Gmail or Outlook sidebar

See and edit CRM records next to your inbox, with the vendor's own Gmail or Outlook add-on or browser extension.

On this pageWhat it is

What it is
Why it matters
What to check
Tools with it

What it is

A Gmail or Outlook sidebar is an add-on or browser extension, published by the CRM vendor, that shows the CRM record for the person you are emailing inside your inbox. You can see their deals and notes, and edit them, without switching tabs. For example, when you open an email from a customer, the sidebar shows the open deal and lets you add a note. HubSpot, Pipedrive and Zoho CRM are among the tools that offer this.

Why it matters

Most salespeople spend much of the day in their inbox. If recording a note or updating a deal means opening another tab, it often does not get done and the CRM falls out of date. A sidebar keeps the record in view while you write. It is less important for teams that mostly work in the CRM itself or that do most selling by phone or chat.

What to check

Ask whether the extension is built by the CRM vendor or by a third party.
Check that it works with the email app you use, whether that is Gmail, Outlook or both.
Test whether you can create contacts, update deals and log notes from it, or only view records.
Find out whether it works on mobile and in shared inboxes, if your team uses them.

Tools with Gmail or Outlook sidebar

ToolClient acquisition
Salesforce
Manages contacts, leads, opportunities and pipelines with deep customisation and automation for B2B sales teams.
CRM
From €25/moFree plan
Sign up on Salesforce
ToolClient acquisition
Freshsales
Manages contacts, deals and pipelines for B2B sales teams with built-in phone and AI lead scoring.
CRM
From $9/mo yearlyAffiliate link
Sign up on Freshsales
ToolClient acquisition
HubSpot
Combines CRM, marketing, sales and customer service around a shared contact database with a free tier.
CRM
From $7/mo yearlyFree plan
Sign up on HubSpot
ToolClient acquisition
Nutshell
Dedicated customer relationship management platform for sales teams managing leads, deals and pipelines.
CRM
From $13/mo yearlyAffiliate link
Sign up on Nutshell
ToolClient acquisition
Pipedrive
Manage your sales pipeline visually with drag-and-drop deals, contact management and workflow automation.
CRM
From €14/mo yearlyAffiliate link
Sign up on Pipedrive
ToolClient acquisition
Folk
Centralise contacts and deal pipelines in a spreadsheet-like CRM with automatic data enrichment.
CRM
From €22/mo yearlyAffiliate link
Sign up on Folk
ToolClient acquisition
Attio
Build a flexible CRM that mirrors exactly how you sell, not how a vendor says you should.
CRM
From €31/mo yearlyFree plan
Sign up on Attio
ToolClient acquisition
Zoho CRM
Sales management system for leads, deals and customers with built-in forecasting and workflow automation.
CRM
From €14/mo yearlyFree plan
Sign up on Zoho CRM
ToolClient acquisition
Copper
Google Workspace CRM that syncs Gmail and Calendar into contacts, deals and pipelines for small sales teams.
CRM
From $23/mo yearly
Sign up on Copper

In CRM ranking order; the number is each tool's place.