What this solution does
The 'Email Preview in Mail' module extends the functionality of the built-in 'Mail' application in Bitrix24 (cloud and on-premise versions). It is designed for employees who process large volumes of correspondence daily. The standard interface displays only the subject and sender, forcing users to open each message to read its content. This creates inefficiency when handling bulk emails, CRM notifications, and client correspondence.
The solution adds a line with a text preview (the first characters of the email body) directly below the subject in the message list. This feature is available in the 'Inbox' folder and other mailbox folders. This approach allows users to assess email content without opening the full view, similar to the functionality in Yandex Mail, Gmail, and other popular clients, thereby accelerating email processing.
The email preview is generated from the message body by removing HTML markup, service invisible characters used in HTML newsletters for technical preheader blocks, and embedded links. The user sees only readable text.
Previews are loaded asynchronously via batch requests when the email list is displayed or updated, including loading subsequent pages via the "Show more" button. This does not increase the initial page load time.
Access to previews is strictly limited to emails from mailboxes where the current user is the owner or participant. The module does not provide access to other people's correspondence.
No connection or payment for third-party external services is required. All data processing occurs on the portal server using standard tables of the "Mail" (mail) module.
The module imposes no special requirements on hosting or PHP settings. It uses standard PHP 7.4+ and 8.x capabilities along with the standard Bitrix core REST API (Bitrix\Main\Engine\Controller), already utilized by the platform.
The module can be installed using standard portal administrator rights without requiring programming skills or database management. Activation is performed with a single click in the Modules section of the administrative panel.
The preview is generated from the email body synchronized and stored by the Bitrix24 Mail module (b_mail_message table). If an email has not yet been indexed (for example, during the initial synchronization of a large mailbox), the preview may temporarily be unavailable and will appear after synchronization completes.
The module does not modify Bitrix24 core files or the Mail module components. All logic is implemented via standard OnEpilog events and a dedicated REST controller, ensuring compatibility with platform updates.
General iT can take care of implementing “Email Preview in Mail”, including installation, configuration and result verification.