@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

1. 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.

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

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

3. 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

1. Go to appleid.apple.com and sign in.
2. Navigate to App-Specific Passwords and generate a new password.
3. 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

License

MIT