immediately gets a polite “we received your question”
- Ask-back email to you — subject
[LEARN-token] [Q-xxxx], describing exactly what is missing - Just hit Reply — write the info or attach documents; no special formatting needed
- Double effect — the system learns your reply AND answers the waiting customer automatically
- Timeouts — one reminder after 2 days; after 5 days (configurable) the customer gets a polite hand-off to contact you directly
⚡ A Knowledge Base That Builds Itself
You don’t need to write a single article by hand. Feed Mail2KNOW the documents you already have, answer the ask-back emails it sends you, and your knowledge base grows from real customer questions — exactly where knowledge is actually needed.
🧠 Teaching Mail2KNOW — The Learning Email
Teaching is as simple as forwarding an email. Put your Learning token in the subject, attach documents, send — done.
🔑 Your Learning Token
Format: LEARN-xxxxxxxxxxxx — a secret code unique to your account
Where to find it: In the Mail2KNOW tab of your dashboard at BOTS4.me/bots — with a handy copy button. It is generated automatically on the first run of your subscription.
How to use it: Include the token anywhere in the SUBJECT of an email sent (or forwarded) to your Mail2KNOW email address.
Who may teach: Only emails coming from your registered client email address are accepted as learning material — the token alone is not enough (see Security below).
📎 What You Can Send
Every attachment is processed as a separate document:
- Word documents — manuals, product descriptions, internal how-tos (Family tier+)
- Excel / CSV — price lists, product tables, parameter sheets (CSV from Personal, Excel from Family)
- PDF — catalogues, datasheets, terms and conditions (Family tier+); scanned PDFs via OCR on Business tier
- Images — photographed documents, screenshots (Business tier)
- HTML and plain text files — exported web pages, notes (all tiers)
- The email body itself — just write knowledge directly into the email text (all tiers)
🗂️ Automatic Categories
How it works: AI converts each document into one or more knowledge articles and assigns each article to a category (e.g. “Pricing”, “Shipping”, “Product specifications”).
No setup needed: Categories are created and assigned automatically — up to a maximum of 15 categories so your knowledge base stays tidy.
♻️ Updating Knowledge — New Version Wins
How to correct or update: Send an updated document that produces an article with the same title in the same category — the new article supersedes the older version automatically.
Nothing is lost: The old version is kept archived, so you always have history.
Duplicates cost nothing: If you re-send a document that has not changed, Mail2KNOW detects it by content hash, skips it, and does not charge credits.
✉️ The Confirmation Email
After every learning email you receive a confirmation listing exactly what was learned: which documents were processed, which articles were created or updated, and their categories.
Tip: Skim the confirmation after each batch — it’s the fastest way to verify your knowledge base contains what you think it does.
🌍 Teach in One Language, Answer in 31
You can teach Mail2KNOW in any language — and customers are answered in the configured answer language (the App Language setting), with 31 languages supported. Teach in Slovak, answer in German. Teach in English, answer in French. The knowledge transfers automatically. If a customer clearly writes in another language, Mail2KNOW answers in theirs instead.
💬 Answering Customer Questions
Any email to your Mail2KNOW address without the Learning token is treated as a customer question. Here is exactly what happens.
🤖 How an Answer Is Created
Step 1: AI reads the customer’s question and selects the relevant knowledge articles from your base
Step 2: It composes an answer in your configured answer language (the language setting; 31 supported)
Step 3: If the AI is confident, the answer is ready to send — how it is sent depends on the Send answers automatically feature below
If knowledge is missing: No guessing — the Ask-Back Loop starts instead (see next section)
📝 Draft Mode — You Approve Every Answer (Default)
Default behavior: The Send answers automatically feature is OFF — nothing reaches a customer without your OK.
What you receive: A draft email with [D-xxxx] in the subject containing the proposed answer.
To send it as-is: Simply reply APPROVE — the answer goes to the customer unchanged.
To send your version: Reply with edited text — your edited version is sent instead.
To discard it: Reply REJECT (or CANCEL) — the draft is closed and nothing is sent to the customer.
🚀 Send Answers Automatically (Family tier+)
What it does: When ON, confident answers are sent to customers immediately — no draft, no waiting for you.
Default: OFF for every subscription. Enable it in the Mail2KNOW tab at BOTS4.me/bots once you trust the answers you see in draft mode.
Recommendation: Run in draft mode for the first days, approve a handful of answers, then switch automatic sending on.
✍️ Custom Signature (Family tier+)
Professional answers: Outgoing answers are signed with your company name (set in Mail2KNOW settings) and your custom signature — customers see a reply from your company, not from a bot.
ℹ️ What Is Never Answered
Auto-generated emails are detected and ignored: no-reply addresses, delivery bounces, mailing lists and newsletters. Mail2KNOW never gets stuck in a mail loop and never wastes credits answering robots.
🔄 The Ask-Back Loop — When Knowledge Is Missing
This is Mail2KNOW’s signature feature. Instead of guessing or staying silent, it turns every unanswered question into new knowledge.
🙏 Step 1 — The Customer Gets an Acknowledgement
The customer immediately receives a polite “we received your question” email, so they know their message didn’t disappear into a void.
📨 Step 2 — You Get an Ask-Back Email
Subject: [LEARN-token] [Q-xxxx] — describing exactly what information is missing to answer the customer.
What to do: Just hit Reply and write the info in plain words — or attach documents that contain it. Because your Learning token is already in the subject, your reply is automatically a learning email.
⚡ Step 3 — Learn AND Answer, Automatically
Your reply is converted into knowledge articles and the waiting customer receives their answer automatically — you never have to write to the customer yourself.
Permanent effect: The next customer asking the same thing gets an instant answer. Every ask-back makes your knowledge base smarter.
⏰ Reminders & Polite Hand-Off
After 2 days without your reply, you get one reminder.
After 5 days (configurable via the pending expiry days setting), the customer receives a polite hand-off email suggesting they contact you directly — so no question is ever left hanging forever.
📤 The Emails Mail2KNOW Sends You (and Your Customers)
Everything happens over email — here is every message type you will encounter, and what to do with it.
✅ Learning Confirmation (to you)
When: After every learning email you send
Contains: Which documents were processed and which knowledge articles were created or updated, with their categories
Action needed: None — skim it to verify the learning result
📝 Draft Answer [D-xxxx] (to you)
When: A customer question was answered confidently and Send answers automatically is OFF
Contains: The proposed answer for the customer
Action needed: Reply APPROVE to send as-is, or reply with edited text to send your version
🤔 Ask-Back [LEARN-token] [Q-xxxx] (to you)
When: Knowledge to answer a customer question is missing
Contains: A description of exactly what information is needed
Action needed: Reply with the info or attach documents — the system learns it and answers the customer automatically
⏰ Reminder (to you)
When: 2 days after an ask-back email you haven’t replied to
Action needed: Reply to the original [Q-xxxx] email before the pending question expires
🙏 Acknowledgement & Hand-Off (to your customer)
Acknowledgement: Sent immediately when a question can’t be answered yet — “we received your question”
Hand-off: After 5 days (configurable) without your reply, the customer is politely asked to contact you directly
Action needed: None — this is automatic customer care while you’re busy
📊 Email Reports (to you)
When: Regular processing reports (all tiers)
Contains: What was learned, what was answered, what is pending, and credits used
Action needed: None — a quick overview of your knowledge base at work
🎮 Interactive Demo – Try It!
Drag the email onto the different email types to see how Mail2KNOW reacts. Click the result items for more info.
📨 Sample Email
📬 Send It As (drag target above)
📤 What Happens (clickable)
Articles created or updated + confirmation email to you
Sent automatically or after your approval
Proposed answer waiting for your APPROVE
Email to you describing the missing knowledge
Customer is told their question was received
No-reply, bounces, and mailing lists are never answered
💡 In the real system, Mail2KNOW checks your account on the schedule you choose and handles all of this automatically!
⚙️ Setup & Configuration
🎯 Quick Setup Guide
Setting up Mail2KNOW takes just a few minutes:
- Step 1: Buy or activate Mail2KNOW at BOTS4.me/product/mail2know (first month free)
- Step 2: Add your email account in Team Account Management at BOTS4.me/bots — IMAP/SMTP or OAuth, validated automatically
- Step 3: Open the Mail2KNOW tab and copy your Learning token (generated automatically on first run)
- Step 4: Send a first email with the token in the subject and a few documents attached — then check the confirmation reply
- Step 5: Send a test question from another address, review the draft
[D-xxxx]email, and replyAPPROVE - Step 6: When you’re confident in the answers, enable Send answers automatically
- Step 7: Publish the address to your customers (e.g. [email protected])
📧 Email Account Configuration
One account per knowledge base: Mail2KNOW works with ONE email account, added in Team Account Management like the email accounts of all other BOTS4.me apps.
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Exchange, and any IMAP/SMTP provider — connections are validated automatically when you add them.
Schedule: Runs daily by default, weekends included — switch to weekly or monthly in the Control tab. Operating hours are configurable if you prefer business-hours-only processing.
🔧 Mail2KNOW Settings
Configure in: the Mail2KNOW tab at BOTS4.me/bots
- Answer language: The language customers are answered in (31 supported)
- Client email: The one address allowed to teach the knowledge base and receive drafts/ask-backs
- Company name: Used in answer signatures
- Pending expiry days: How long an unanswered ask-back waits before the customer gets the polite hand-off (default 5 days)
- Send answers automatically: OFF by default — enable when confident (Family tier+)
🔒 Security — Double-Protected Learning
- Two locks on teaching: A learning email must contain your secret token in the subject AND come from the registered client email address — nobody else can put knowledge into your base
- Encrypted storage: Your knowledge is stored encrypted, separately per client — never shared, never used for anyone else’s customers
- Loop protection: Auto-generated emails (no-reply, bounces, mailing lists) are never answered
💳 Credits & Billing
Same system as all BOTS4.me apps: Choose a subscription tier, top up with extra credits anytime.
- Learning: Each learned document costs credits (minimum 2)
- Answering: Each answered question costs credits (minimum 2)
- Duplicates are free: Re-sent unchanged documents are detected by content hash and not charged
Learn more about credits at BOTS4.me/credits.
💡 Pro Tips
- Start with your FAQ: Forward your existing FAQ page, price list, and terms first — they cover most customer questions
- Answer ask-backs quickly: Every
[Q-xxxx]reply teaches the system permanently — a few replies in week one save hours later - Stay in draft mode first: Approve a handful of
[D-xxxx]drafts before enabling automatic sending - Update by re-sending: New price list? Just forward it again — same-title articles supersede the old version automatically
- Two knowledge bases? Use one account/order for customers and a separate one for internal company knowledge
🔧 Features by Tier — What Each Plan Includes
Manage your subscription at /bots. Upgrade anytime as your knowledge base grows.
Personal
Teach the knowledge base from email bodies, HTML files, and CSV tables.
Customer questions answered from your knowledge — every answer as a [D-xxxx] draft for your approval.
Missing knowledge triggers a [Q-xxxx] email to you; your reply teaches the system and answers the customer.
Regular reports on what was learned, answered, and pending.
Family — everything in Personal, plus
Teach from PDF catalogues, Word manuals, and Excel spreadsheets.
Confident answers go out without your review. OFF by default — enable when ready.
Answers signed with your company name and custom signature.
Business — everything in Family, plus
Learn from scanned documents and image-based PDFs.
Teach from photographed documents and screenshots (JPG, PNG, etc.).
The most capable AI models for learning and answering — best accuracy on complex questions.
📊 Understanding Your Logs
Access your logs at /bots → select Mail2KNOW app → Logs tab
📋 What Each Log Entry Shows
- Timestamp: When the processing occurred
- Sender email: Who sent the email
- Action taken: Learned, answered, draft created, ask-back sent, or ignored (auto-generated)
- Documents detected: Which attachment types were processed during learning
- Credits used: What was charged for each learned document or answered question
⚠️ What to Do on Errors
- Email connection errors: Check your email account in Team Account Management at /bots — re-validate IMAP/SMTP or OAuth credentials
- Learning email not processed: Verify the token is in the SUBJECT and the email was sent from your registered client email address
- Answer not sent: Check whether Send answers automatically is OFF — the answer is probably waiting as a
[D-xxxx]draft in your client inbox - Persistent issues: Contact support at BOTS4.me/contact
Filter logs by level (success, info, warning, error) to quickly find what needs attention.
📅 Practical Workflow — What to Expect
Week 1 — Feeding & Training
Forward your existing documents in batches — FAQ, price lists, terms, product sheets — and skim each confirmation email. Keep Send answers automatically OFF: review every [D-xxxx] draft and reply APPROVE or with edits. Answer every [Q-xxxx] ask-back promptly — each one permanently fills a knowledge gap.
Week 2+ — Autonomous Mode
Once the drafts consistently look right, enable Send answers automatically. From now on you only see ask-backs for genuinely new questions and the regular email reports. Update knowledge whenever something changes — just forward the new document with your token.
🏆 Best Practice
Publish the Mail2KNOW address as your official support address (e.g. [email protected]) once autonomous mode is on. Need a second knowledge base for internal company know-how? Use a separate account and order — knowledge bases are strictly separated per account.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What formats can Mail2KNOW learn from?
Email text, HTML, and CSV on Personal; plus PDF, Word, and Excel on Family; plus scanned PDFs (OCR) and images on Business. Every attachment is processed as a separate document, and the email body itself counts too.
Who can teach my knowledge base?
Only you. Learning is double-protected: the email must contain your secret Learning token in the subject AND come from your registered client email address. Anything else is treated as a customer question.
What happens if it doesn’t know the answer?
It never guesses. The customer gets an acknowledgement, and you get a [Q-xxxx] email describing exactly what is missing. Reply with the info (or attach documents) — the system learns it AND answers the waiting customer automatically. One reminder after 2 days; after 5 days (configurable) the customer is politely handed off to contact you directly.
How do I correct wrong or outdated knowledge?
Send an updated document with your Learning token. Articles with the same title in the same category supersede the older version automatically — the old version is kept archived.
To remove an article outright, reply with [FORGET <id>] in the subject line — for example [FORGET A0007]. Every learning confirmation email lists the ID of each article that was stored, so you always have the reference to hand. The article stops being used for answers immediately and is kept archived, not destroyed. Only your registered client address may remove knowledge.
Can I see what it would answer before it emails anyone?
Yes — that is what Demo Mode is for, and it is ON for every new subscription. In Demo Mode Mail2KNOW reads real questions arriving in your mailbox, selects the relevant knowledge articles and writes the answer in full — then sends nothing to the person who asked. Instead you receive a preview showing who asked, what they asked, and the exact reply that would have gone out. Learning still works normally, so you can keep feeding the knowledge base while you evaluate. Once you are happy with the answers, switch Demo Mode off in your dashboard and Mail2KNOW starts replying for real.
Will it send answers without my approval?
Not by default. The “Send answers automatically” feature is OFF for every new subscription — you receive [D-xxxx] drafts and reply APPROVE (or with edited text). Enable automatic sending (Family tier+) only when you trust the answers.
What languages are supported?
31 languages. You can teach in any language; customers are answered in the answer language you configure in settings.
Is my company knowledge safe?
Yes. Your knowledge is stored encrypted, separately per client. It is never shared with other clients and never used to answer anyone else’s customers. Auto-generated emails (no-reply, bounces, mailing lists) are never answered.
What does it cost?
The same credit and subscription system as all BOTS4.me apps. Each learned document and each answered question costs credits (minimum 2). Re-sent duplicate documents are detected by content hash and not charged. First month is free.
Can I run one knowledge base for customers and another for internal company knowledge?
Yes — use separate email accounts and separate orders. Each Mail2KNOW subscription runs its own strictly separated knowledge base.
How often does it check email?
Daily by default, weekends included — weekly and monthly are also available. Operating hours are configurable.
What is the secret learning token?
A private code you receive at setup. Only emails with your token in the subject are treated as teaching material — so nobody else can put knowledge into your base, and customer emails are never confused with learning emails.
Do I need an ERP or any technical setup?
No ERP needed. One email account is enough. Setup takes minutes even for non-technical users — connect your mailbox, get your token, start forwarding knowledge.