The thread you need is buried under three reply-all chains and a newsletter. The thread that's already on the client record in COLO has the proposal, the contract, and the deposit invoice — but not the "can we move the call to Tuesday" email from yesterday. The Connect COLO with Gmail integration ends that split: every email that belongs to a client lives on the client, and every email you send from the client record lands in Gmail Sent the way you expect.
TL;DR
COLO's Gmail integration keeps client correspondence on the client record: emails sent from COLO go out through Gmail and land in your Sent folder, and client replies on the same thread mirror back onto the COLO record with their attachments. Personal threads, newsletters, drafts and labels stay in Gmail, and past threads are not imported.
How it works
- Connect — open Settings → Integrations in COLO, click Connect Gmail, and authorise scoped access. Roughly 60 seconds.
- Sync — emails sent from a client record in COLO go out through Gmail with your real address; replies from that client mirror back onto the record.
- Work — you can read and reply from either app. The conversation reads end-to-end on the client record without you maintaining a second copy.
What syncs
- Emails sent from COLO to a client land in your Gmail Sent folder the same way a manually sent email would.
- Client replies tagged with the project thread appear on the COLO client record so the project conversation reads end-to-end.
- Attachments on those threads are mirrored into the COLO project file area — proposals, signed PDFs, screenshots all in one place.
What doesn't sync
- Personal inbox threads, newsletters, and unrelated email do not appear in COLO — the integration only touches threads matched to a client record.
- Drafts and labels are managed in Gmail and are not synced to COLO. Use COLO's project notes for unsent thoughts so they stay tied to the project.
A typical workflow
A graphic designer sends the second-round proposal from inside COLO Tuesday morning. The email leaves through Gmail — same signature, same address, same threading behaviour as if she'd written it in Gmail. The client replies that afternoon with a quick "love the second round, can we tweak the colour palette?" The reply lands in Gmail; the integration recognises the thread is bound to the client record and mirrors it onto COLO. By the time the designer opens the client in COLO Wednesday morning, the full conversation reads top to bottom alongside the proposal and the contract — no swivelling between tabs to remember what was agreed.
When the project closes a month later, the entire client correspondence sits on the record — every quote, every revision request, every confirmation — searchable from the same screen as the deliverables and the invoices. Gmail keeps doing what it does well (sending and receiving); COLO keeps what belongs to the project on the project.
Setup in 60 seconds
- Go to Settings → Integrations in your COLO workspace
- Click 'Connect Gmail' and authorise the scoped Gmail access
- Choose how COLO tags client threads and you are done
FAQ
Q: Can I disconnect later?
Yes. Disconnecting stops new threads from mirroring. Existing emails stay on both the COLO records and in your Gmail account exactly as they were. You can reconnect at any time.
Q: Does it support 2-way sync?
Yes. Emails sent from COLO land in Gmail Sent; replies to the same thread surface on the COLO client record. The conversation reads end-to-end from either app and the thread state is consistent on both sides.
Q: Is my data secure?
Yes. Authorisation uses Google's OAuth2 flow with scoped Gmail access — COLO only reads threads matching the project tag and the client's email address. Revocable from your Google Account at any time, and unrelated inbox content is never touched.
Q: Does it cost extra?
No. The integration is included in every paid COLO plan. Any Gmail or Google Workspace account works on the other side.
Q: What about my historical data?
Past Gmail threads are not imported. The integration starts mirroring from the date you connect — anything earlier remains in Gmail only and can be opened from there as usual.
Related integrations
- Connect COLO with Google Calendar so meeting follow-ups land on the same record
- Connect COLO with Calendly so consultation confirmations thread on the client
- Connect COLO with Zoom so meeting recordings link from the email thread
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