Microsoft 365 Integration

Unlock the full potential of your Microsoft 365 suite with aura. Our integration is designed to streamline your workflow and enhance your productivity across Outlook, Calendar, OneDrive, and Teams.

What You Can Do

Email & Communication

Natural Language Email Search: Instantly find any email using simple, conversational language with our powerful semantic search
AI-Powered Summaries: Get the gist of long emails and threads in seconds, saving you valuable time
Intelligent Email Composition: Draft replies or new messages with contextually relevant content extracted from your other connected integrations
Email Actions: Send, reply, forward, and manage emails directly from aura

Calendar Management

Outlook Calendar Integration: Search for, create, and update events in your Outlook calendar seamlessly
Smart Scheduling: Find available time slots and schedule meetings with natural language
Event Summaries: Get quick overviews of your upcoming meetings and commitments

Microsoft Teams

Teams Integration: Search, summarize, and send messages in Teams directly from aura
Channel Search: Find important conversations and decisions across all your Teams channels
Collaboration: Stay connected with your team without switching applications

OneDrive & Files

Document Search: Find files stored in OneDrive using natural language
File Access: View and share documents directly from aura
Content Integration: Reference OneDrive files in your searches and automations

Why Email Sync is Required

Enabling Intelligent Search

To provide you with seamless natural language search across your emails, aura needs to sync and index your email data. Here's why this is essential:

Powerful Search Capabilities

Search across thousands of emails instantly using conversational queries
Find emails by sender, subject, content, date, or any combination
Get relevant results even with vague or partial information
Search across multiple email accounts (Outlook + Gmail) simultaneously

AI-Powered Understanding

aura's AI understands context and intent, not just keywords
Find emails about topics even if specific words weren't used
Discover related conversations and email threads
Get intelligent suggestions based on your search patterns

Cross-Platform Intelligence

Connect information from emails with your calendar, tasks, and documents
Create automated workflows that span multiple platforms
Get comprehensive answers that pull from all your connected sources

Security & Privacy You Can Trust

We understand that email contains sensitive information. Here's how we protect your data:

Minimal Data Storage

Only minimal hashed data is stored for search indexing
Full email content is not permanently stored in our systems
We only keep what's necessary for fast, accurate search
Original emails remain securely in your Microsoft account

Complete Security

All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
Industry-standard encryption protocols (TLS/SSL)
Secure OAuth authentication (no passwords stored)
Regular security audits and compliance checks

Privacy Protection

Your emails are never shared with third parties
No advertising or data selling - ever
You maintain full control over your data
Disconnect anytime to remove all synced data

Permission Inheritance

aura respects your Microsoft 365 permissions
Only accesses emails you have permission to view
Maintains folder and sharing restrictions
Honors your organization's security policies

How Automatic Sync Works

Once you connect and configure your Microsoft 365 integration, the sync process is completely automatic:

Initial Setup

Connect your Microsoft account via secure OAuth
Choose your sync settings (frequency and date range)
Click "Save" - sync begins automatically in the background
Monitor progress with real-time status updates

Ongoing Synchronization

Runs automatically on your chosen schedule (hourly, daily, or monthly)
No manual intervention required
Syncs new emails as they arrive
Updates are processed in the background
Email count increases as sync progresses

Sync Status Indicators

Pending: Sync task is queued and will start shortly
Syncing: Currently indexing your emails
Completed: Sync finished successfully
Failed: Issue occurred (check troubleshooting section)

Real-Time Monitoring

View sync status on your dashboard
See email count increase during sync
Check last sync time and next scheduled sync
Get notifications if sync issues occur

Current Limitations & Future Plans

Date Range Limitation

Current Limit: You can currently sync emails from up to 30 days from today.

Why This Limit Exists:

Ensures optimal performance during initial rollout
Allows us to manage server resources effectively
Provides fast, reliable sync for most use cases
Helps us gather data to improve the system

Coming Soon:

We're actively working on increasing this limit
Future updates will allow longer date ranges
Eventually, you'll be able to sync your entire email history
Stay tuned for announcements about expanded capabilities

Workaround for Now:

Focus on recent emails for immediate productivity gains
Re-sync periodically to maintain a rolling 30-day window
Most actionable emails are typically recent anyway
Historical search will be available in future updates

Prerequisites

Before connecting Microsoft 365 to aura, ensure you have:

Microsoft Account: An active Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com account
Permissions: Access to the email, calendar, and files you want to search
Browser: A modern web browser for OAuth authentication
Network: Stable internet connection for initial sync

Connection Setup

Step 1: Navigate to Integration Page

Go to the Integrations page in aura
Find "Microsoft 365" in the available integrations
Click "Connect & Configure"

Step 2: OAuth Authentication

Click the "Connect" button
You'll be redirected to Microsoft's login page
Sign in with your Microsoft account credentials
Review the permissions aura is requesting:
- Read your email
- Read and write calendar events
- Access your files in OneDrive
- Read your profile information
Click "Accept" to authorize the connection
You'll be redirected back to aura

Note: aura uses OAuth 2.0, which means:

Your password is never shared with aura
You can revoke access anytime from your Microsoft account settings
Secure, industry-standard authentication
Automatic token refresh for uninterrupted access

Step 3: Configure Sync Settings

After connecting, configure your sync preferences:

Navigate to the "Settings & Sync" tab
Configure the following options:

Sync Enabled

Toggle to enable or disable automatic syncing
When enabled, emails sync on your chosen schedule
When disabled, no new emails are indexed

Sync Frequency

Hourly: Syncs every hour (best for active email users)
Daily: Syncs once per day (good for moderate email volume)
Monthly: Syncs once per month (for occasional use)

Days to Import

Choose how many days of email history to sync (1-30 days)
Start with 7-14 days for faster initial sync
Increase to 30 days for more comprehensive search
Remember: This limit will increase in future updates

Click "Submit" to save your settings
Click "Sync Now" to start the initial sync immediately

Step 4: Monitor Initial Sync

Watch the sync status indicator:
- Pending: Sync is queued
- Syncing: Currently processing emails
- Completed: Initial sync finished
Email count will increase as sync progresses
Initial sync may take 5-15 minutes depending on email volume
You can use aura while sync runs in the background

Understanding Connection Status

✅ Connected & Ready

Your Microsoft 365 integration is working properly. You can:

Search all synced emails with natural language
Create and manage calendar events
Access OneDrive files
Send and reply to emails
View email count showing synced messages

⚠️ Not Connected

The integration hasn't been set up yet. Click "Connect" to begin OAuth authentication.

⚠️ Token Expired

Your OAuth token needs to be refreshed:

Why this happens:

Tokens expire for security (typically after 90 days)
Password was changed on Microsoft account
Permissions were revoked in Microsoft settings

How to fix:

Click "Disconnect" on the integration page
Click "Connect" again
Complete OAuth authentication
Reconfigure sync settings if needed

🔄 Syncing

Email sync is currently in progress:

Email count increases as messages are indexed
Status shows "Syncing" or "Pending"
Wait for sync to complete before searching
Can take several minutes for large mailboxes

Using the Microsoft 365 Integration

Searching Emails

Use natural language to find emails instantly:

Examples:

"Find emails from Sarah about the Q4 budget"
"Show me unread emails from last week"
"Search for emails with attachments about the project proposal"
"Find the email where John shared the presentation"
"Show me all emails from my manager this month"

Advanced Searches:

"Find emails I sent to the marketing team"
"Show me emails with PDF attachments from clients"
"Search for emails about meetings scheduled for next week"
"Find the email thread about the product launch"

Managing Calendar

Create and manage calendar events:

Examples:

"Schedule a meeting with the team tomorrow at 2 PM"
"What meetings do I have this week?"
"Create a calendar event: Project review on Friday"
"Show me my schedule for next Monday"
"Find available time slots for a 1-hour meeting"

Email Actions

Perform email operations through aura:

Examples:

"Reply to Sarah's email about the budget"
"Send an email to john@company.com about the meeting"
"Forward the project proposal to the team"
"Draft an email to the client with the quarterly report"

File Access

Search and access OneDrive files:

Examples:

"Find the Q4 presentation in OneDrive"
"Show me Excel files from last month"
"Search for documents about the marketing campaign"
"Find the contract PDF I saved last week"

Managing Sync Settings

Updating Sync Configuration

To change your sync settings:

Go to Microsoft 365 integration page
Click "Settings & Sync" tab
Modify your preferences:
- Enable/disable sync
- Change sync frequency
- Adjust days to import
Click "Submit" to save changes
New settings apply to next scheduled sync

Manual Sync

To trigger an immediate sync:

Go to "Settings & Sync" tab
Click "Sync Now" button
Monitor sync status in real-time
Wait for "Completed" status
Check updated email count

When to use manual sync:

After changing sync settings
When you need immediate access to recent emails
If automatic sync seems delayed
To refresh data after important emails arrive

Monitoring Sync Status

Track your sync progress:

Sync Status Display:

Current status (Pending, Syncing, Completed, Failed)
Last sync timestamp
Next scheduled sync time
Email count (total synced messages)

Understanding Email Counts:

Shows total number of indexed emails
Increases during sync
Example: "2,547 emails" means 2,547 messages are searchable
Higher counts = more comprehensive search results

Updating Your Integration

When to Update

Reconnect your Microsoft 365 integration when:

OAuth token expires (typically every 90 days)
You change your Microsoft password
Integration status shows "Token Expired"
You need to grant additional permissions

How to Update

Navigate to Microsoft 365 integration page
Click "Disconnect" button
Confirm disconnection
Click "Connect" button
Complete OAuth authentication again
Reconfigure sync settings
Trigger manual sync if needed

Disconnecting the Integration

To remove the Microsoft 365 integration:

Go to Microsoft 365 integration page
Click "Disconnect" button at the bottom
Confirm the disconnection
You'll be redirected to the Integrations page

Note: Disconnecting will:

Remove access to Microsoft 365 data in aura
Stop all automatic syncing
Delete synced email indexes from aura
Prevent searching Microsoft emails
Not affect your Microsoft account or actual emails

Optional: Revoke aura's access in Microsoft:

Go to Microsoft Account Security
Navigate to "Apps & services"
Find "aura" in the list
Click "Remove" to revoke permissions

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

Possible causes:

OAuth authentication was cancelled
Network connectivity issues
Browser blocking pop-ups
Microsoft service temporarily unavailable

Solutions:

Ensure pop-ups are allowed for aura
Try a different browser
Check your internet connection
Clear browser cache and cookies
Try again in a few minutes

Sync Not Starting

Possible causes:

Sync is disabled in settings
Token expired
Network issues
Server maintenance

Solutions:

Verify "Sync Enabled" is toggled on
Check integration status is "Connected"
Try manual sync with "Sync Now" button
Disconnect and reconnect if token expired
Check aura status page for maintenance

Email Count Not Increasing

Possible causes:

Sync is still in progress (be patient)
No new emails in the date range
Sync failed silently
Network interruption during sync

Solutions:

Wait longer - initial sync can take 10-15 minutes
Check sync status for errors
Verify date range includes emails
Try manual sync again
Check that emails exist in your Microsoft account

Search Not Finding Emails

Possible causes:

Sync not completed yet
Emails outside synced date range
Search terms too specific
Integration not connected

Solutions:

Wait for sync to complete (check status)
Verify emails are within synced date range (last 30 days)
Try broader search terms
Check integration status is "Connected & Ready"
Trigger manual sync to refresh data

Sync Keeps Failing

Possible causes:

Token expired
Insufficient permissions
Large mailbox causing timeout
API rate limiting

Solutions:

Disconnect and reconnect integration
Verify all permissions were granted during OAuth
Reduce "Days to Import" temporarily
Wait 1 hour and try again (rate limit reset)
Contact support if issue persists

Security & Permissions

What aura Can Access

With Microsoft 365 integration, aura can:

Read emails from your mailbox
Read calendar events and availability
Create and update calendar events
Access files in OneDrive
Read your profile information (name, email)
Send emails on your behalf (when you request it)

What aura Cannot Access

aura respects Microsoft permissions and cannot:

Access emails you don't have permission to view
Read other users' mailboxes (unless shared with you)
Modify Microsoft account settings
Access billing or payment information
Delete emails or calendar events
Share files without your explicit command

Data Storage & Privacy

What We Store:

Minimal hashed data for search indexing
Email metadata (sender, subject, date)
Search-optimized content representations
Sync configuration and preferences

What We Don't Store:

Full email content permanently
Email attachments
Your Microsoft password
Sensitive personal information beyond what's needed for search

OAuth Token Security

Your Microsoft OAuth tokens are:

Encrypted in transit and at rest
Automatically refreshed when needed
Never exposed in logs or error messages
Revocable anytime from Microsoft account settings
Stored securely with industry-standard practices

Best Practices

Sync Configuration

Start Small: Begin with 7-14 days for faster initial sync
Increase Gradually: Expand to 30 days once comfortable
Choose Appropriate Frequency:
- Hourly for active email users
- Daily for moderate use
- Monthly for occasional access
Monitor Performance: Check sync status regularly

Search Efficiency

Use natural, conversational language
Include relevant context (sender, date, topic)
Start broad, then narrow down
Leverage AI understanding - don't worry about exact keywords
Use date ranges to limit results

Email Management

Keep important emails within the 30-day sync window
Archive or delete old emails to improve sync speed
Use folders and labels for better organization
Regularly review sync status and email counts

Security Hygiene

Review connected apps in Microsoft settings periodically
Disconnect integration when no longer needed
Use strong passwords for your Microsoft account
Enable two-factor authentication on Microsoft account
Monitor for unusual activity

Advanced Features

Multi-Account Search

If you have both Microsoft and Google integrations:

Search across both email accounts simultaneously
Unified results from all sources
Single query finds emails from both platforms
Comprehensive view of all communications

Email-Based Automation

Create workflows that involve emails:

"Create a task from this email"
"Add email sender to my contacts"
"Schedule a meeting based on this email"
"Save email attachments to OneDrive"

Calendar Intelligence

Smart calendar features:

Find meeting conflicts automatically
Suggest optimal meeting times
Create events from email content
Get meeting preparation summaries

Cross-Platform Integration

Connect emails with other tools:

Link emails to Jira issues
Reference emails in Notion pages
Create Todoist tasks from emails
Share email insights in Slack

Coming Soon

Expanded Capabilities

We're constantly improving the Microsoft 365 integration:

Extended Date Range: Sync more than 30 days of email history
Teams Deep Integration: Full Teams chat and channel search
SharePoint Access: Search documents across SharePoint sites
Advanced Filters: More granular control over what gets synced
Selective Sync: Choose specific folders to sync
Attachment Search: Find emails by attachment type and content
Email Templates: Save and reuse common email responses
Smart Suggestions: AI-powered email and calendar recommendations

Need Help?

Integrations Overview - General integration information
Dashboard Guide - Understanding integration status
FAQ - Common questions
Troubleshooting - Solutions to common issues
Microsoft Support - Official Microsoft documentation

Connect your Microsoft 365 account to aura and experience the power of intelligent, unified search across all your emails, calendar, and files. Your data is secure, your privacy is protected, and your productivity will soar.

Microsoft 365 Integration

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