imap-smtp-email
Read and send email.
Installation
npx clawhub@latest install imap-smtp-emailView 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
| 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 |
| Outlook | outlook.office365.com | 993 | smtp.office365.com | 587 |
| QQ Mail | imap.qq.com | 993 | smtp.qq.com | 587 |
- 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_SECUREsetting to server requirements - For self-signed certs: set
IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=falseorSMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false