MCP Directory

How to add Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) to Claude Desktop

Provider-agnostic email MCP over IMAP/SMTP — read, search and send from any mailbox Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 254★ · stdio · apikey

Claude Desktop config for Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP)

uvx mcp-email-server@latest stdio
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "email-mcp-server-imap-smtp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-email-server@latest",
        "stdio"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP)'s tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Python 3.10+ with the uv package manager (or use the prebuilt Docker image ghcr.io/ai-zerolab/mcp-email-server)
  • IMAP server details for reading: host, port, SSL/STARTTLS settings
  • SMTP server details for sending (optional — omit to run read-only): host, port, SSL/STARTTLS settings
  • Mailbox credentials: email address, username, and password. For Gmail or other 2FA providers, generate an app-specific password rather than using your account password
  • For ProtonMail, run ProtonMail Bridge locally and point IMAP/SMTP at it

What Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) can do in Claude Desktop

get_emails_content

Read, list, search and page through messages from a configured IMAP account

send_email

Compose and send a message over SMTP (hidden when SMTP is not configured)

download_attachment

Download a message attachment to local disk (when attachment download is enabled)

save_to_mailbox

Save a message into an IMAP folder, e.g. the Sent folder after sending

Security

Stores mailbox usernames and passwords (or app passwords) in a plaintext TOML config (~/.config/zerolib/mcp_email_server/config.toml) or env vars — use provider app-passwords rather than your primary password and protect that file. Omit the SMTP host to keep an account strictly read-only.

Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Stores mailbox usernames and passwords (or app passwords) in a plaintext TOML config (~/.config/zerolib/mcp_email_server/config.toml) or env vars — use provider app-passwords rather than your primary password and protect that file. Omit the SMTP host to keep an account strictly read-only.

Which email providers does it support?

Any provider that speaks standard IMAP and SMTP. Gmail and ProtonMail (via Bridge) are documented examples, but Fastmail, Outlook/Exchange over IMAP, and self-hosted servers all work.

How do I authenticate with Gmail?

Use an app-specific password generated in your Google account rather than your normal password, since Gmail blocks basic-auth logins on accounts with 2FA. There is no OAuth flow — it logs in with username/password over IMAP/SMTP.

Can I run it read-only?

Yes. Configure only the IMAP settings and leave SMTP unset; the send and compose tools are then hidden so the agent can only read and search mail.

View repo Full Email MCP Server (IMAP/SMTP) page