VisibleThread 7 can integrate with eBuy using a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox. eBuy forwards opportunities and documents to the shared mailbox, and VisibleThread connects to the mailbox using the Microsoft Graph API.

The setup consists of three main steps:

1. Configure a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox and Microsoft Entra application.
2. Configure the eBuy integration in VisibleThread 7.
3. Configure your eBuy accounts to forward opportunities and documents to the shared mailbox.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Access to the Microsoft 365 tenant where the shared mailbox is hosted.
• Permissions to create or manage Microsoft Entra app registrations.
• Permissions to configure Microsoft Graph API permissions and grant admin consent.
• A Microsoft 365 shared mailbox for the eBuy integration.
• Access to the eBuy account or accounts that will forward opportunities and documents.
• VisibleThread system administrator access.

Step 1: Configure Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra

Create or identify the shared mailbox

Create or identify the Microsoft 365 shared mailbox that will receive opportunities and documents forwarded from eBuy.

For example:

ebuy@example.com

Make a note of the shared mailbox email address. You will use this address when configuring both VisibleThread and eBuy.

Create a Microsoft Entra app registration

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
2. Navigate to App registrations.
3. Select New registration.
4. Enter a descriptive name for the application, such as:

VisibleThread eBuy Integration

5. Select Accounts in this organizational directory only (Single tenant).
6. Select Register.

After the application is created, open its Overview page and make a note of:

• Application (client) ID — this will be used as the Client ID in VisibleThread.
• Directory (tenant) ID — this will be used as the Tenant ID in VisibleThread.

Configure authentication

VisibleThread supports two methods for authenticating with the Microsoft Entra application:

• Client secret
• PFX certificate

Configure one of the following options.

Option 1: Client secret

From the Microsoft Entra app registration:

1. Select Certificates & secrets.
2. Select Client secrets.
3. Select New client secret.
4. Enter a description for the secret.
5. Select an expiration period appropriate for your organization's security policy.
6. Select Add.
7. Copy the value displayed in the Value column.

Important: Copy and securely store the client secret value when it is created. You will need this value when configuring VisibleThread.

The expiration date of the client secret determines when the secret will need to be replaced in both Microsoft Entra and VisibleThread.

Option 2: PFX certificate

If your organization uses certificate-based authentication, create a certificate containing an exportable private key.

For example, the following PowerShell commands create a self-signed certificate and export both the public .cer certificate and private .pfx certificate:

$certificateName = "VisibleThread-eBuy"
$certificatePassword = Read-Host "Enter certificate password" -AsSecureString

$certificate = New-SelfSignedCertificate `
    -Subject "CN=$certificateName" `
    -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My" `
    -KeyExportPolicy Exportable `
    -KeySpec Signature `
    -KeyLength 2048 `
    -KeyAlgorithm RSA `
    -HashAlgorithm SHA256

Export-Certificate `
    -Cert $certificate `
    -FilePath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\$certificateName.cer"

Export-PfxCertificate `
    -Cert $certificate `
    -FilePath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\$certificateName.pfx" `
    -Password $certificatePassword

This creates:

• A .cer file containing the public certificate.
• A .pfx file containing the private certificate.
• A password protecting the .pfx file.

Return to the Microsoft Entra app registration:

1. Select Certificates & secrets.
2. Select Certificates.
3. Select Upload certificate.
4. Upload the .cer certificate.
5. Enter a description if required.
6. Complete the upload.

Keep the following for the VisibleThread configuration:

• The .pfx certificate.
• The PFX certificate password.

Important: Store the .pfx certificate and its password securely. The PFX file contains the private key used by VisibleThread to authenticate with Microsoft 365.

Configure Microsoft Graph permissions

From the Microsoft Entra app registration:

1. Select API permissions.
2. Select Add a permission.
3. Select Microsoft Graph.
4. Select Application permissions.
5. Search for Mail.
6. Select:

Mail.ReadWrite

7. Select Add permissions.
8. Select Grant admin consent for your organization.
9. Confirm that admin consent has been granted successfully.

Important: The eBuy integration requires the Application permission type rather than a delegated user permission.

You should now have the following information available for configuring VisibleThread:

• Shared mailbox email address
• Tenant ID
• Client ID
• Client secret or PFX certificate and password

Step 2: Configure eBuy in VisibleThread 7

Sign in to VisibleThread 7 as a system administrator and open the eBuy integration settings.

Enable the eBuy integration.

Protocol

Select:

MS Graph (Outlook 365)

Microsoft Login URL

Enter:

https://login.microsoftonline.com

Microsoft Graph URL

Enter:

https://graph.microsoft.com

Mailbox Username

Enter the email address of the shared mailbox configured in Step 1.

For example:

ebuy@example.com

Tenant ID

Enter the Directory (tenant) ID from the Microsoft Entra app registration.

Client ID

Enter the Application (client) ID from the Microsoft Entra app registration.
 

Choose an authentication method

Configure the same authentication method that you configured in Microsoft Entra.

Option 1: Client secret

Set Authenticate with Certificate to Off.

Enter the client secret value created in Step 1 into the Client Secret field.

Option 2: PFX certificate

Set Authenticate with Certificate to On.

Enter the password for the .pfx certificate in the PFX Certificate Password field.

Under PFX Certificate, click Choose File and upload the .pfx certificate created in Step 1.

Test the connection

After entering the configuration:

1. Click Test Connection.
2. Confirm that VisibleThread successfully connects to the Microsoft 365 shared mailbox.
3. Click Save Changes.

Important: Resolve any connection errors before proceeding with the eBuy configuration.

Step 3: Configure forwarding in eBuy

After the Microsoft 365 and VisibleThread configuration is complete, sign in to each eBuy account that will be used with the integration.

Configure the account to forward the required opportunities and documents to the shared mailbox configured in Step 1.

For example:

ebuy@example.com

Repeat this configuration for each eBuy account that should send opportunities or documents to VisibleThread.

Important: The forwarding address configured in eBuy must match the Mailbox Username configured in the VisibleThread eBuy integration.

Verify the integration

After completing the configuration, perform an end-to-end test:

1. Confirm that Test Connection succeeds in the VisibleThread eBuy settings.
2. Send or forward a test opportunity or document from eBuy.
3. Confirm that the email is delivered to the Microsoft 365 shared mailbox.
4. Confirm that VisibleThread retrieves and processes the forwarded opportunity or document.

If the email reaches the shared mailbox but is not processed by VisibleThread, verify:

• The shared mailbox address.
• Microsoft Graph Mail.ReadWrite application permission.
• Microsoft Entra admin consent.
• The mailbox access policy.
• Tenant ID.
• Client ID.
• Client secret or PFX certificate configuration.
• Whether the configured client secret or certificate has expired.