Reference
Email is the second channel, not the main one. It reaches customers without WhatsApp consent and carries layouts WhatsApp can’t, like a full cart with images or a long policy.
Short answer
Connect Gmail through Google sign-in, and email sends from your own mailbox. Templates are edited in a studio with live merge previews. Journey steps can send a matching email alongside each WhatsApp message, which helps when a contact has no WhatsApp consent.
Before you start
- A Google or Google Workspace mailbox you are willing to send from.
- Shopify connected, if you want live product images in cart emails.
Connecting Gmail#
Open the Gmail connection
Go to Settings → Gmail, or use Connect Gmail on the Email page.
Approve Google sign-in
Sign in and grant send permission. Use this sign-in flow, not an app password; Workspace policies often block app passwords.
Send yourself a test
Check the message arrives and the From address is the one customers should see.
The template studio#
The studio has a subject line, an HTML body and a live preview.
Built-in cart and order emails pull real product images from your catalogue when Shopify is connected. The preview matches what customers receive.
| Variable | Fills with |
|---|---|
{{first_name}} | The customer’s first name. |
{{store_name}} | Your store name from brand settings. |
{{cart_items_html}} | The abandoned cart rendered as a product list with images. |
{{order_id}} | The order number. |
{{checkout_url}} | A link back to the abandoned checkout. |
Where email beats WhatsApp#
| Situation | Why email |
|---|---|
| No WhatsApp consent | Email reaches contacts you are not allowed to message on WhatsApp. |
| A full cart with images | A rich layout reads better in an inbox than in a chat bubble. |
| Long explanations | Policies and apologies need more room than a chat message. |
| Cost-sensitive volume | Email has no Meta per-message fee. |
Coordinate the two so a customer with both consents does not get the same reminder twice. More on channel choice in WhatsApp vs email for D2C India.
Frequently asked questions
- Does TopEdge send email from its own servers?
- No, it sends through your connected Gmail or Google Workspace mailbox, so the From address is your own and your existing domain reputation applies. That also means your mailbox provider’s sending limits apply to campaign volume.
- Why will my journey not publish with an email step?
- Gmail isn’t connected. A journey with an email step is blocked at publish instead of failing silently at send time. Connect Gmail in Settings, or remove the email step.