How to Set Up Email in Halo
Overview
Setting up email in Cirrus Halo involves more than creating a mailbox. To ensure emails are received, routed and assigned correctly, you must configure the router, create an email account, add a default email rule and confirm your agents are configured to handle email interactions.
This guide brings together the complete setup process and links to the individual configuration guides where appropriate.
Before you begin
Before configuring email in Cirrus Halo, make sure you have completed the following:
- Create the mailbox that Cirrus Halo will monitor.
- Configure Microsoft 365 delegated or application permissions for the mailbox.
- Decide which agent group will handle incoming emails.
- Confirm whether you need any custom routing rules or qualifiers.
- Gather the mailbox details, including:
- Email address
- Mailbox folder
- Reply address, if different
Microsoft 365 permissions must be configured before Cirrus Halo can access the mailbox.
Step 1. Configure the email router
The router determines how incoming emails enter Cirrus Halo and which queue they are routed to.
- Go to Administration > Phone & Text > Routers.
- Create a new router or edit an existing one.
- Configure the following settings.

| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Name | Use a meaningful name that identifies the mailbox or department. |
| Specific media only | Enable this option. |
| Media | Select Email. |
| Max. queue length/agent % | Set to 5000 unless your implementation requires a different value. |
| Groups ‘tab’ |
Assign the group that will receive incoming emails. ![]() |
| Qualifiers |
Add any custom qualifiers required for your routing strategy. ![]() |
Best practice: Only routers configured with Media = Email are available when configuring email rules.
Step 2. Create the email account
Once the router has been created, configure the mailbox that Cirrus Halo will monitor.

For the full procedure, see Create an Email Account.
When creating the account, use the following recommendations.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Name | Use a descriptive name for reporting and administration. |
| Email Account | Enter the mailbox email address that Cirrus Halo will monitor. |
| Authentication | Leave blank unless authentication is required. |
| Password | Leave blank unless authentication is required. |
| Mailbox Folder | Typically Inbox. |
| Email Address | Use the monitored mailbox address. |
| Reply Address | Can be different if replies should come from another mailbox. |
| Default Router | Select the router created in Step 1. |
| Archiving | Leave disabled unless your organisation requires email archiving. |
| Archiving address | Email address to be used as archive destionation. |
| Server | Always select the configured email server. |
| Is Enabled | Enable only after configuration has been completed. |
Tip: Give the account a clear, descriptive name. This makes reporting and administration much easier.
Step 3. Create the default email rule
Every email account requires a default routing rule. For detailed instructions, see Create Email Rules.
After creating the email account:
- Under the Email rules title, click ‘+ Add’
- Create a new rule.
- Configure the following values.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Name (1) | Default |
| Condition (2) | Select ‘Yes’ |
| Condition Type (3) | Any Word |
| Routing (4) | Enabled |
| Router (5) |
Select the email router created earlier. Note: only routers that either don’t have a Media type set or are set to Email will show in this drop-down. |

Leave the remaining settings at their default values unless your solution requires custom routing.
- Click Save.
Important
The Default rule must always be the final rule in the rule list. Cirrus Halo evaluates rules from the top down. If no previous rule matches, the default rule ensures every email is routed correctly.

Step 4. Configure your agents
Creating the mailbox and routing rules is only part of the setup. Agents must also be configured to receive email interactions.
For each agent:
- Assign the agent to the correct group.
- Enable email handling.
- Configure the maximum number of concurrent email interactions.
The following settings are available.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Allow Multiple Interactions | Allows an agent to manage email while handling another interaction, if enabled. |
| Maximum Non-Voice Interactions | Controls how many email interactions an agent can handle simultaneously. |
These settings can be configured in either Supervisor or Administrator view.

Step 5. Configure optional features
Depending on your implementation, you may also want to configure:
These features allow you to tailor routing and responses to meet your business requirements.
Step 6. Test the configuration
Once the setup is complete, verify that emails are flowing correctly.
- Enable the email account.
- Send a test email to the monitored mailbox.
- Wait approximately two to three minutes.
- Confirm that the email appears in Supervisor view.
- Check that the email is routed to the expected queue.
- Confirm that an available agent receives the interaction.
If the email does not appear:
- Check whether the email is still present in the monitored mailbox.
- Confirm that the email account is enabled.
- Verify the default router and default email rule.
- Check that agents are assigned to the correct group.
- Confirm that agents are available to receive email interactions.
If the email remains in the mailbox and is not imported into Cirrus Halo, contact the Cirrus Support Desk. Technical Operations can review the email processing logs to identify the issue.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Emails remain in the mailbox | Mailbox permissions or authentication issue | Verify Microsoft 365 permissions and mailbox configuration. |
| Router cannot be selected | Router is not configured for Email media | Update the router configuration and set the media type to Email. |
| Emails enter the queue but are not assigned | Agent configuration is incomplete | Verify group membership and non-voice interaction settings. |
| No emails appear in Cirrus Halo | Email account is disabled | Enable the email account and send another test email. |
| Emails are routed incorrectly | Default rule is not last in the rule list or custom rules are misconfigured | Review the email rule order and routing conditions. |

