## Log an email
**post** `/v1/emails/log`
Logs an email that no connected account will sync, such as history from a previous CRM or a mailbox export. The email appears on account, contact, and opportunity timelines at `$sentAt` and threads with related emails. `$sentAt` must be in the past, and at least one participant must be a workspace member and one must be external.
The `Message-ID` header (or a generated one) identifies the email. If an email with the same `Message-ID` already exists, the request returns 409 and writes nothing. Group emails into threads with `$threadId`, or pass `In-Reply-To` and `References` in `headers`.
Privacy defaults to the most permissive setting among the participants’ connected accounts, else `METADATA`. Set `$privacySetting` to override it. Logging an email never sends it, never cancels a sequence enrollment, and creates records only when `autoCreateRecords` is true. Filter out personal and non-sales mail before logging.
Supports idempotency via the `Idempotency-Key` header.
**[Required scope](/using-the-api/scopes/):** `emails:create`
**[Rate limit category](/using-the-api/rate-limits/):** Write
### Body Parameters
- `fields: object { "$from", "$sentAt", "$bcc", 6 more }`
Field values for the logged email. System fields use a `$` prefix. Required: `$sentAt` and `$from`, plus at least one recipient across `$to`, `$cc`, and `$bcc`.
- `"$from": string`
The sender address. This field accepts a single email address.
- `"$sentAt": string`
When the email was sent, in ISO 8601 format. Must be in the past.
- `"$bcc": optional array of string`
Bcc-recipient addresses.
- `"$body": optional object { html, text }`
The email body. Pass whichever parts you have.
- `html: optional string`
The HTML part of the email.
- `text: optional string`
The plain-text part of the email.
- `"$cc": optional array of string`
Cc-recipient addresses.
- `"$privacySetting": optional "FULL" or "METADATA"`
The privacy setting for the email (`FULL` or `METADATA`). Defaults to the most permissive setting among the participants’ connected accounts, else `METADATA`.
- `"FULL"`
- `"METADATA"`
- `"$subject": optional string`
The email subject line.
- `"$threadId": optional string`
Any stable grouping key. Emails with the same value share a thread. Overrides threading derived from `headers`.
- `"$to": optional array of string`
To-recipient addresses.
- `autoCreateRecords: optional boolean`
When true, the post-create sync may create account and contact records for unknown external participants.
- `headers: optional map[string]`
Raw RFC 5322 headers, passed through as read (any key case). Only `Message-ID`, `In-Reply-To`, and `References` are used. At most 64 KB.
### Returns
- `EmailLogResponse object { id, accessLevel, createdAt, 6 more }`
- `id: string`
Unique identifier for the entity.
- `accessLevel: "FULL" or "METADATA"`
The caller's resolved access level for this email.
- `"FULL"`
- `"METADATA"`
- `createdAt: string`
ISO 8601 timestamp of when the entity was created.
- `fields: map[object { value, valueType } ]`
Map of field names to their typed values. System fields are prefixed with `$` (e.g. `$name`, `$email`); custom attributes use their bare slug.
- `value: string or number or boolean or 3 more`
The field value, or null if unset.
- `string`
- `number`
- `boolean`
- `array of string`
- `Address object { city, country, latitude, 5 more }`
- `city: optional string`
City name.
- `country: optional string`
2-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.
- `latitude: optional number`
Latitude coordinate.
- `longitude: optional number`
Longitude coordinate.
- `postalCode: optional string`
Postal or ZIP code.
- `state: optional string`
State or province.
- `street: optional string`
Street address line 1.
- `street2: optional string`
Street address line 2.
- `FullName object { firstName, lastName }`
- `firstName: optional string`
The contact's first name.
- `lastName: optional string`
The contact's last name.
- `valueType: "ADDRESS" or "CHECKBOX" or "CURRENCY" or 12 more`
The data type of the field.
- `"ADDRESS"`
- `"CHECKBOX"`
- `"CURRENCY"`
- `"DATETIME"`
- `"EMAIL"`
- `"FULL_NAME"`
- `"MARKDOWN"`
- `"MULTI_SELECT"`
- `"NUMBER"`
- `"SINGLE_SELECT"`
- `"SOCIAL_HANDLE"`
- `"TELEPHONE"`
- `"TEXT"`
- `"URL"`
- `"HTML"`
- `httpLink: string`
URL to view the entity in the Lightfield web app, or null.
- `objectType: "email"`
Always `email`.
- `"email"`
- `relationships: map[object { cardinality, objectType, values, directions } ]`
Map of relationship names to their associated entities. System relationships are prefixed with `$` (e.g. `$owner`, `$contact`). A self-referential relationship keeps its merged values and includes optional directional values. List filters select the current record's role with `:asSource` or `:asDestination`, for example `?parent:asSource[contains]=account_id`.
- `cardinality: string`
Whether the relationship is `has_one` or `has_many`.
- `objectType: string`
The type of the related object (e.g. `account`, `contact`).
- `values: array of string`
IDs of the related entities.
- `directions: optional object { asDestination, asSource }`
Directional values for a self-referential relationship. List filters use the relationship key with `:asSource` or `:asDestination`; writes continue to use the bare key.
- `asDestination: object { cardinality, values }`
The current record is the destination (incoming) endpoint.
- `cardinality: "HAS_ONE" or "HAS_MANY"`
Whether this endpoint direction is `HAS_ONE` or `HAS_MANY`.
- `"HAS_ONE"`
- `"HAS_MANY"`
- `values: array of string`
IDs of the related entities in this direction.
- `asSource: object { cardinality, values }`
The current record is the source (outgoing) endpoint.
- `cardinality: "HAS_ONE" or "HAS_MANY"`
Whether this endpoint direction is `HAS_ONE` or `HAS_MANY`.
- `"HAS_ONE"`
- `"HAS_MANY"`
- `values: array of string`
IDs of the related entities in this direction.
- `updatedAt: string`
ISO 8601 timestamp of when the entity was last updated, or null.
- `externalId: optional string`
External identifier for the entity, or null if unset.
### Example
```http
curl https://api.lightfield.app/v1/emails/log \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Lightfield-Version: 2026-03-01' \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
-d '{
"fields": {
"$from": "$from",
"$sentAt": "$sentAt"
}
}'
```
#### Response
```json
{
"id": "eml_cm0abc456def789",
"accessLevel": "FULL",
"createdAt": "2026-05-01T09:00:00.000Z",
"fields": {
"$subject": {
"value": "Following up on our chat",
"valueType": "TEXT"
},
"$sentAt": {
"value": "2026-05-01T08:30:00.000Z",
"valueType": "DATETIME"
},
"$from": {
"value": [
"sales@acme.com"
],
"valueType": "EMAIL"
},
"$to": {
"value": [
"lead@example.com"
],
"valueType": "EMAIL"
},
"$cc": {
"value": [
"string"
],
"valueType": "EMAIL"
},
"$bcc": {
"value": [
"string"
],
"valueType": "EMAIL"
},
"$privacySetting": {
"value": "string",
"valueType": "TEXT"
},
"$body": {
"value": "Hi there,
Following up on our chat earlier this week.
",
"valueType": "HTML"
}
},
"httpLink": null,
"objectType": "email",
"relationships": {
"$account": {
"cardinality": "has_many",
"objectType": "account",
"values": [
"acc_cm4stu901uvw234"
],
"directions": {
"asDestination": {
"cardinality": "HAS_ONE",
"values": [
"string"
]
},
"asSource": {
"cardinality": "HAS_ONE",
"values": [
"string"
]
}
}
},
"$contact": {
"cardinality": "has_many",
"objectType": "contact",
"values": [
"con_cm2ghi789jkl012"
],
"directions": {
"asDestination": {
"cardinality": "HAS_ONE",
"values": [
"string"
]
},
"asSource": {
"cardinality": "HAS_ONE",
"values": [
"string"
]
}
}
}
},
"updatedAt": "2026-05-01T10:00:00.000Z",
"externalId": "externalId"
}
```