@marlinjai/email-mcp

A unified MCP server for email access across Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, and generic IMAP providers.

Features

Multi-provider support -- Gmail (REST API), Outlook (Microsoft Graph), iCloud (IMAP), and generic IMAP/SMTP
OAuth2 authentication -- Browser-based OAuth flows for Gmail and Outlook, with automatic token refresh
Full email client -- Search, read, send, reply, forward, organize, and manage drafts
Batch operations -- Delete, move, or mark hundreds of emails in a single call
Lightweight search -- Compact search results by default (~20KB vs ~1.4MB) with optional full body retrieval
Encrypted credential storage -- AES-256-GCM encryption at rest with machine-derived keys
Provider-native APIs -- Uses Gmail API and Microsoft Graph where available for richer features, falls back to IMAP for universal compatibility

Installation

Install globally from npm:

npm install -g @marlinjai/email-mcp

Or run directly with npx (no install needed):

npx @marlinjai/email-mcp

Quick Start

Run the interactive setup wizard to add your email accounts:

npx @marlinjai/email-mcp setup

The wizard will walk you through provider selection and authentication. After each account, it asks if you'd like to add another — so you can set up Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud all in one go.

Add the server to your MCP configuration (.mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@marlinjai/email-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Start using email tools in Claude Code — search your inbox, send emails, organize messages, and more.

Provider Setup Guides

Gmail

No configuration needed — the setup wizard handles everything using built-in OAuth credentials (PKCE):

npx @marlinjai/email-mcp setup
# Select "Gmail" when prompted
# A browser window opens for Google authorization
# Grant the requested permissions and return to the terminal

Note: If you prefer to use your own OAuth app, create a Desktop OAuth 2.0 Client in the Google Cloud Console with the Gmail API enabled.

Outlook

No configuration needed — the setup wizard handles everything using built-in OAuth credentials (PKCE):

npx @marlinjai/email-mcp setup
# Select "Outlook" when prompted
# A browser window opens for Microsoft authorization
# Sign in and grant the requested permissions

Note: If you prefer to use your own OAuth app, register one in the Azure Portal with Mail.ReadWrite, Mail.Send, and offline_access permissions.

iCloud

Go to appleid.apple.com and sign in.
Navigate to App-Specific Passwords and generate a new password.
Run the setup wizard:

npx @marlinjai/email-mcp setup
# Select "iCloud" when prompted
# Enter your iCloud email address
# Enter the app-specific password you generated

Generic IMAP

Run the setup wizard with your IMAP/SMTP server details:

npx @marlinjai/email-mcp setup
# Select "Other IMAP" when prompted
# Enter your IMAP host, port, and credentials
# Optionally enter SMTP host and port for sending

Available Tools (25)

Account Management (4)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | email_list_accounts | List all configured accounts with connection status | | email_add_account | Add a new IMAP or iCloud account (Gmail/Outlook require setup wizard) | | email_remove_account | Remove an account and its stored credentials | | email_test_account | Test connection to an account |

Reading & Searching (5)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | email_list_folders | List all folders/labels for an account | | email_search | Search emails with filters. Returns compact results by default (returnBody=false). Set returnBody=true to include full email bodies | | email_get | Get full email content by ID (headers, body, attachment metadata) | | email_get_thread | Get an entire email thread/conversation | | email_get_attachment | Download a specific attachment by ID (returns base64 data) |

Sending & Drafts (5)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | email_send | Compose and send a new email (to, cc, bcc, subject, body) | | email_reply | Reply to an email (supports reply-all, preserves threading) | | email_forward | Forward an email to new recipients | | email_draft_create | Save a draft without sending | | email_draft_list | List all drafts |

Organization (8)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | email_move | Move an email to a different folder. Supports sourceFolder for IMAP/iCloud | | email_transfer | Move or copy emails between accounts, preserving the original message (sender, date, threading) via raw MIME transfer. deleteAfter=true trashes the source only after a confirmed import (safe cross-account move) | | email_delete | Delete an email (trash or permanent). Supports sourceFolder for IMAP/iCloud | | email_mark | Mark as read/unread, starred, or flagged. Supports sourceFolder for IMAP/iCloud | | email_label | Add/remove labels (Gmail only) | | email_folder_create | Create a new folder | | email_get_labels | List all labels with counts (Gmail only) | | email_get_categories | List all categories (Outlook only) |

Batch Operations (3)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | email_batch_delete | Delete multiple emails at once (up to 1000 for Gmail, batches of 20 for Outlook, UID ranges for IMAP) | | email_batch_move | Move multiple emails to a folder in a single call | | email_batch_mark | Mark multiple emails read/unread, starred, or flagged at once |

All batch tools accept a sourceFolder parameter for IMAP/iCloud and include a sequential fallback for maximum compatibility.

Usage with Claude Code

Add the following to your .mcp.json file (project-level or global ~/.claude/.mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@marlinjai/email-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Once configured, you can ask Claude to interact with your email:

"Check my inbox for unread messages"
"Search for emails from alice@example.com in the last week"
"Reply to the latest email from Bob and thank him"
"Move all newsletters to the Archive folder"
"Delete all spam emails" (uses batch operations for speed)
"Draft a follow-up email to the team about the meeting"

Development

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build the project
pnpm build

# Run in development mode (watch for changes)
pnpm dev

# Run tests
pnpm test

# Run tests in watch mode
pnpm test:watch

# Run integration tests (requires real email accounts)
pnpm test:integration

Support

If this project is useful to you, consider supporting its development:

License

MIT

email-mcp