Fruitmail (Fast & Safe)

Fast SQLite-based search for Apple Mail.app with full body content support.

Installation

npm install -g apple-mail-search-cli

Usage

# Complex search
fruitmail search --subject "invoice" --days 30 --unread

# Search by sender
fruitmail sender "@amazon.com"

# List unread emails
fruitmail unread

# Read full email body (supports --json)
fruitmail body 94695

# Open in Mail.app
fruitmail open 94695

# Database stats
fruitmail stats

Commands

Command

Description

search	Complex search with filters
sender	Search by sender email
unread	List unread emails
body	Read full email body (AppleScript)
open	Open email in Mail.app
stats	Database statistics

Search Options

--subject <text>   Search subject lines
--days <n>         Last N days
--unread           Only unread emails
--limit <n>        Max results (default: 20)
--json             Output as JSON
--copy             Copy DB before query (safest mode)

Examples

# Find bank statements from last month
fruitmail search --subject "statement" --days 30

# Get unread emails as JSON
fruitmail unread --json | jq '.[] | .subject'

# Find emails from Amazon
fruitmail sender "@amazon.com" --limit 50

Performance

Method

Time for 130k emails

AppleScript (full iteration)	8+ minutes
SQLite (this tool)	~50ms

Technical Details

• Database: ~/Library/Mail/V{9,10,11}/MailData/Envelope Index
• Query method: SQLite (read-only) + AppleScript (body content)
• Safety: Read-only mode prevents modification; optional --copy mode available

Notes

• macOS only — queries Apple Mail.app's local database
• Read-only — can search/read but cannot compose/send
• To send emails: Use the himalaya skill (IMAP/SMTP)

Source