In early 2026, Notion Mail shipped a major update: you can now save emails directly to Notion pages and databases, with auto-sync. If you’ve been using SlapMail to get emails into Notion, you’re probably wondering - do I still need it?
Short answer: it depends on how you work. Let’s break it down.
What Notion Mail can do now
Notion Mail has come a long way. Here’s what’s available today:
- Save emails to Notion - Click a button on any email to add it to a Notion page or database
- Auto-sync - Emails in a synced database view update automatically. New messages in a thread appear without manual action
- AI access to email content - Notion AI can read and reference your emails when connected via the AI Connector
- Reopen in Notion Mail - Jump back to the full email thread from any synced Notion page
For individual users who want email context inside Notion, this is a solid setup. You can reference important conversations in your notes, link emails to projects, and let Notion AI help you draft replies.
Where Notion Mail stops
Notion Mail is built as a personal email client. It works well for that purpose, but there are things it doesn’t do:
- No reply from Notion - You can view email content in Notion, but to reply, you need to open Notion Mail. That means switching between two apps
- No team collaboration - You can’t reply to an email received by a colleague. Each inbox is personal
- Gmail only - Notion Mail only works with Gmail addresses - no Outlook support. On top of that, to use Notion Mail’s database sync, you need to use the Notion Mail client as your email app. Even if you’re already on Gmail, that means switching away from the Gmail interface you’re used to.
- No attachment sync - Attachments don’t upload to Notion. They stay in the email
- No property extraction - When you save an email to Notion, it appears as a view of the Notion Mail thread embedded in your page. There’s no extraction of structured data - no sender, date, or subject as separate database properties. No automatic association with a contacts database, no tracking of last sent or last received dates
- No mailbox identification - If you have multiple email accounts, there’s no way to know which mailbox an email came from inside your Notion database
- No email persistence - If an email is deleted from your inbox, it disappears from Notion too
- No automation triggers - You can’t build workflows based on email dates (e.g. “flag contacts who haven’t been emailed in 30 days”)
What SlapMail does differently
SlapMail was built for teams who manage customer communication in Notion - support, sales, project management.
Reply from Notion
Write and send email replies directly from your Notion database. No need to switch apps. Any team member can reply to any email, including emails received by someone else.
Shared inboxes
Multiple people can manage the same inbox. Assign emails, track status, add internal notes. Turn your Notion database into a shared support queue, sales pipeline, or client communication hub.
Gmail and Outlook
SlapMail supports both Gmail and Outlook. You keep using whatever email client you prefer - whether that’s Gmail’s interface, Outlook, or even Notion Mail. No need to switch email providers or change how you read your inbox.
Attachments in Notion
Email attachments are uploaded to Notion as files. They persist even if the original email is deleted.
Contact management
Emails are automatically linked to your Notion contacts database. SlapMail tracks last received and last sent dates per contact, so you can sort, filter, and build automations based on communication activity.
Mailbox tracking
Know exactly which mailbox each email came from. Useful when your team manages multiple email addresses (support@, sales@, info@).
Email persistence
Emails synced via SlapMail live in Notion independently. Deleting an email from your inbox doesn’t remove it from Notion - important for compliance and record-keeping.
Everything in one place
With SlapMail, you read, reply, assign, and track emails without leaving Notion. No jumping between Notion and a separate email app.
Quick comparison
| Notion Mail | SlapMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Save emails to Notion | Yes (click to add) | Yes (automatic) |
| Auto-sync new emails | Yes | Yes |
| Reply from Notion | No | Yes |
| Team collaboration | No (personal inbox) | Yes (shared inboxes) |
| Gmail support | Yes | Yes |
| Outlook support | No | Yes |
| Attachments in Notion | No | Yes |
| Contact association | No | Automatic |
| Last sent/received tracking | No | Yes |
| Mailbox identification | No | Yes |
| Email persistence | No (deleted = gone) | Yes |
| AI features | Yes (drafting, labeling) | Yes, via Notion AI |
What this looks like in practice
CRM / Sales pipeline. A lead emails your sales address. SlapMail routes it to your Notion CRM database, links it to the contact record, and assigns it to the right team member. Anyone on the team can reply directly from Notion. You can track which sales strategies drive the most replies, see expected revenue at a glance, and flag contacts who haven’t been emailed in 30 days - all from the same database.
Helpdesk / Support queue. A customer emails support@. The thread lands in your Notion support database with the customer’s history, previous responses, and internal notes attached. Your team triages, assigns, and replies without leaving Notion. You get a clear view of open tickets, response times, and resolution rates - turning your Notion workspace into a lightweight helpdesk.
When Notion Mail is the right choice
- You manage your own inbox and want email context in Notion
- You need AI help drafting and organizing emails
- You’re a solo user on Gmail
When SlapMail is the right choice
- Your team needs to collaborate on customer emails - support tickets, sales inquiries, client communication
- You need to reply to emails from Notion without switching apps
- You use Outlook, or your team uses a mix of Gmail and Outlook
- You need persistent email records for compliance
- You want to track communication dates and build automations around them (e.g. follow-up reminders, inactive contact alerts)
- You manage multiple mailboxes and need to know where emails came from
- You want reporting on your sales funnel or support performance directly in Notion
Can you use both?
Yes. Some of our users on Gmail like Notion Mail’s interface for reading and triaging their personal inbox, while using SlapMail for the emails that need to be managed as a team inside Notion databases.
It’s also worth noting: with SlapMail, you can reply from Notion or from your regular mail client (Gmail, Outlook, Notion Mail - whatever you use). SlapMail syncs the conversation either way. So you’re never locked into one interface.
Coming soon: SlapMail + SlapPortal
We’re building beyond email. SlapPortal adds customer-facing portals connected to your Notion data:
- Manage inbound emails from customers (SlapMail)
- Give customers a portal to view their data, submit requests, and track status (SlapPortal)
- All connected to your existing Notion workspace
Think of it as building your own customer communication platform inside Notion.
The bottom line
Notion Mail’s database sync is a welcome addition to the Notion ecosystem. For solo users who want email context in their workspace, it’s a great choice.
But if your team collaborates on customer emails - and needs to reply from Notion, share inboxes, track contacts, and keep persistent records - SlapMail gives you the tools to make that work.
The question isn’t “which is better” but “what does your workflow need?”