imap-smtp-email

name	imap-smtp-email
description	Manage email through IMAP and SMTP: read and search inboxes, check for new messages, fetch content, mark as read/unread, and send emails with attachments. Works with Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, and other standard servers. Triggered when the user asks to check mail, read an email, search inboxes, send an email, or mentions IMAP/SMTP email handling.
metadata	{"openclaw":{"emoji":"📧","requires":{"env":"[Truncated]","bins":"[Truncated]"},"primaryEnv":"SMTP_PASS"}}

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=[e-mail]
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=[e-mail]          # Your email address
SMTP_PASS=your_password           # Your password or app password
SMTP_FROM=[e-mail]          # 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

Important for Gmail:

• Gmail does not accept your regular account password
• You must generate an App Password: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
• Use the generated 16-character App Password as IMAP_PASS / SMTP_PASS
• Requires Google Account with 2-Step Verification enabled

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 <n>: Max results (default: 10)
• --mailbox <name>: Mailbox to check (default: INBOX)
• --recent <time>: 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 <name>: Mailbox (default: INBOX)
• --dir <path>: Output directory (default: current directory)
• --file <filename>: 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 <email>: Recipient (comma-separated for multiple)
• --subject <text>: Email subject, or --subject-file <file>

Optional:

• --body <text>: Plain text body
• --html: Send body as HTML
• --body-file <file>: Read body from file
• --html-file <file>: Read HTML from file
• --cc <email>: CC recipients
• --bcc <email>: BCC recipients
• --attach <file>: Attachments (comma-separated)
• --from <email>: Override default sender

Examples:

# Simple text email
node scripts/smtp.js send --to [e-mail] --subject "Hello" --body "World"

# HTML email
node scripts/smtp.js send --to [e-mail] --subject "Newsletter" --html --body "<h1>Welcome</h1>"

# Email with attachment
node scripts/smtp.js send --to [e-mail] --subject "Report" --body "Please find attached" --attach report.pdf

# Multiple recipients
node scripts/smtp.js send --to "[e-mail],[e-mail]" --cc "[e-mail]" --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)
• Gmail: regular password is rejected — generate an App Password at https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
• 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: regular password won't work — generate an App Password at https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords

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