BELFORT
Emails

Automatic email capture

Every Belfort contract has a dedicated functional address. By configuring Outlook to automatically forward contractual emails to it, Belfort captures all correspondence without any manual intervention.

The functional address

Belfort generates a unique, secure address for each contract, in the following format:

c-{id}-{token}@reply.belfort.app

Find this address in the Emails tab of your contract. When an email is forwarded to it, Belfort identifies the contract, reconstructs the conversation thread, and automatically analyses the message.

Process overview

1

All parties add the address in CC or BCC

Every team member (and ideally the counterparty) adds the functional address as a copy on all contract-related emails.

2

An Outlook Quick Action files and categorises the email

With a single click, the email is moved to a contract-specific folder and assigned an identifiable Outlook category.

3

An Outlook rule automatically forwards to Belfort

As soon as an email receives the contract category, a rule forwards it as an attachment to the functional address — no further action required.

Belfort captures and analyses

The email appears in the contract's Emails tab, linked to the correct thread, with deadline and priority detected by AI.

Step 1 — Add the address in CC or BCC

To be done by all parties from the very first exchange.

Add the contract's functional address in CC (or BCC if you prefer not to expose it to the counterparty) on all your emails. Ask your counterparts to do the same.

Why ask the counterparty?

If only your side adds the address in CC, Belfort only receives your outbound messages. To also capture the counterparty's replies — and get a complete view of the thread — they need to add it too. A simple onboarding email is enough.

Step 2 — Create an Outlook Quick Action

For received emails that were not sent with the address in CC.

A Quick Action lets you file and categorise an email in a single click from the message list, without opening it. Create one per contract.

  1. 1 In Outlook, go to Home → Quick Actions → Manage Quick Actions → New.
  2. 2 Name the action using the contract's short name (e.g. "Contract Alfa").
  3. 3 Add the Move to folder action and select (or create) the contract's dedicated folder.
  4. 4 Add the Categorize message action and choose (or create) an identifiable colour category, e.g. "Belfort – Contract Alfa".
  5. 5 Save. The Quick Action now appears in the ribbon and on hover over each email.

Step 3 — Automatic forwarding rule

Triggers as soon as an email receives the contract category.

This rule completes the Quick Action: as soon as an email is categorised, it is automatically sent to Belfort with no further intervention.

  1. 1 In Outlook, go to File → Manage Rules & Alerts → New Rule.
  2. 2 Choose Apply rule on messages I receive, then click Next.
  3. 3 As a condition, check assigned to category and select the category created in step 2.
  4. 4 As an action, choose forward it to people or public group as an attachment and enter the contract's functional address.
  5. 5 Name the rule and save.

Why "forward as an attachment" rather than a regular forward?

A standard forward rewrites the email headers: the sender becomes your address and the original Message-ID is lost. Belfort can no longer reconstruct the thread or identify who actually sent the message.

Forwarding as an attachment encapsulates the original email intact as an .eml file. Belfort reads this file and recovers all original headers — real sender, threading, exact date — for accurate analysis.

Thread reconstruction

Belfort uses In-Reply-To and References headers to automatically reconstruct conversations. The Emails view then sorts each thread by its current status:

  • Overdue — a reply from your side has been expected for too long.
  • To handle — your counterpart just replied; the ball is in your court.
  • Waiting — you have replied and are awaiting their response.
  • Resolved — the thread is closed.

Security

The address is tied to a secret token

The token included in the address (e.g. a3bx9f2k) is randomly generated when the contract is created. Even knowing the contract's numeric ID, it is impossible to impersonate it without this token. Do not share this address publicly — keep it within the project team.

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