What you can do
The add-in supports the following capabilities:
File emails
- Link a received or sent email to a Clio Operate case
- File the email body and attachments to the case document repository
- Associate filed attachments with document expectations
- Add a chronology entry with a custom subject
Compose emails with case context
- Author emails using Clio Operate email templates and content blocks
- Attach documents directly from the case repository
- Address emails using case participants
- File the email to Clio Operate.
Record time and create tasks
- Record time against a case immediately after filing or composing an email
- Create follow-up tasks linked to the case
Manage contacts
- Detect new contacts from email recipients and add them to the case
- Identify and match existing ODS records for senders and recipients
Supported Contexts
The add-in displays in the following Outlook contexts:
| Context | Description |
|---|---|
| Reading pane | Displays when a user selects a received or sent email. Supports case linking, filing, and secondary actions. |
| Compose: new email | Displays when a user opens a new email compose window. Supports case linking, templates, attachments from repo, contacts, and filing on send. |
| Compose: reply or forward | Displays when a user replies to or forwards an email. Auto-match on message thread is attempted. Same capabilities as composing a new email. |
| No email selected | When no email is selected displays recent cases, bookmarked cases, and all active cases for the user. |
Key Concepts
Luggage tags
A luggage tag is a unique identifier that Clio Operate appends to the subject line of outbound emails. When a reply arrives, the add-in reads the tag in the message thread and automatically links the email to the correct case. Luggage tags follow the format configured in the email channel settings under Admin > Channels > Email.
Search scope
The add-in uses a dedicated search scope called outlook-addin-search to source cases for the search view. This scope is seeded automatically and controls which work types appear in case search results. The default work types are Client Contract, Instruction, Matter, Proceedings, and Statement of Work. The scope can be customised in Modeller > Search scopes.
Email contexts
The add-in behaves differently depending on whether the user is reading an email or composing one. The reading context is focused on filing; the composing context is focused on authoring and sending. Secondary actions (time recording and tasks) are available in both contexts once a case is linked.