The Method:Sidebar for Gmail gives you access to apps that allow you to manage data within your Method Account. You can access each app by selecting the app link in the sidebar.

Only tabs you have permission to access will show up in the Method:Sidebar. For example, if you do not have permission to view Opportunities in Method, then you will not see Opportunities in the gadget.

How the Method:Sidebar determines if you have access is dependent on the following rules:

1. Settings > Company-wide preferences > Edit/View Tab Links
   • If no tab links are set here, then it won't be displayed in Method:Sidebar
2. Tab Permissions
   • Check access to the tab the tab link lives in.
3. Tab Link Permissions
   • Check access to the tab link permissions and the table link.

If any of the above fails, then you will not see the tab within Method:Sidebar.

New Contact

When you select an email within Gmail and open up the Method:Sidebar, it will display the contact of the sender of the email. 

If this contact doesn't exist, then you will be presented with a screen to either search for a contact, or create a new contact.

When searching, you will be able to search by

• email
• name
• address
• phone
• company

Note that contacts in the Sidebar respect permissions of the currently logged in user. In other words, if your user does not have permission to view a contact, then this contact will not show up in the search and cannot be displayed in the sidebar.

From this screen, you can also create a new Lead, Customer, Vendor Lead, or Vendor. Filling in this form is the same for all four of these types of contacts. To fill in more information, you will need to do so in Method.

Existing Contact

When you select an email within Gmail and open up the Method:Sidebar, it will display the contact of the sender of the email.

The information you can see within the sidebar:

• Type - Shows if the contact is a Customer Lead, Customer, Vendor, or Vendor Lead.
• Shown in QuickBooks as - How the person shows up in your QuickBooks.
• Balance - The open balance.
• Email - The email address in the From: field of the currently selected email.
• Portal Link - When generated, this will give a unique URL that links to the contacts portal, which you need to share with your customer.
• Phone - Their phone number within Method.
• Billing Address - The billing addres will not show unless you expand it.

Selecting the Edit link will open up Method:CRM in another browser page where you will be able to update all the details for this contact. At the moment, you are currently unable to update the contact details within the Method:Sidebar.

Activities

The activities app allows you to manage your activities with the contact currently selected. For more information on activities, see our articles on using Activities. 

In the below example, we have received an email from Bob Crenshaw. When you select the Activities link in the Method:Sidebar, it will show activities related to Bob Crenshaw.

Only twenty records at a time will be shown in the list. To view all of your records, you can select View All in Method.

You can filter what is shown by the dropdown filter available above the list.

You can create a new activity within the sidebar, without leaving Gmail, by selecting New. You can create an activity and a follow-up just like you can in Method. 

When creating an activity within the Sidebar, the following fields are available to you:

• Assigned to* - the Method user to assign the activity to
• Type* - activity type
• Due* - when the activity is due
• Status* - the status for the activity 
• Related Opportunity - If applicable, the opportunity the activity should be associated with
• Schedule Follow Up - you can create a follow-up activity by checking this checkbox. 

Opportunities

The opportunities app allows you to manage your opportunities with the contact currently selected. For more information on opportunities, see our articles on using Opportunities. 

In the below example, we have received an email from Bob Crenshaw. The Method:Sidebar will show opportunities related to Bob Crenshaw.

Only twenty records at a time will be shown in the list. To view all of your records, you can select View All in Method.

You can filter what is shown by the dropdown filter available above the list.

You can create a new opportunity within the sidebar, without leaving Gmail, by selecting New. You can also create a follow up for this opportunity as well. 

When creating an opportunity within the Sidebar, the following fields are available to you:

• Name* - name of opportunity
• Description* - a brief description for the opportunity
• Expected Deal Amount* - the estimated amount you expect to receive. Used to calculate the pipeline.
• Closed Date* - when you hope the deal is finalized
• Assigned to* - the Method user to assign the activity to
• Stage* - stage of opportunity. Used to calculate pipeline.
• Type - opportunity type
• Due* - when the activity is due
• Lead Source - how did the lead hear about you
• Campaign Source - select if opportunity is a result of a campaign
• Schedule Follow Up - you can create a follow-up activity by checking this checkbox. 

Transactions

There are a number of transactions you may have access to: Invoices, Estimates, Sales Receipts, Payments. To view them, you can select the Transactions link within the sidebar. Your transactions will be visible within this list. 

The below example will show the transactions for Bob Crenshaw: one invoice and four estimates.

Only twenty records at a time will be shown in the list. To view all of your records, you can select View All in Method.

You can filter which specific transactions you wish to view by selecting a view in the filter list. 

Selecting New will open up a new browser window within Method:CRM and take you you to the customer profile. From there, you can create a new transaction of your choice.