imap-smtp-email

name	imap-smtp-email
description	Read and send email via IMAP/SMTP. Check for new/unread messages, fetch content, search mailboxes, mark as read/unread, and send emails with attachments. Supports multiple accounts. Works with any IMAP/SMTP server including Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, vip.163.com, 126.com, vip.126.com, 188.com, and vip.188.com.
metadata	{"openclaw":{"emoji":"📧","requires":{"bins":["node","npm"]}}}

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

Run the setup script to configure your email account:

bash setup.sh

Configuration is stored at ~/.config/imap-smtp-email/.env (survives skill updates). If no config is found there, the skill falls back to a .env file in the skill directory (for backward compatibility).

Config file format

# Default account (no prefix)
IMAP_HOST=imap.gmail.com
IMAP_PORT=993
IMAP_USER=[e-mail]
IMAP_PASS=your_password
IMAP_TLS=true
IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true
IMAP_MAILBOX=INBOX

SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_SECURE=false
SMTP_USER=[e-mail]
SMTP_PASS=your_password
SMTP_FROM=[e-mail]
SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true

# File access whitelist (security)
ALLOWED_READ_DIRS=~/Downloads,~/Documents
ALLOWED_WRITE_DIRS=~/Downloads

Multi-Account

You can configure additional email accounts in the same config file. Each account uses a name prefix (uppercase) on all variables.

Adding an account

Run the setup script and choose "Add a new account":

bash setup.sh

Or manually add prefixed variables to ~/.config/imap-smtp-email/.env:

# Work account (WORK_ prefix)
WORK_IMAP_HOST=imap.company.com
WORK_IMAP_PORT=993
WORK_IMAP_USER=[e-mail]
WORK_IMAP_PASS=password
WORK_IMAP_TLS=true
WORK_IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true
WORK_IMAP_MAILBOX=INBOX
WORK_SMTP_HOST=smtp.company.com
WORK_SMTP_PORT=587
WORK_SMTP_SECURE=false
WORK_SMTP_USER=[e-mail]
WORK_SMTP_PASS=password
WORK_SMTP_FROM=[e-mail]
WORK_SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true

Using a named account

Add --account <name> before the command:

node scripts/imap.js --account work check
node scripts/smtp.js --account work send --to [e-mail] --subject Hi --body Hello

Without --account, the default (unprefixed) account is used.

Account name rules

• Letters and digits only (e.g., work, 163, personal2)
• Case-insensitive: work and WORK refer to the same account
• The prefix in .env is always uppercase (e.g., WORK_IMAP_HOST)
• ALLOWED_READ_DIRS and ALLOWED_WRITE_DIRS are shared across all accounts (always unprefixed)

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 [--account <name>] 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 [--account <name>] fetch <uid> [--mailbox INBOX]

download

Download all attachments from an email, or a specific attachment.

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

list-mailboxes

List all available mailboxes/folders.

node scripts/imap.js [--account <name>] list-mailboxes

list-accounts

List all configured email accounts.

node scripts/imap.js list-accounts
node scripts/smtp.js list-accounts

Shows account name, email address, server addresses, and configuration status.

SMTP Commands (Sending Email)

send

Send email via SMTP.

node scripts/smtp.js [--account <name>] 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 [--account <name>] test

Dependencies

npm install

Security Notes

• Configuration is stored at ~/.config/imap-smtp-email/.env with 600 permissions (owner read/write only)
• 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