imap-smtp-email
Read and send email via IMAP/SMTP. Check for new/unread messages, fetch content, search mailboxes, mark as read/unread, and send emails with attachments. Supports multiple accounts. Works with any IMAP/SMTP server including Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, vip.163.com, 126.com, vip.126.com, 188.com, and vip.188.com.
Best use case
imap-smtp-email is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Read and send email via IMAP/SMTP. Check for new/unread messages, fetch content, search mailboxes, mark as read/unread, and send emails with attachments. Supports multiple accounts. Works with any IMAP/SMTP server including Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, vip.163.com, 126.com, vip.126.com, 188.com, and vip.188.com.
Teams using imap-smtp-email should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/imap-smtp-email-fixed/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How imap-smtp-email Compares
| Feature / Agent | imap-smtp-email | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Read and send email via IMAP/SMTP. Check for new/unread messages, fetch content, search mailboxes, mark as read/unread, and send emails with attachments. Supports multiple accounts. Works with any IMAP/SMTP server including Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, vip.163.com, 126.com, vip.126.com, 188.com, and vip.188.com.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# IMAP/SMTP Email Tool Read, search, and manage email via IMAP protocol. Send email via SMTP. Supports Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, vip.163.com, 126.com, vip.126.com, 188.com, vip.188.com, and any standard IMAP/SMTP server. ## Configuration Run the setup script to configure your email account: ```bash bash setup.sh ``` Configuration is split into two files: - **`config.env`** (skill directory) — server hosts, ports, TLS settings, allowed dirs - **`~/.openclaw/.env`** — credentials (user, password, from address) Legacy fallback: `~/.config/imap-smtp-email/.env` (single combined file). ### Config file format ```bash # Default account (no prefix) IMAP_HOST=imap.gmail.com IMAP_PORT=993 IMAP_USER=your@email.com IMAP_PASS=your_password IMAP_TLS=true IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true IMAP_MAILBOX=INBOX SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com SMTP_PORT=587 SMTP_SECURE=false SMTP_USER=your@email.com SMTP_PASS=your_password SMTP_FROM=your@email.com SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true # File access whitelist (security) ALLOWED_READ_DIRS=~/Downloads,~/Documents ALLOWED_WRITE_DIRS=~/Downloads ``` ## Multi-Account You can configure additional email accounts in the same config file. Each account uses a name prefix (uppercase) on all variables. ### Adding an account Run the setup script and choose "Add a new account": ```bash bash setup.sh ``` Or manually add prefixed config to `config.env` and secrets to `~/.openclaw/.env`: ```bash # Work account (WORK_ prefix) WORK_IMAP_HOST=imap.company.com WORK_IMAP_PORT=993 WORK_IMAP_USER=me@company.com WORK_IMAP_PASS=password WORK_IMAP_TLS=true WORK_IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true WORK_IMAP_MAILBOX=INBOX WORK_SMTP_HOST=smtp.company.com WORK_SMTP_PORT=587 WORK_SMTP_SECURE=false WORK_SMTP_USER=me@company.com WORK_SMTP_PASS=password WORK_SMTP_FROM=me@company.com WORK_SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true ``` ### Using a named account Add `--account <name>` before the command: ```bash node scripts/imap.js --account work check node scripts/smtp.js --account work send --to foo@bar.com --subject Hi --body Hello ``` Without `--account`, the default (unprefixed) account is used. ### Account name rules - Letters and digits only (e.g., `work`, `163`, `personal2`) - Case-insensitive: `work` and `WORK` refer to the same account - The prefix in `.env` is always uppercase (e.g., `WORK_IMAP_HOST`) - `ALLOWED_READ_DIRS` and `ALLOWED_WRITE_DIRS` are shared across all accounts (always unprefixed) ## Common Email Servers | Provider | IMAP Host | IMAP Port | SMTP Host | SMTP Port | |----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| | 163.com | imap.163.com | 993 | smtp.163.com | 465 | | vip.163.com | imap.vip.163.com | 993 | smtp.vip.163.com | 465 | | 126.com | imap.126.com | 993 | smtp.126.com | 465 | | vip.126.com | imap.vip.126.com | 993 | smtp.vip.126.com | 465 | | 188.com | imap.188.com | 993 | smtp.188.com | 465 | | vip.188.com | imap.vip.188.com | 993 | smtp.vip.188.com | 465 | | yeah.net | imap.yeah.net | 993 | smtp.yeah.net | 465 | | Gmail | imap.gmail.com | 993 | smtp.gmail.com | 587 | | Yahoo Mail | imap.mail.yahoo.com | 993 | smtp.mail.yahoo.com | 465 | | Outlook | outlook.office365.com | 993 | smtp.office365.com | 587 | | QQ Mail | imap.qq.com | 993 | smtp.qq.com | 587 | **Important for Gmail:** - Gmail does **not** accept your regular account password - You must generate an **App Password**: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords - Use the generated 16-character App Password as `IMAP_PASS` / `SMTP_PASS` - Requires Google Account with 2-Step Verification enabled **Important for 163.com:** - Use **authorization code** (授权码), not account password - Enable IMAP/SMTP in web settings first ## IMAP Commands (Receiving Email) ### check Check for new/unread emails. ```bash node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] check [--limit 10] [--mailbox INBOX] [--recent 2h] ``` Options: - `--limit <n>`: Max results (default: 10) - `--mailbox <name>`: Mailbox to check (default: INBOX) - `--recent <time>`: Only show emails from last X time (e.g., 30m, 2h, 7d) ### fetch Fetch full email content by UID. ```bash node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] fetch <uid> [--mailbox INBOX] ``` ### download Download all attachments from an email, or a specific attachment. ```bash node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] download <uid> [--mailbox INBOX] [--dir <path>] [--file <filename>] ``` Options: - `--mailbox <name>`: Mailbox (default: INBOX) - `--dir <path>`: Output directory (default: current directory) - `--file <filename>`: Download only the specified attachment (default: download all) ### search Search emails with filters. ```bash node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] search [options] Options: --unseen Only unread messages --seen Only read messages --from <email> From address contains --subject <text> Subject contains --recent <time> From last X time (e.g., 30m, 2h, 7d) --since <date> After date (YYYY-MM-DD) --before <date> Before date (YYYY-MM-DD) --limit <n> Max results (default: 20) --mailbox <name> Mailbox to search (default: INBOX) ``` ### mark-read / mark-unread Mark message(s) as read or unread. ```bash node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] mark-read <uid> [uid2 uid3...] node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] mark-unread <uid> [uid2 uid3...] ``` ### list-mailboxes List all available mailboxes/folders. ```bash node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] list-mailboxes ``` ### list-accounts List all configured email accounts. ```bash node scripts/imap.js list-accounts node scripts/smtp.js list-accounts ``` Shows account name, email address, server addresses, and configuration status. ## SMTP Commands (Sending Email) ### send Send email via SMTP. ```bash node scripts/smtp.js [--account <name>] send --to <email> --subject <text> [options] ``` **Required:** - `--to <email>`: Recipient (comma-separated for multiple) - `--subject <text>`: Email subject, or `--subject-file <file>` **Optional:** - `--body <text>`: Plain text body - `--html`: Send body as HTML - `--body-file <file>`: Read body from file - `--html-file <file>`: Read HTML from file - `--cc <email>`: CC recipients - `--bcc <email>`: BCC recipients - `--attach <file>`: Attachments (comma-separated) - `--from <email>`: Override default sender **Examples:** ```bash # Simple text email node scripts/smtp.js send --to recipient@example.com --subject "Hello" --body "World" # HTML email node scripts/smtp.js send --to recipient@example.com --subject "Newsletter" --html --body "<h1>Welcome</h1>" # Email with attachment node scripts/smtp.js send --to recipient@example.com --subject "Report" --body "Please find attached" --attach report.pdf # Multiple recipients node scripts/smtp.js send --to "a@example.com,b@example.com" --cc "c@example.com" --subject "Update" --body "Team update" ``` ### test Test SMTP connection by sending a test email to yourself. ```bash node scripts/smtp.js [--account <name>] test ``` ## Dependencies ```bash npm install ``` ## Security Notes - Credentials are stored in `~/.openclaw/.env` with `600` permissions (owner read/write only). Connection config is in `config.env` in the skill directory - **Gmail**: regular password is rejected — generate an App Password at https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords - For 163.com: use authorization code (授权码), not account password ## Troubleshooting **Connection timeout:** - Verify server is running and accessible - Check host/port configuration **Authentication failed:** - Verify username (usually full email address) - Check password is correct - For 163.com: use authorization code, not account password - For Gmail: regular password won't work — generate an App Password at https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords - For Yahoo Mail: regular password won't work — generate an App Password at https://login.yahoo.com/account/security **TLS/SSL errors:** - Match `IMAP_TLS`/`SMTP_SECURE` setting to server requirements - For self-signed certs: set `IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false` or `SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false`