Docs emailed into Pipeline can go quiet for a handful of reasons, and almost all of them are visible from your own inbox. Work down this list in order.
The Doc Is in Unassigned, Not on the Transaction
This is the answer far more often than anything actually going wrong. Every doc emailed into Pipeline — including docs sent to a transaction's own address — stops on the Unassigned page first, because a permission category has to be chosen by hand and email can't do it.
To check:
- Click [Unassigned] from the top menu.
- Look for the doc in the list. Docs sent to a transaction address show a blue assign button and already know their transaction.
If it's there, nothing failed — it just needs assigning.
The Address Was Slightly Wrong
Maildrop addresses end in @docs.paperlesspipeline.com. Dropping the docs. and sending to @paperlesspipeline.com is the most common mistake, and mail sent that way never reaches Pipeline.
Open the sent message and compare the address character for character against the one at the top of your Unassigned page. If it's saved wrong in a scanner or a contact card, fix it there so it doesn't happen again.
The Attachment Was Rejected
Pipeline replies to every submission if you ask it to, and that reply names any file it turned away and why. Turn the reply on, resend, and read what comes back:
- Click the [Gear] in the upper-right corner, then [My Info].
- Under Your Email Settings, check Receive email acknowledgement whenever you send in docs to your maildrop, then click [Save Settings].
- Send the doc again and read the acknowledgement.
Common reasons a file is rejected: your account accepts PDFs only and the file isn't one, or the file is an image from your email signature that happened to be large enough to look like a document. If the acknowledgement doesn't explain it, forward it to us and we'll trace it.
It Went Out as a Link, Not an Attachment
Pipeline only pulls in real file attachments. If your email app inserted a Google Drive or OneDrive link instead of the file itself, there's nothing for Pipeline to collect — and this happens automatically in some apps when a file is over the provider's size limit (25MB in Gmail, for example).
Compress the file or split it into smaller pieces and resend as a true attachment, or upload it from inside Pipeline instead.
The Message Was Encrypted
Pipeline can't open an encrypted email to reach the attachment, so nothing uploads. Send it unencrypted, or upload the doc directly to the transaction — the connection to Pipeline is encrypted either way.
It Went to Somebody Else's Address
Maildrop addresses are personal. If the doc went to a colleague's address, it landed in their queue and shows them as the person who added it — so it's easy to miss when you're looking under your own name.
Check with whoever owns the address it went to, and going forward have each person send to their own.
It Landed in a Location You Can't See
Docs inherit the location of the address they were emailed to. If someone used a location-specific address for an office they no longer have permissions in, the docs are sitting in that location's queue, invisible to them.
An admin with permissions in that location can see and assign them. To stop it recurring, use the Any Location address shown at the top of the Unassigned page instead.
Still Stuck?
Email us with the maildrop address you used, the time you sent it, and the acknowledgement you got back (or the fact that you got none). That's usually enough for us to find the message on our side.
Learn More
Email your documents to a maildrop address and Pipeline pulls the attachments in — no logging in, no uploading.
See Maildrop
Still Have Questions?
Didn't find your answer above? Email us at help@paperlesspipeline.com and we'll help.