# outlookctl
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
[](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
[](https://www.microsoft.com/windows)
> **🔍 Also check out [GNO](https://gno.sh)** ([gmickel/gno](https://github.com/gmickel/gno)) - Local semantic search for your documents, notes, and knowledge base. Combines perfectly with outlookctl: let Claude search your emails *and* your local files. Same privacy-first, local-only philosophy.
Local CLI bridge for Outlook Classic automation on Windows via COM. Includes a Claude Code Skill for AI-assisted email and calendar management.
> **TL;DR**: Can't access Exchange via Microsoft Graph API? No problem. Control Outlook directly through COM automation on your Windows workstation. Let Claude help manage your email and calendar - no API keys, no OAuth, just your existing Outlook session.
## What This Is
`outlookctl` is a **local automation tool** that controls the Outlook desktop client already running on your Windows workstation. It:
- **Uses your existing Outlook session** - No separate authentication, API keys, or OAuth tokens
- **Operates entirely locally** - No network calls to external services, no cloud dependencies
- **Controls the desktop client via COM** - Same automation interface used by VBA macros and Office add-ins
- **Respects your security context** - Runs with your existing permissions, subject to Outlook's security settings
This is **not** a workaround or bypass - it's the standard Windows COM automation interface that Microsoft provides for programmatic Outlook access. The same technology powers countless enterprise tools, email archivers, and Office integrations.
## Use Cases
### Email
- **AI-assisted email triage** - Let Claude help summarize and categorize your inbox
- **Automated drafting** - Generate draft responses with AI assistance, review before sending
- **Email search and retrieval** - Find specific messages across your mailbox
- **Attachment management** - Bulk save attachments to disk
### Calendar
- **View upcoming meetings** - List events across date ranges
- **Create meetings** - Schedule meetings with attendees (draft-first workflow)
- **Respond to invitations** - Accept, decline, or tentatively accept meeting requests
- **Shared calendars** - Access colleagues' calendars (with permissions)
## Documentation
Full documentation is available at [**gmickel.github.io/outlookctl**](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/):
- [CLI Reference](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/cli.html) - Complete command reference
- [JSON Schema](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/json-schema.html) - Output format documentation
- [Security & Data Handling](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/security.html) - Security model and best practices
- [Troubleshooting](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/troubleshooting.html) - Common issues and solutions
## Requirements
- Windows workstation with Classic Outlook (not "New Outlook")
- Outlook running and logged into your account
- Python 3.12+ and [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)
## Quick Start
### 1. Clone and Setup
```bash
git clone https://github.com/gmickel/outlookctl.git
cd outlookctl
uv sync
```
### 2. Verify Environment
```bash
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli doctor
```
All checks should pass. If not, see [Troubleshooting](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/troubleshooting.html).
### 3. Test Commands
```bash
# List recent emails
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli list --count 5
# Search emails
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli search --from "someone@example.com" --since 2025-01-01
# Create a draft email
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli draft --to "recipient@example.com" --subject "Test" --body-text "Hello"
# List upcoming calendar events (next 7 days)
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli calendar list
# Create a calendar event
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli calendar create --subject "Focus Time" --start "2025-01-20 14:00" --duration 60
```
## CLI Commands
### Email Commands
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `doctor` | Validate environment and prerequisites |
| `list` | List messages from a folder |
| `get` | Get a single message by ID |
| `search` | Search messages with filters |
| `draft` | Create a draft message |
| `send` | Send a draft or new message |
| `move` | Move message to another folder |
| `delete` | Delete a message |
| `mark-read` | Mark message as read/unread |
| `forward` | Create a forward draft |
| `attachments save` | Save attachments to disk |
### Calendar Commands
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `calendar list` | List events in a date range |
| `calendar get` | Get event details by ID |
| `calendar create` | Create an event or meeting |
| `calendar send` | Send meeting invitations |
| `calendar respond` | Accept/decline/tentative response |
| `calendar update` | Update an existing event |
| `calendar delete` | Delete/cancel an event |
See [CLI Reference](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/cli.html) for full documentation.
## Installing the Skill
The skill enables AI assistants (Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or VS Code) to assist with email and calendar operations safely.
> **Note:** Agent Skills support in VS Code is currently in preview and only available in VS Code Insiders. Enable the `chat.useAgentSkills` setting to use Agent Skills.
### Claude Code - Personal Installation
```bash
uv run python tools/install_skill.py --personal
```
Installs to: `~/.claude/skills/outlook-automation/`
### Claude Code - Project Installation (for team)
```bash
uv run python tools/install_skill.py --project
```
Installs to: `.claude/skills/outlook-automation/`
### OpenAI Codex Installation
```bash
uv run python tools/install_skill.py --codex
```
Installs to: `~/.codex/skills/outlook-automation/`
> **Note:** Codex skills require the experimental `skills` feature flag. Add `[features]\nskills = true` to `~/.codex/config.toml` and restart Codex.
### Verify Installation
```bash
uv run python tools/install_skill.py --verify --personal # Claude Code
uv run python tools/install_skill.py --verify --codex # OpenAI Codex
```
## Safety Features
`outlookctl` is designed with safety as a priority:
1. **Draft-First Workflow** - Create drafts/meetings, review, then send
2. **Explicit Confirmation** - Sending emails/meeting invites requires `--confirm-send YES`
3. **Metadata by Default** - Body content only retrieved on explicit request
4. **Audit Logging** - Send operations logged to `%LOCALAPPDATA%/outlookctl/audit.log`
### Example Safe Workflow
```bash
# 1. Create draft
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli draft \
--to "recipient@example.com" \
--subject "Project Update" \
--body-text "Here is the update..."
# 2. Review the draft in Outlook or via CLI
# 3. Send with explicit confirmation
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli send \
--draft-id "<entry_id from step 1>" \
--draft-store "<store_id from step 1>" \
--confirm-send YES
```
## Output Format
All commands output JSON:
```json
{
"version": "1.0",
"folder": {"name": "Inbox"},
"items": [
{
"id": {"entry_id": "...", "store_id": "..."},
"subject": "Meeting Tomorrow",
"from": {"name": "Jane", "email": "jane@example.com"},
"unread": true,
"has_attachments": false
}
]
}
```
See [JSON Schema](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/json-schema.html) for details.
## Project Structure
```
outlookctl/
├── pyproject.toml # Project configuration (uv/hatch)
├── README.md # This file
├── CLAUDE.md # Development guide for AI assistants
├── src/outlookctl/ # Python package
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── cli.py # CLI entry point (argparse)
│ ├── models.py # Dataclasses for JSON output
│ ├── outlook_com.py # COM automation wrapper
│ ├── safety.py # Send confirmation gates
│ └── audit.py # Audit logging
├── skills/
│ └── outlook-automation/
│ ├── SKILL.md # Claude Code Skill definition
│ └── reference/ # Skill documentation
│ ├── cli.md
│ ├── json-schema.md
│ ├── security.md
│ └── troubleshooting.md
├── tools/
│ └── install_skill.py # Skill installer
├── tests/ # pytest test suite
│ ├── test_models.py
│ ├── test_calendar_models.py
│ └── test_safety.py
└── evals/ # Skill evaluation scenarios
├── eval_summarize.md
├── eval_draft_reply.md
└── eval_refuse_send.md
```
## Development
### Prerequisites
- Python 3.12+
- uv package manager
- Windows with Classic Outlook
### Setup
```bash
uv sync
```
### Run Tests
```bash
uv run python -m pytest tests/ -v
```
### Run CLI During Development
```bash
uv run python -m outlookctl.cli <command> [options]
```
### Update Skill After Changes
```bash
uv run python tools/install_skill.py --personal
```
## Technical Details
### Why COM Automation?
Windows COM (Component Object Model) is Microsoft's standard interface for inter-process communication. Outlook exposes its functionality through the `Outlook.Application` COM object, which:
- Is the same interface used by VBA macros inside Outlook
- Is how enterprise tools integrate with Outlook
- Runs in the security context of the logged-in user
- Is subject to Outlook's Trust Center settings
### Classic vs New Outlook
**Classic Outlook** (the traditional desktop app) supports COM automation.
**New Outlook** (the modern, web-based app) does **not** support COM automation - it requires Microsoft Graph API with OAuth authentication.
This tool only works with Classic Outlook. Check which version you have:
- Classic: Has File menu, Trust Center settings
- New: Toggle at top-right says "New Outlook"
### Security Model
- No API keys or tokens stored
- No network calls to external services
- Uses Windows authentication (your logged-in session)
- Outlook may show security prompts for programmatic access
- All operations logged locally for audit
## Limitations
- **Classic Outlook Only** - New Outlook requires Microsoft Graph API
- **Windows Only** - COM is a Windows technology
- **Same Session** - Must run in same Windows session as Outlook
- **Security Prompts** - Outlook may show security dialogs
## Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| "Outlook COM unavailable" | Start Classic Outlook (not New Outlook) |
| "pywin32 not installed" | Run `uv sync` |
| "Message not found" | IDs expire; re-run list/search |
| Permission denied on CLI | Use `uv run python -m outlookctl.cli` instead |
See [Troubleshooting Guide](https://gmickel.github.io/outlookctl/troubleshooting.html) for more.
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please:
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests (`uv run python -m pytest tests/ -v`)
5. Commit (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
6. Push (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
7. Open a Pull Request
## License
MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
## Acknowledgments
- Built for use with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)
- Powered by [pywin32](https://github.com/mhammond/pywin32) for COM automation
- Package management via [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)