Element has two independent mail channels, and it helps to tell them apart from the start.
Two kinds of message
Automatic messages — application confirmations, stage-change messages and rejections. They go out from the system and work regardless of your mailbox.
Manual messages — what you write to a candidate yourself. These go out from your own mailbox, so until you connect it there is nothing to send with.
How to connect
Settings — email synchronization
Go to Settings → Email synchronization.
Click synchronize and choose Google or Office365.
Sign in with your provider and approve the permissions.
When you return you will see the connected address and a detach button.
There are no fields for a server address or password — it all goes through the provider's own sign-in.
The permissions Google asks for
When connecting, Google also asks for mail access even if you are only connecting a calendar. That is because the system reads the account address. Worth mentioning to anyone who asks why a calendar connection wants Gmail.
When it does not work
If the provider sign-in ends in an error, it usually means the connection to Google or Microsoft has not been configured for your system yet. That setting sits on Element's side — contact support.
What next