Filevine’s Outlook Add-in integration allows users to complete basic Filevine actions without leaving Outlook. Users are able to send any email to a project, where it will appear in the activity feed, and to comment on emails just as they would in the activity feed.
To use the Outlook Add-in, users must have a Microsoft Exchange Server, which will usually require Office 365. Users must have Outlook 2016 or newer to use the Add-in. Reach out to your IT or Email Admin to confirm that you are using Exchange and an Outlook version that runs the Edge browser, and make sure you are running the latest version of Outlook.
Setup
The Outlook Add-in can be added in either the online Outlook or the desktop version. Once the add-in has been installed, it can also be used in the mobile app.
To install the add-in on desktop, click on the “Get Add-ins” button in the ribbon along the top. In the web version, compose a new message, click on the ellipsis icon at the bottom of the message, and select “Get Add-ins” from the dropdown.
In the opened modal, click on the search bar in the top right corner and search for “Filevine.”
Once you find the Filevine add-in, click “Add.” When the add-in has been added, open it, and you will see it appear on the right-hand side of your screen. Click “Sign In."
You will be asked to choose your login or team domain. Most users will be either in the United States login or the Canada login, and can click on the matching button.
If you have been instructed to use the “team domain” by Filevine, then you will need to enter the domain of your team in the textbox below.
Once your login or domain has been selected, sign in using your Filevine credentials.
If you are using text message-based multi-factor authentication in Filevine, you will also be prompted for a verification code after logging in. That verification code will be sent to the mobile number configured within Filevine. Enter the login code to finish signing in.
Adjust Settings
Once you have installed the add-in, it is recommended that you either pin it or create an action shortcut, which will help you access the add-in faster.
In Outlook desktop, you will see the Filevine logo in the top bar next to “Get Add-ins.” Click the logo to open the add-in, and then pin it by selecting the pin icon in the top right corner.
When the add-in has been pinned, it will remain open as you switch between emails. To un-pin the add-in, click the pin icon again. You can also close the add-in by clicking on the “x” in the top right corner.
In Outlook.com, create an action shortcut to access the app faster. In outlook.com, go to Settings > Mail > Customize actions, and check the box next to the Filevine logo under both “Message surface” and “Toolbar.”
Once these settings have been updated, you will be able to open the add-in by clicking on the dropdown menu at the bottom of any email you are composing or at the top as any email you are reading. Select “Filevine” from the dropdown menu to open the add-in.
Mobile App
When you have installed the add-in, you will also be able to use it from the Outlook mobile app. Download the Microsoft Outlook app from your app store.
Once you have installed the app on your mobile device, access the add-in by clicking the ellipsis at the top of an opened or composed email, just as you would on desktop.
In the Outlook app, the add-in’s functionality is only available in received mode, not in compose mode. Additionally, Filevine task shortcuts, like @ and @+, function as usual, but the suggested completion dialogue will not appear.
All other functionality of the Filevine Outlook Add-in is the same in the app as it is on your desktop.
Choose Your Project
The add-in includes a search bar for the project, vital information about a chosen project, a place to create an Activity feed item and add comments, and the team members and contacts for that project.
When the add-in is first opened, you will see a list of projects, with a search bar at the top. The list will include both active and archived projects. Enter the name of the desired project, and the list of projects will filter accordingly.
Click on the desired project to open it. To switch to another project, click on the magnifying glass icon to the right of the project name.
Create a New Project
You can also create a new Filevine project from the Outlook Add-in.
Note: If you currently use Lead Docket as your intake system, you should continue using your current intake methods to ensure that your leads are routed correctly.
In the list of projects, under the search box, click + Create Project.
In the Create a Project page, fill out the fields just as you would when creating a new project in Filevine. The project’s Org will be pre-selected based on the Org that was selected when clicking + Create Project. If you would like to select a different Org for this project, navigate back to the first page to choose a different Org.
You can also create a new contact from the Create a Project page. Click on the new contact icon to navigate to the Create a Contact page. Contacts created from this page will be made the main project contact for the new project. (If the contact is created from this page, and then the new project is not created, the contact will exist in Filevine, but will not be added to any projects.) Learn more about creating a new contact from the Outlook Add-in.
View Your Project
Once you’ve selected your project, you will see:
- the project name along the top
- an option for billing
- a vitals dropdown menu
- three tabs for Activity, Contacts, and Team
You can click on the project name to be taken directly to the project in Filevine. Click Vitals to open the dropdown and view all vitals for the project.
The Activity, Contacts, and Team tabs allow you to send and share emails with the project, depending on whether you are in a “Reading” or “Composing” state.
Billing
Once you’ve selected a project, click on Billing below the project name to add a billing time entry through the add-in. The time entry will be associated with the chosen project.
In the billing screen, fill out the fields just as you would for a time entry in Filevine.
- enter a time in hours, out to two decimal places (for example, an entry of 0.1 would equal 6 minutes)
- choose LEDES codes from the dropdowns
- add a description of the time entry
- if desired, mark the entry with Draft status, which requires the item to be reviewed and saved before it is available for invoicing
When you have filled out the time entry fields to your satisfaction, click Save. The time entry is added to the project’s Billing section. If the project does not have a Billing section, and a Billing section is added, the timer entries will appear in the Billing section at that time. Once the time entry has been added to the project, it can be edited just as other time entries can.
Activity Feed
Received Emails
When reading an email that has already been received or sent, use the activity tab in the add-in to send the email to the project. The Activity tab contains the title of the currently-selected email, a “Send” button, and space to add a comment or task to the email message. “Send” to add the email to your project, or add a comment or task to the item before sending. Once an email has been sent to a Filevine project, the associated project will automatically be selected in the add-in when the email is open.
Composed Emails
When composing an email, you will have the option to attach that email to the project upon sending. Just like with received emails, the email can be sent in the Activity tab of the add-in by selecting “Send.” Once an email has been sent to a Filevine project, the associated project will automatically be selected in the add-in when the email is open. In compose mode, you will also have the option to attach a document from a Filevine project.
Sending Attachments to Projects
Sending an email to a project will create an activity item, which includes the following:
- the email subject line, and
- the sender and recipients
- all email text
- the email’s .eml file
- any additional attached documents
In Outlook, the .eml file and any additional attached files appear beneath the Activity tab comment space, where they can be selected or deselected for sending.
The email's .eml file and file attachments will be selected by default. Any inline images, like email signature images, will be unselected. Select the checkbox to the left of the file name to check or uncheck items for attachment upon sending.
In Outlook, you can edit attached file names and choose a folder destination for each attachment. To edit the name or choose the file location, click on the arrow to the right of the selected file. Adjust the name as desired and click through the project’s folder structure to select that location you want. Each attachment can be placed in a different folder.
Attaching Docs from Projects
In compose mode, you can attach documents from a Filevine project to the email you are sending. To attach a document, find the desired project in the add-in and click on the “Attach Filevine Documents” button.
You will see a list of all folders and documents in that project. Click through the folder structure if needed to find the document you would like to attach, and click on the document to attach it to the email. Multiple documents can be attached.
Once the document has been attached to the email from Filevine, it will show in the list of file attachments for that email, but will be deselected by default.
If you’d like to send the attachment back to Filevine, select the attachment. The attachment name can be edited and a new location chosen for the file, as described in the preceding section.
In Filevine
In Filevine, the email will appear as an orange email icon. This email will not use the project email. The “Sent from” and “Sent to” information will remain the same as in Outlook.
The activity item will also include an .eml file of the email. Click the .eml file in the item to download. The file will open as an email, where you will be able to reply, forward, etc. just as you would normally for an email.
If adding a task or comment, the email will appear as a task or comment activity item, respectively. Comments can be added on these email items in either the add-in or Filevine, and will appear in both. Tasks, mentions, and more can be added in comments the same way that they would normally be added in Filevine. Any tasks or comments will be added by the user “Filevine Integration.”
Contacts and Team Members
The two other tabs in the add-in display the contacts and team members for the project, respectively. Additionally, any of the project’s contacts can be added, cced, or bcced on any email from the Contacts tab.
In the contacts tab, search for a contact by selecting either name or email from the dropdown next to the search bar, and then entering the search term.
Once your desired contact has been identified, click on the “add,” “cc,” or “bcc” button to add them as recipients.
Create a New Contact
You can also create a new Filevine contact in the Contacts tab by clicking the contact icon next to the contact search box.
On the Create a Contact page, fill out the fields as desired. The First Name field is required, but the other fields are optional. When you’ve filled the fields to your satisfaction, click Create Contact.
The contact will be created in the project’s Filevine Org and will be added to the Contacts section of that project. Once the contact is created, you will be able to edit and add to the contact information in Filevine as usual.
Calendar
Users can also use the Filevine add-in with their Outlook Calendars. Just as in Outlook email, the Filevine add-in will appear along the right hand side of your screen, and you will be able to search projects and access their vitals and contacts alongside the Outlook Calendar.
Click the project email to add the project as “Optional” on meetings. If you’ve successfully configured calendar sync, the meeting will appear on the project calendar.
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