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imap-smtp-email

Read and send email.

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Installation

npx clawhub@latest install imap-smtp-email

View the full skill documentation and source below.

Documentation

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

Create .env in the skill folder or set environment variables:

# IMAP Configuration (receiving email)
IMAP_HOST=imap.gmail.com          # Server hostname
IMAP_PORT=993                     # Server port
IMAP_USER=your@email.com
IMAP_PASS=your_password
IMAP_TLS=true                     # Use TLS/SSL connection
IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true     # Set to false for self-signed certs
IMAP_MAILBOX=INBOX                # Default mailbox

# SMTP Configuration (sending email)
SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com          # SMTP server hostname
SMTP_PORT=587                     # SMTP port (587 for STARTTLS, 465 for SSL)
SMTP_SECURE=false                 # true for SSL (465), false for STARTTLS (587)
SMTP_USER=your@gmail.com          # Your email address
SMTP_PASS=your_password           # Your password or app password
SMTP_FROM=your@gmail.com          # Default sender email (optional)
SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true     # Set to false for self-signed certs

Common Email Servers

ProviderIMAP HostIMAP PortSMTP HostSMTP Port
163.comimap.163.com993smtp.163.com465
vip.163.comimap.vip.163.com993smtp.vip.163.com465
126.comimap.126.com993smtp.126.com465
vip.126.comimap.vip.126.com993smtp.vip.126.com465
188.comimap.188.com993smtp.188.com465
vip.188.comimap.vip.188.com993smtp.vip.188.com465
yeah.netimap.yeah.net993smtp.yeah.net465
Gmailimap.gmail.com993smtp.gmail.com587
Outlookoutlook.office365.com993smtp.office365.com587
QQ Mailimap.qq.com993smtp.qq.com587
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.
node scripts/imap.js check [--limit 10] [--mailbox INBOX] [--recent 2h]

Options:

  • --limit : Max results (default: 10)

  • --mailbox : Mailbox to check (default: INBOX)

  • --recent : Only show emails from last X time (e.g., 30m, 2h, 7d)


fetch


Fetch full email content by UID.

node scripts/imap.js fetch <uid> [--mailbox INBOX]

download

Download all attachments from an email, or a specific attachment.
node scripts/imap.js download <uid> [--mailbox INBOX] [--dir <path>] [--file <filename>]

Options:

  • --mailbox : Mailbox (default: INBOX)

  • --dir : Output directory (default: current directory)

  • --file : Download only the specified attachment (default: download all)


search


Search emails with filters.

node scripts/imap.js 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.
node scripts/imap.js mark-read <uid> [uid2 uid3...]
node scripts/imap.js mark-unread <uid> [uid2 uid3...]

list-mailboxes

List all available mailboxes/folders.
node scripts/imap.js list-mailboxes

SMTP Commands (Sending Email)

send

Send email via SMTP.
node scripts/smtp.js send --to <email> --subject <text> [options]

Required:

  • --to : Recipient (comma-separated for multiple)

  • --subject : Email subject, or --subject-file


Optional:
  • --body : Plain text body

  • --html: Send body as HTML

  • --body-file : Read body from file

  • --html-file : Read HTML from file

  • --cc : CC recipients

  • --bcc : BCC recipients

  • --attach : Attachments (comma-separated)

  • --from : Override default sender


Examples:
# 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.
node scripts/smtp.js test

Dependencies

npm install

Security Notes

  • Store credentials in .env (add to .gitignore)
  • For Gmail: use App Password if 2FA is enabled
  • 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: use App Password if 2FA enabled


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