What happens when you connect Outlook
Connecting Outlook is a single Microsoft sign-in. DraftKite requests access through Microsoft Graph — the same official API that Outlook's own mobile and web apps use — and Microsoft, not DraftKite, handles your password. On the first run DraftKite reads a sample of your recently sent mail to learn your tone, adds its own set of coloured tags to your master category list, and subscribes to change notifications on your Inbox. From then on every new message triggers a Graph notification, and within seconds DraftKite has read it, tagged it with a category, and — when a reply is warranted — left a draft in your Drafts folder.
How Outlook categories actually behave
Outlook has no labels; it has categories, and they work differently from folders. A category is a coloured tag stored on the message and in your mailbox's master category list — it never moves mail out of your Inbox or reorganises your folders. Because categories roam with the mailbox, a DraftKite tag applied on the server shows up identically in Outlook on Windows, Mac, the web, and your phone. Colours are drawn from Outlook's built-in preset palette, so the tags look native rather than bolted on.
It builds on your rules, it doesn't replace them
Because DraftKite tags each message the moment it arrives, your existing Outlook and Exchange rules can act on those categories — move a receipt to a folder, flag anything marked 'to respond', or forward a category to a colleague. Focused Inbox keeps working exactly as before; DraftKite simply adds a classification layer underneath it. Nothing you have already set up in Outlook has to change.
Drafts that thread correctly
Reply drafts are created through Graph's native reply action, so each one stays inside the original conversation, keeps the correct recipients, and carries your signature and chosen font. The draft appears in your Outlook Drafts folder on every device, fully editable. DraftKite writes it and stops there — you read it, adjust it, and press Send yourself.
The permissions DraftKite asks for
DraftKite requests only the Microsoft Graph permissions it needs for the two jobs above:
| Permission | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Mail.ReadWrite | Read incoming mail, set categories, and create reply drafts |
| MailboxSettings.ReadWrite | Create and colour DraftKite's categories in your master list |
| offline_access | Stay connected without asking you to sign in every session |
| Calendars.Read (optional) | Let a draft reference your availability when relevant |
It deliberately does not request Mail.Send, so DraftKite is technically unable to send email on your behalf. Tokens are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, and mailboxes, classifications and drafts are hosted in the EU (Frankfurt) in line with GDPR.