Email Integration - Zoho CRM - OAuth and IMAP

Hello,

We are attempting to integrate our Microsoft 365 email with Zoho CRM. We are using the documentation at Email Configuration for IMAP and POP3 (zoho.com)

We use Microsoft 365 and per their recommendations (and requirements) for secure email we have disabled basic authentication. Per our Exchange authentication policy (Get-AuthenticationPolicy) assigned to users, the following is set.

AllowBasicAuthActiveSync	False
AllowBasicAuthAutodiscover	False
AllowBasicAuthImap	False
AllowBasicAuthMapi	False
AllowBasicAuthPop	False
AllowBasicAuthSmtp	False
AllowBasicAuthWebServices	False
AllowBasicAuthPowershell	False

Per the documentation at Enable or disable SMTP AUTH in Exchange Online | Microsoft Learn - It looks like if we disable BasicAuthSMTP, it also disables SMTP AUTH. Per the first note on that page.

If your authentication policy disables basic authentication for SMTP, clients cannot use the SMTP AUTH protocol even if you enable the settings outlined in this article. For more information, see Disable Basic authentication in Exchange Online.

All this is to say, when we attempt to follow the steps of Email Configuration for IMAP and POP3 (zoho.com), when we sign in with the OAUTH based configuration, we receive an error.

I suspect because yes you are using the OAUTH method of signing in, so we don't need to do app passwords, but it is still using the underlying POP/IMAP, which seems to be disabled.

Is anyone else that has the security defaults enabled able to successfully integrate their Office 365 email with Zoho CRM without creating IMAP/POP exceptions for their users?

Moderation Update (29th July 2025):

The email configuration for Microsoft Graph API is available in Early Access for users in all DCs except EU and IN. If your account is not in the IN or EU DC, you can write to our support or add a comment to have this enabled for your account.
Read more on the same:
Email Configuration for Microsoft Graph API

Latest update on 29th September 2025:

This feature is available in all editions in all the DCs except the Ultimate edition accounts in the US DC. Will update the post once it is enabled for those accounts.